Fossils
What kind of fossil preserves the hard and soft parts of an animal?
Amber Fossil
Which ecosystem is the ground beneath the surface frozen all year?
Tundra
Which of the following is not a resource that plants compete for?
A - sunlight
B - water
C - insects
D - space
C - insects
Plants need sunlight, water, and space in order to grow successfully.
Explain one way in which humans can help their environment and ecosystems.
Sample Answers
Recycle
Walk instead of driving
Plant trees
Do not litter
Only use what is needed (water, electricity, heat to save on resources)
What is the name of a scientist who studies fossils?
Paleontologist
What is an example of a trace fossil?
Footprints or tracks, preserved nest, or eggshells
Which ecosystem has a mild, humid, and rainy climate?
Rain Forest
Why are fossil fuels considered non-renewable resources?
Fossil fuels cannot be made or replaced as quickly as humans use them.
Why would an invasive plant be bad for the environment?
It would become overgrown and take resources from other plants not allowing them to grow a well, grow onto buildings, and over populate.
How do scientists tell the age of fossils?
How are mold/cast fossils formed?
An organism dies and its remains leave behind impressions (indents) in the ground in the shape of the organism. Sediments fill in the mold and create a hard fossil.
Which ecosystem is the driest where plants and animals have adapted to the limited water supply?
Desert
Renewable resources can _______________.
Be replaced
What are some renewable resources that we use today?
Plants, animals, oxygen, water, solar energy, wind
If a scientist finds a fossil of a fish in a desert environment what would this tell the scientist?
How the Earth's environment has changed - the environment used to be water and today is dried up as a desert
How is a fossil fuel formed?
An organism dies (fish, plants, algae) and gets buried under sediments. The sediments, pressure and the heat from being buried beneath the Earth's surface turns these organisms into a fossil fuel.
Which ecosystem is the ground covered with water for at least part of the year?
Wetlands
Explain how the following animals found in a Wetland all depend on one another
Sandhill Crane (bird)
Algae & Fungi
Snails
Fish
Every living thing in an ecosystem depends on one another for survival.
The crane feeds on fish. The fish feeds on snails. The snails feed on the algae and fungi. Without one of these organisms the others would suffer due to loss of their food supply.
How can animals help/harm the environment?
Answers vary - teacher will decide.
What are some things that fossils can tell us, and how?
What the organism looked like
The size of the organism
How it moved
How it lived
Describe what happens when an amber fossil forms?
A small organism becomes trapped in a sticky sap. It gets trapped and the sap hardens. The organism gets preserved inside the hardened sap (amber).
Which ecosystem is covered with grasses that receive a medium amount of rain?
Grasslands
Invasive plants that do not have any competitors in their habitats can cause change by:
A - growing so large they block out other plants' sunlight
B - absorb more water than other plants
C - Provide food to animals
D - All of the above
D - All of the above
Harm:
Help:
Harm: Beavers dams block waterflow to downstream plants and animals.
Help: Beavers allow room for other trees and plants to grow when they chop down trees for their dams.
Give an example of a food chain.
Answers will vary but must include at least 3 organisms.