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Abstract
In this study an abstract food web is used to investigate the ability of high school pupils and university students to answer questions based on relationships within food webs using sound ecological principles. It was also used to evaluate the effect of increasing sophistication of instruction in ecological concepts at three educational levels. Present data indicate that the majority of respondents could predict interactive outcomes if they were simple enough to be answered using strategies based on the food chain concept. However, the respondents were unable to predict probable outcomes when the effects of a change in one population within a community are spread along multiple routes. Data provided by three respondent age groups suggest that if clear conceptual development regarding food webs does not take place at school level, misconceptions are likely to persist among first-year university students.
