What is a network made up of several interconnected food chains?

A network made up of several interconnected food chains is called a food web. This concept illustrates how various organisms within an ecosystem are related through their feeding relationships. In a food web, multiple food chains combine to show the complexity of interactions among different species, allowing for a better understanding of the energy flow and nutrient cycling within an ecosystem.

For example, while a food chain might depict a straightforward pathway of energy transfer from a producer through a series of consumers, a food web showcases that those consumers might have multiple food sources and also be preyed upon by various predators. This interconnectedness emphasizes the diversity and stability of ecosystems because if one species were to change, it would affect a network of other organisms rather than just a single chain.

The other choices do not accurately represent this concept. A food chain refers to a single pathway of energy flow, energy flow is a broader term describing the transfer of energy, and "examiner" is not relevant in this context.