FOOD WEB AND FOOD CHAIN

FOOD WEB AND FOOD CHAIN

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA IIT CHENNAI

OUR ENVIRONMENT

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT – SHIVAJI HOUSE

AIM: The aim of our project is to study the food consumed by the animal species of IIT campus, and formulate a food web consisting of the food chains involved in the campus.

HYPOTHESIS: Through the project, we would like to show the food chains involved in the campus and also formulate a food web that may seem to be a little accurate.

WORKPLAN:  IIT is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares.The IIT Madras campus was carved out of a natural forest that formed part of the Guindy National Park. The campus can be considered as an ideal example for the co-existence of various types of mini - ecosystems.

For the purpose of this project, our group has been divided into 3 smaller groups for easy accumulation of data and a more efficient work. 

⦁ The 3groups are given a specific location, and are supposed to study and formulate the food chains involved in that area. 

⦁ They are to examine the location, identify the animal species and find their food.

⦁ They are also asked to take pictures of the animals spotted and include themselves in some pictures for the purpose of providing photo proofs. 

⦁ The whole group together is asked to present their study to the leader, who will further assess and compute the data.

⦁ The leader of the group, along with the help of other members, finally assembles, arrange and formulate the food web.

METHODOLOGY:

The three groups set out in different locations in the campus. In every location, pictures of the animals and insects spotted were taken. The animals and insects spotted were also identified by us, with the help of a reference book borrowed from our friends. We then surfed the internet to find the food eaten by these animals and insects. We then set out in search of finding the food of the animal, if they existed in the campus.

The time for the completion of this activity was up to a week from the day ofdiscussion. It was up to the group to decide when to go and collect information. The group’s findings were submitted to the leader, though there was a delay of 2-3 days. The leader along with some other group mates together formulated the food web and prepared the report.

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION:

The IIT Madras campus was carved out of a natural forest that formed part of the Guindy National Park. The Guindy National Park and IIT Campus come under Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest type - the least common vegetation type seen in India.The campus can be proud of its natural heritage in the form of its varied flora and fauna.

Like how every organism needs to obtain energy in order to live,and that this energy is obtained by consuming certain nutrients that are essential for the survival of the organism, every animal and insect species present in the campus has got its own prey. This results in a linear representation (a model) of how energy is dispersed. This representation is called a food chain. Thus, all the animal and insects, for which the campus is home, have got their own food chain. This food chain forms an important component of an ecosystem. For the sustainability of the ecosystem, there must exist a proper food chain. This is what we have sought to learn.

The food chain associated with a few animal species found in the campus is as follows.

⦁ Hare:They are strictly herbivores that feed by grazing on plants such as grasses, clover, and dandelions, and parts such as leaves, twigs, buds, bark of young trees, roots, and seeds.

⦁ Deer: Deer are herbivores, which mean they eat plants, fruits, acorns, and nuts when they are available. In the fall when these things are scarcer they will switch to eating grass and evergreen plants. In the winder they eat whatever food is available such as fallen leaves, twigs, bushes, and other woody plants.