What is a Food Web?
A food web is a visual that depicts the various predator-prey relationships in an ecosystem. Producers are at the lowest level, and primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers make up the second, third, and fourth levels, respectively. The arrows in a food web are always pointing from prey to predator to represent the energy that is flowing from the prey to the predator that eats it.
PLEASE NOTE - This is just a small sample of species and their relationships in Kruger National Park. There are many other species in Kruger National Park that are not listed below. Each of the species that are listed below interact with more species than those just listed on the food web.
Food Web Break Down (List of Prey for Each Species)
Secondary Consumers (Carnivores)
Lion
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Cheetah
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African Wild Dog
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Leopard
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*These species are only occasionally the prey of lions from intraguild predation (when lions prey on their competition)
Primary Consumers (Herbivores)
Giraffe
|
Duiker
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Waterbuck
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Kudu
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African Elephant
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Buffalo
|
Impala
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At the bottom of the food web are all of the plants, and they make up the producers. Producers make their own food through photosynthesis and therefore do not prey on any species.