Producers & Consumers
What is a producer?
An organism that makes its own food using sunlight.
What does a food chain show?
How energy moves from one organism to another.
Where does almost all energy on Earth come from?
The Sun
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living and nonliving things interacting together.
What do decomposers do?
Break down dead plants and animals.
Give one example of a producer
Grass, trees, or algae.
What does a food chain show?
How energy moves from one organism to another.
What happens to energy as it moves through a food chain?
It decreases.
What happens if a predator disappears from an ecosystem?
Prey populations may increase too much.
Give an example of a decomposer.
Worms, fungi, or bacteria.
What is a consumer?
An organism that eats other organisms for energy.
What connects all food chains together?
A food web
Which organisms get energy directly from the Sun?
Producers.
How can humans help keep ecosystems balanced?
How can humans help keep ecosystems balanced?
Why are decomposers important?
They return nutrients to the soil.
What is the difference between an herbivore and a carnivore?
Herbivores eat plants; carnivores eat meat.
What would happen if all the plants in a food web disappeared?
Animals that eat plants would have no food.
What do we call animals that eat both plants and other animals?
Omnivores.
What might happen if an invasive species enters an ecosystem?
It can outcompete native species.
What is an adaptation?
A feature that helps an organism survive in its environment.
What type of consumer is a human?
An omnivore.
What do the arrows in a food chain represent?
The direction energy flows.
Why is energy important in an ecosystem?
It allows all living things to grow, move, and survive.
Why is biodiversity important?
It helps ecosystems stay healthy and stable.
Name one animal and a special adaptation it has.
Example: A frog has sticky feet for jumping and catching prey.