Characteristics of Grazing Food Chain

a) These are directly dependent upon solar radiations as the primary source of energy and the producers (green plants) synthesize their plant biomass by the process of photosynthesis. Producers form the first trophic level.

b) Herbivores or primary consumers eat upon the producers and form the second trophic level.

c) Herbivores are in-turn eaten by different categories of carnivores forming the higher trophic levels.

d) Grazing food chains are longer food chains and they always end at decomposer level.

Grazing type food chains

Detritus food chain, as seen in a forest ecosystem, wherein the dominant primary consumers (herbivores) are the insects, which usually consume less than ten percent of the net primary production. The major remaining portion of more than 90% is consumed later as dead plant material by small detritus feeding organisms such as micro arthropods, oligochaetes and microorganisms.

The detritus feeding organisms process the detritus in their gut by reducing it into small pieces, digesting it partially or completely, thus making organic material available for bacterial or fungal attack. These microorganisms also act as food for many soil animals.

This food chain is decomposer organism based and is called 'detritus or decomposer food chain'.