Count the organisms in the longest food chain of the forest food web shown. How many are there? A food web drawn as labelled boxes on rows by feeding level, with arrows pointing from each organism to the one that eats it. Arrows: Trees to Deer; Trees to Caterpillar; Trees to Squirrel; Caterpillar to Bird; Bird to Snake; Squirrel to Snake; Snake to Eagle; Bird to Eagle; Deer to Tiger.

Count the organisms in the longest food chain of…

Count the organisms in the longest food chain of the forest food web shown.

MediumOriginal question

Count the organisms in the longest food chain of the forest food web shown. How many are there?

2Correct answerYour answer3Correct answerYour answer4Correct answerYour answer5Correct answerYour answer

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CorrectNot quiteAnswer D

Correct answer: D

List the chains: trees → deer → tiger; trees → caterpillar → bird → eagle; trees → caterpillar → bird → snake → eagle; trees → squirrel → snake → eagle.
The longest, through the caterpillar, bird and snake, has 5 organisms.

Worth noting

Chains rarely have more than 4 or 5 links because only about a tenth of the energy passes on at each step.

Ten questions from Ecosystems and Biodiversity, at your own pace.

Ten questions from Ecosystems and Biodiversity, at your own pace.