There are unique interconnections and relationships in organisms which are involved in the transportation of energy among species and community. The energy, once produced and captured, is distributed throughout the community and within living organisms in an ecosystem. This transfer of energy is termed the food web. The Food web is a conceptual tool for demonstrating the feeding relationships among species within a community, revealing species interactions and community structure, and understanding the dynamics of energy transfer in an ecosystem.
Applications of Food Webs
1. Food webs are constructed to describe species interconnections.
2. Food webs can be used to illustrate indirect interactions among species.
3. Food webs can be used to study bottom-up or top-down control of community structure.
4. Food webs can be used to reveal different patterns of energy transfer in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.