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Wetland food webs

Wetland plant and animal communities exist in food chains - where one organism feeds on another, cycling nutrients and energy through the wetland system. A simple wetland food chain might comprise algae, which are grazed by zooplankton (microscopic animals), which are eaten by small fish and which in turn are eaten by larger fish or birds. A series of interacting food chains becomes a food web.

Organisms in a food chain are grouped into three main levels - depending on the role they play in the food chain - primary producers, consumers and decomposers.

Aquatic plants and algae are primary producers. They capture sunlight through photosynthesis and convert it into energy-rich molecules that comprise plant material.

The zooplankton, worms and snails that graze on algae and plants are primary consumers. The small fish and other animals that eat them are the secondary consumers. The tertiary consumers are the bigger fish or birds that feed on the secondary consumers. The decomposers are the bacteria and fungi that break down the tissues of dead plants and animals. The cycle continues as plants use the released nutrients to grow, and micro-organisms, such as the water flea (Daphnia), feed on the bacteria and other decomposers and then are eaten by other larger animals.