• Home
  • Welcome!
  • Contact
  • Affiliate Registration
  • Nature Journaling
  • Free Resources
  • Nature Club
  • My Account
  • Shop

Nature Study Australia

  • Animals
    • Mammals
    • Reptiles
    • Birds
    • Minibeasts
    • Arachnids
    • Amphibians
    • Aquatic Animals
  • Plants
    • Shrubs
    • Trees
    • Grasses
  • Seasons
    • Summer
    • Autumn
    • Winter
    • Spring
  • Math in Nature
  • Misc
    • Astronomy
    • Meteorology
    • Geology
    • Geography

Food Chains

Animals· Nature Study· Plants· Uncategorized

29 Mar

Food Chains are the who eats who of nature!

Plant nectar eaten by ants, eaten by a Thorny Devil, eaten by a Wedged Tailed Eagle.

They are the pathway of energy in an ecosystem.

Because nature is complex, food chains in turn become complex, creating a food web.

Different habitats and ecosystems sustain different food chains. Scientists study the different food chains, within a habitat, to understand the balance of nature.

Each habitat will have primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and, so on until the top predator is reached. The final stage of the energy cycle is when the detritivores and decomposers return the nutrients to the soil or oceans for use by primary producers, starting a whole new food chain.

Table of Contents

  • Primary producers – Autotrophs
  • Primary consumers – Herbivores
  • Secondary, Tertiary (and above) Consumers
  • Top Predator – Apex Predator
  • Detritivores and Decomposers

Primary producers – Autotrophs

An autotroph is a self-feeding organism. In other words, it makes its own food. Nearly all primary producers use photosynthesis to create food. Plants, algae, and phytoplankton make up the first stage of a food chain. There are also some forms of bacteria that use a process called chemosynthesis to also create their own food. The primary producers store energy that is then passed on to the secondary consumers as they eat (or consume) the plant, algae, or phytoplankton.

Primary consumers – Herbivores

The primary consumers are herbivores. They consume the primary producers. They come in all sorts and sizes and are found in every environment, from the microscopic zooplankton to the majestic giraffe. Each level of the chain is called a trophic level. The Primary consumers belong to the second trophic level and are part of the heterotrophs.

Secondary, Tertiary (and above) Consumers

Secondary, tertiary (and above), consumers are also heterotrophs. They can not produce their own food and rely on other organisms for their nutrients and energy. Higher-level consumers can be omnivores or carnivores. Depending on the environment, the diet of some secondary consumers can be varied and include both plants and animals. For example, an emu is an omnivore. When it is consuming leaves, grass, or fruit it is considered a primary consumer, but it also eats insects, making it a secondary consumer in that instance. Because of the complexity of nature, the food chain is not always linear and can differ according to seasons and the availability of food.

Top Predator – Apex Predator

When an organism has no known predators, we call that animal a top predator or apex predator. It is at the top of the food chain. An example of a top predator in Australia would be the Wedge Tailed Eagle, as an adult, it has no known predators.

Detritivores and Decomposers

The last step in the transfer of energy is the return of nutrients to the soil or ocean. Detritivores and Decomposers do this job. Detritivores are animals that eat dead organisms. Australia has quite a few scavenger animals, from the dingo and possum to the millipede and slater, these animals play a vital role in the energy cycle. Although we don’t have vultures, we do have whistling kites, crows, and ravens, to name just a few carrion birds. Our monitor lizards and meat ants also clean up any dead organisms they come across. Along with the detritivores, the decomposers help return nutrients and energy to our soil. Fungi and bacteria break down the organic material and convert it back into inorganic nutrients ready for another energy cycle.

You might like to explore food chains further with these videos

When food chains get disrupted and the natural balance of things is upset, we end up with disastrous results. Shortages in the food chain can lead to the extinction of species. Disturbances can lead to a plague proportion of pests. In the book Plague, Jackie French shows how the disturbance of the natural balance in nature led to the locust plagues we experience here in Australia. It is a great book to encourage conversation about what happens when natural food chains are disturbed. You can download a set of teaching notes by Scholastic for this book HERE.

Our family enjoys this card game called ecosystem by Genius Games. The illustrations on the cards are beautiful and the rules are simple to follow! It is a fun way to learn about food chains and the balance in nature.

For more worksheets and colouring pages about food chains, you might like:

  • What is a Food Chain? from the Worksheet Place
  • Food Chains and Webs, from Great Schools
  • Colouring pages by Colouring Home

Also, if you have subscribed to our newsletter, keep an eye out for the next Nature Scribble Notes – all about Food Chains!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tweet
Pin4
Share
4 Shares

Leave a Comment

About Jo

Jo: Wife, Home-school Mum and Homemaker

Subscribe to get the latest

free resources straight to your inbox

« Clouds
Mixed Media Nature Journal »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hey Explorer

We have outdoor expeditions to undertake and adventures to embark upon. We’ll explore the outdoors together, side by side, and uncover miraculous mysteries, and secrets. We’ll wander, and wonder in amazement as we become familiar with the Australian fauna and flora.

I desire to come alongside you in the muddle, making nature study the joy it’s meant to be.  Outdoor adventures will become a regular part of your life as you make connections to the natural world with a sense of awe.

Testimonials

Jessie

I looked high and low online for an Australian nature based curriculum and when I found Australian Nature study Guide on Instagram I was so excited to have finally found something that my family can relate to. My favourite thing about this guide is that Marie is so hands on and involved with her customers. I have never felt alone in the journey, she is there to guide and encourage us every step of the way in the Facebook group. Thanks Marie for welcoming us to your nature study family 🙂
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:52:36+10:30
I looked high and low online for an Australian nature based curriculum and when I found Australian Nature study Guide on Instagram I was so excited to have finally found something that my family can relate to. My favourite thing about this guide is that Marie is so hands on and involved with her customers. I have never felt alone in the journey, she is there to guide and encourage us every step of the way in the Facebook group. Thanks Marie for welcoming us to your nature study family 🙂
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/jessie/

Cheryl

We didn’t find out about the program until about half way through term, so we played catch up most of the time. I love how open ended the lessons are, but with enough structure to work well for those children needing such a program. We have been able to cover much of the required curriculum whilst enjoying the activities we love. Your program has been such a blessing to us, because we needed a change to our homeschooling lessons which would still cover curriculum, but would enable us to relax and enjoy “school” together. Thank you.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:50:47+10:30
We didn’t find out about the program until about half way through term, so we played catch up most of the time. I love how open ended the lessons are, but with enough structure to work well for those children needing such a program. We have been able to cover much of the required curriculum whilst enjoying the activities we love. Your program has been such a blessing to us, because we needed a change to our homeschooling lessons which would still cover curriculum, but would enable us to relax and enjoy “school” together. Thank you.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/cheryl/

Valerie

I totally enjoy using the Nature study guide. The children enjoy learning about the different animals and plants.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:51:39+10:30
I totally enjoy using the Nature study guide. The children enjoy learning about the different animals and plants.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/valerie/

Sally

We have really enjoyed the program this term. We have gotten outside more often and the children are definitely taking more notice of things when we are out. Having a place to share what we have done and seen has been an encouragement to keep it up. I sometimes felt like we could spend longer on some topics as they were so interesting but that is probably just my obsessive "we must cover everything now" problem. 
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:48:30+10:30
We have really enjoyed the program this term. We have gotten outside more often and the children are definitely taking more notice of things when we are out. Having a place to share what we have done and seen has been an encouragement to keep it up. I sometimes felt like we could spend longer on some topics as they were so interesting but that is probably just my obsessive "we must cover everything now" problem. 
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/sally/

Sarah

Absolutely love the activity books my whole family can learn together and it’s Australia based. Highly recommend
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:52:01+10:30
Absolutely love the activity books my whole family can learn together and it’s Australia based. Highly recommend
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/sarah/

Rachel

We began our homeschool journey this year keen to explore all that nature study entails. I had searched the web for weeks to research what we would use as our framework. I cannot describe the elation I felt when I came across an AUSTRALIAN nature study guide! Marie has done all the hard work and put together a wonderfully elaborate resource for all ages. You can dip your toe in or dive right into all the ideas and links. There’s so much here we could spend all week doing nature study, and often we do.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:53:11+10:30
We began our homeschool journey this year keen to explore all that nature study entails. I had searched the web for weeks to research what we would use as our framework. I cannot describe the elation I felt when I came across an AUSTRALIAN nature study guide! Marie has done all the hard work and put together a wonderfully elaborate resource for all ages. You can dip your toe in or dive right into all the ideas and links. There’s so much here we could spend all week doing nature study, and often we do.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/rachel/
0
0
Nature Study Australia

Begin Nature Club

Products

  • Identification Cards | Sea Shells $2.00
  • Look ~ Discover ~ Connect ~ ACT $10.00 $5.00

Recent Posts

  • Discover Math in Nature with Monthly Activities
  • 173rd Playful Math Carnival
  • Mathematics and Bird Feathers
  • How Do Birds Fly?
  • How to Identify Spider Webs

Cart

Browse by Category

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search

Copyright © 2025 · Website & Content by Nature Study Australia