With reference to food chains in ecosystems, consider the following statements : 1. A food chain illustrates the order in which a chain of organisms feeds upon each other. 2. Food chains are found within the populations of a species. 3. A food chain illustrates the numbers of each organism which are eaten by others. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: A food chain shows the linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients pass, from producer → herbivore → carnivore → decomposer.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Food chains are not found within the populations of a species, because technically, the food chain is the sequence of organisms through which the energy flows.
Statement 3 is incorrect: A food chain does not show the number of organisms, it only shows the feeding relationship and energy flow.