Powerhouse Plants That Bolster the Food Web
Published:23 Dec.2020 Source:University of Delaware
Why care about food webs? Well, these complex, highly interconnected systems of feeding relationships are essential for our planet's health. The Earth and its many species depend on them, including humans.
To get the feast started, who has the first seat at the dining room table? The system all starts with plants, which get great publicity for their ability to convert carbon dioxide and into breathable air. But plants also have another, lesser known talent; they capture energy from the sun and turn it into food. Animals eat plants. Some eat plants directly; others obtain this energy by eating an animal who eats plants. And what animals are the best at converting this energy? Think small.