Which of the following best describes a food web?

A food web is best described as a network of interconnected food chains that illustrates the complex relationships between different organisms within an ecosystem. Unlike a simple food chain, which depicts a singular pathway of energy flow from one organism to another, a food web captures the diversity of feeding interactions among various species. It highlights that organisms often have multiple food sources and that they can be part of several different food chains. For example, a plant may be eaten by multiple herbivores, and those herbivores may, in turn, serve as food for various predators.

This interconnectedness is crucial in understanding ecosystem dynamics, as it shows how energy and nutrients cycle through different levels of the food web and how changes to one species can impact others within the network. By representing these complex relationships, the food web provides a more accurate and holistic view of how ecosystems function compared to a simple linear sequence.