Ecosystem Basics
Say it aloud: What is an ecosystem?
(Answer: A community of living and nonliving things interacting together)
What do we call organisms that make their own food?
Producers.
Define “habitat.”
The place where an organism lives.
Name one biome and describe its climate.
Rainforest – hot and wet; Desert – hot and dry; Tundra – cold and frozen.
What is a predator?
An animal that hunts and eats other animals.
Name three parts of a food chain.
Producer, consumer, decomposer.
Name one example of a producer, consumer, and decomposer.
roducer: grass; Consumer: rabbit; Decomposer: mushroom.
What is a niche?
The role or job of an organism in its ecosystem.
Q: Name one plant or animal from the rainforest biome.
Toucan, jaguar, orchid, or tall trees.
How does energy move through a food web?
From producers to consumers to decomposers.
How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
From the sun → producers → consumers → decomposers
What is the role of a decomposer in an ecosystem?
Breaking down dead plants and animals into nutrients.
What is an adaptation?
A trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
What is the tundra biome like?
Very cold, little rainfall, frozen soil (permafrost).
Name one way humans can help protect ecosystems.
Recycling, planting trees, reducing pollution, protecting habitats.
Why are ecosystems important for living things?
They provide food, water, shelter, and balance for survival.
Why are decomposers important for ecosystems?
They recycle nutrients back into the soil for plants.
What is biodiversity?
The variety of living things in an ecosystem.
Why do animals in the desert need special adaptations?
To survive extreme heat and lack of water.
What is the water cycle?
The movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Give a real-life example of an ecosystem near your home or school.
Examples: pond, forest, park, backyard garden.
Put these in order: sun → plant → animal → decomposer.
Sun → plant (producer) → animal (consumer) → decomposer.
Give an example of an adaptation an animal might have in the desert biome.
Storing water (camel), thick skin (lizard), nocturnal behavior.
Name one feature of the grassland biome.
Wide open spaces, tall grasses, few trees, grazing animals.
If you could design a new biome, what would it include?
Student-created answers (e.g., special plants, unique animals, climate features).