Food Chain
먹이사슬
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<speciesfyi-glossary slug="food-chain"></speciesfyi-glossary>Definition
A linear sequence showing the transfer of energy and nutrients from one organism to the next in an ecosystem.
Detailed Explanation
Energy flows in one direction through a food chain, with roughly 10% transferred between each trophic level — the rest is lost as heat. This inefficiency explains why large predators are rare: a chain grass → grasshopper → frog → snake → hawk loses 90% at each step. Understanding food chains helps managers predict how removing a predator ripples downward through prey populations.