Vocabulary
Food Webs
Plants
Soil
Decomposers
100
What is energy?
Energy is something taken in by plants and animals that help them grow.
100
This food web shows. . . . 
A. Some of the relationships between living and nonliving things in this desert ecosystem.
B. Some of the relationships between living things in this desert ecosystem.
C. Every possible relationship between living and nonliving things in this desert ecosystem.
D. Every possible relationship between living things in this desert ecosystem.
B. Some of the relationships between living things in this desert ecosystem.
100
The energy in an ecosystem first comes from the...
A. Plants
B. Sun
C. Decomposers
D. Large Plants
B. Sun
100
What is soil?
Soil is a mixture of rocks, water, air, parts of dead organisms, and tiny living organisms.
100
What is a decomposer?
A decomposer is an organism that breaks down droppings or dead organisms.
200
What is energy?
Energy is something that is taken by plants and animals to help them grow.
200
According to this food web. . . 
A. What organism(s) eat seaweed?
B. What organism(s) does the crane eat?
C. What are two effects that would happen if all the seaweed died?
A. The organisms that eat seaweed are haddock and lobster.
B. The organisms that a crane eats are carp, snails, haddock, and lobster.
C. Two effects that can happen if seaweed die are 1) all primary consumers like lobsters and haddock fish would die off, and 2) the secondary consumer like the crane will also die off. If the primary and secondary consumers die off, then this will affect the other organisms in this food web.
200
How do plants receive their food?
Plants go through the process of photosynthesis.
First they absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and the energy from the sun ( its rays) through its leaves. At the same time, the roots of the plant are absorbing their water from the soil. Then, the plant takes the water, carbon dioxide, and the sun's rays and transforms it into sugar ( glucose) and oxygen that other producers and consumers use as part of their food matter to receive energy.
200
Why is healthy soil an important part of an ecosystem?
Healthy soil is an important part of an ecosystem because it 1) provides part of the nutrients that plants need for food molecules, which in turn becomes food molecules for other organisms in the ecosystem, and 2) it is the home of decomposers that need nutrients to grow and thrive to eat the non living matter of organisms in the ecosystem.
200
Is a mushroom a plant, decomposer, or both?
Explain why?
A mushroom is a decomposer, not a plant. Decomposers break down the matter of non living organisms and receive their energy from breaking down matter. Many think a mushroom is a plant, but it is actually a fungi and fungi break down the matter of non living things.
300
What is a food web?
A food web is diagram that shows what eats what in an ecosystem.
300
What happens when a squirrel eats food?
A. All of the food molecules are turned into energy or waste.
B. All of the food molecules are turned into body matter.
C. Only a few of the food molecules are turned into body matter.
D. Most of the food molecules are turned into body matter.
Hint: think about the food molecules being broken down and the the body matter of the squirrel.
D. Most of the food molecules are turned into body matter.
After the food molecules turn into body matter, the body then uses the matter for energy and releases it as waste.
300
Check all of the following that plants need in order to make food molecules?
⬜ carbon dioxide from the air ⬜ energy from the sun
⬜ oxygen from the air ⬜ vitamin C from the soil
⬜ nitrogen from the air ⬜ water molecules
8. Check all of the following that plants need in order to make food molecules?
⬜ carbon dioxide from the air.
⬜ energy from the sun
⬜ oxygen from the air
⬜ vitamin C from the soil
⬜ nitrogen from the air
⬜ water molecules
300
What are three things found in soil that make it healthy?
Three things found in soil are: nutrient, decomposers such as worms and bacteria.
Other options are: water, air, dead plants, different kinds of rocks.
300
How do decomposers receive their matter?
Decomposers absorb dead organisms as their matter (food).
400
What is an ecologist?
An ecologist is a scientist who studies ecosystems.
400
Check all the activities in which the organism needs to release energy from food molecules.
⬜ seed starting to sprout ⬜ owl sleeping
⬜ baby crying ⬜ worm digging in soil
⬜ whale breathing ⬜ cut healing on an injured snake
All of these organisms are releasing energy from food molecules! Food molecules help nourish the body and provide energy for organisms to live their everyday lives.
400
Which of the following is false?
A. Nutrients help plants make more food molecules quickly.
B. A plant can release energy by breaking down the nutrients they absorb.
C. A plant can make some food even if nutrients are not present in the soil.
D. Giving nutrients to plants is similar to giving vitamins to humans.
B. A plant can release energy by breaking down the nutrients they absorb.
400
If the soil in an area is poor in nutrients, then
A. the plants cannot make as much food.
B. the plants will all die very quickly.
C. the plants will not be able to make any food.
D. all of the above will happen.
A. the plants cannot make as much food.
400
How do decomposers play a part in healthy soil?
Decomposers break down the nonliving (dead) matter and release the nutrients from the dead matter back to the soil for plants to use as part if their nutrients ( matter) to grow.
500
What is matter?
Matter is the the stuff that all living things are made of.
500
1. Is this a food chain or web? Are they the same, yes or no and explain why.
2. Describes the flows of energy that the arrows show in this model.
This picture shows a food chain. Food Chains are different than food webs because a food chain shows what organism eat what organism. A food web shows the complex relationship between all living organisms and how they are all interconnected.
The flow of energy that is happening is: the plant matter becomes part of the bird’s matter and the bird’s matter becomes part of the fox’s matter.
500
What is restoration and how can you restore an ecosystem?
Restoration is the process of returning something to its original condition by fixing or repairing it. How you can restore an ecosystem is to take the natural materials found in the area, not litter or pollute, and to take care of the space around you.
500
What are two reasons why trees may not grow in their ecosystem?
Two reasons that trees may not grow in their ecosystem are 1) unhealthy soil and 2) lack of nutrients.
Other options are deforestation, diseases, and lack of energy from the sun.
500
True or False....
All decomposers that live in soil release nutrients back into the soil.
True