Food chains show the transfer of energy from producers to consumers in an ecosystem. Producers, like plants, use sunlight to photosynthesize and produce food. Herbivores then eat the producers, and carnivores eat the herbivores, passing the energy from one organism to the next up the chain. If the producer or any organism in the chain is removed, it disrupts the entire food chain and can cause population declines or extinctions throughout the ecosystem. Humans can negatively impact food chains through activities like pollution, habitat destruction, and overhunting or overfishing. Maintaining healthy food chains is important for balancing populations and preserving biodiversity.