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Green plants serve as producers in a grazing food chain, which are then consumed by herbivores who graze on them. Carnivores eat herbivores, and carnivores eat herbivores. Green plants are autotrophs, meaning they can produce their own nourishment through photosynthesis.

A detrital food chain is made up of dead organic debris that microbes consume. Microorganisms aid in the breakdown of complex organic materials, which is then returned to the soil. The detritus food web is critical to the survival of all ecosystems.

Many food chains can coexist in the same ecosystem, just as multiple tiers of creatures can coexist. The detritus food web is required in a grassland food chain to break down dead organic materials from inorganic to organic form so that the plants can absorb the nutrients and use them in their metabolic process. The same may be said for the detritus food chain, which requires dead organic materials, which is provided by dead grasses and bushes. As a result, each service is required to complete the food chain.