Difference Between Grazing and Detritus Food Chain

What is Food Chain?

The series of organisms of an ecosystem through which the food and energy present in it and  passes with each member is called food chain. A food chain consists of producers (green plants), consumers (animals and man) and decomposers (micro organisms). Basically there are two types of food chains: grazing food chain and detritus food chain.

Grazing food chain starts with green plants which are the producers. The green  plants or producers are grazed by herbivorous animals which are further eaten by carnivores.
Primary producers (Autotrophs)-> Primary consumers (Herbivores)-> Secondary Consumers (Carnivores)
Grass->Rabbit->Fox->Lion
1. The chain begins with green plants (producers) at the first trophic level
2. Energy for this food chain comes from the sun
3. Food chain adds energy into the ecosystem
4. The food chain fixes inorganic nutrients
5. It consists of all macroscopic organisms

Detritus food chain starts with dead organic matter which is eaten by animals which in turn are eaten by other animals in the soil. a large amount of energy flows through the detritus food chain. ultimately the organic matter is decomposed.
Detritus like leaf litter decomposed by microbes (bacteria) in soil (detritivore)->Earthworm (detrivore)->Rat->Snake->Eagle

1. The chain begins with detritivores (decomposers) at the first trophic level
2. Energy for this food chain comes from remains of detritus
3. This food chain take up energy from the detritus, ensuring maximum utilization and minimum wastage
4. The food chain helps in fixing inorganic nutrients
5. It consists of sub soil organisms.

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