Predation and Food Webs

Primary production is the start of the food web; plants fix energy and carbon into the system through photosynthesis. The food that this generates will in turn be consumed by the herbivorous creatures like mayflies. This second layer of any food web could be described as the secondary production within the ecosystem. It is this group that may be eaten by the carnivores. Ponds have a high level of predators present because of the huge wealth of plant feeders and detritivores. The food web below just gives a general idea of the flow of energy between the different levels.