food web

[food web]

noun

Ecology.

1. a series of organisms related by predator-prey and consumer-resource interactions; the entirety of interrelated food chains in an ecological community.

food web

noun

1. a combination of food chains that integrate to form a network

food web

1. See under food chain

Word History and Origins

Origin of food web¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

As the ice retreats, it creates conditions that encourage the growth of algae, the foundation of the Arctic's marine food web.

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In addition to removing carbon, they produce oxygen, nourish marine food webs, and influence the planet’s greenhouse balance.

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They "play a central role in the food web, consuming fish and invertebrates and recycling nutrients" and are one of the "keystone species" of their ecosystem.

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"That then cascades through the food web because without the invertebrates you don't get the birds who are reliant on them for food," Mr MacCarthy said.

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Without sea stars to balance the food web, urchin numbers have exploded.

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