An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things in an environment and the many ways they interact.
100
How does energy enter the food chain? Page 98
Energy enters the food chain as sunlight that will be used by plants.
100
What are decomposers? Page 102
Decomposers recycle matter from dead plants and animals.
100
Can microorganisms be seen with your eyes? Page 109
No, you need a microscope.
100
Can you make your own food like a plant? Page 96
No, and neither can any other animal.
200
What are producers? Page 95
Plants are called producers because they make their own food.
200
What is a food chain? Page 98
In a food chain, organisms transfer energy by eating and being eater.
200
List two decomposers. Page 102
Fungi, bacteria and insects are decomposers.
200
What is a microorganism? Page 104
A microorganism is a living thing too small to see without a microscope.
200
Where is the sun's energy stored? Page 96
The sun's energy is stored in plants.
300
What is a consumer? Page 96
A consumer is a living thing that eats other living things.
300
What is a predator? Page 99
A predator is an animal that hunts other animals for food.
300
Where do decomposers get their energy? Page 102
Wastes and dead plant and animal material.
300
What is the role of microorganisms? Page 106
Some are decomposers, others are producers. They are also found in some foods and inside the bodies of animals. Microorganisms are used to make medicines and other products.
300
Where is a carnivore's unused energy stored? Page 96
The unused energy is stored in the carnivore's body.
400
What is an herbivore? Page 96
An herbivore is an animal that eats plants.
400
What is a food web? Page 100
A food web is a system of overlapping food chains.
400
Name two decomposers that are breaking down the saguaro cactus on page 102.
Bacteria, caterpillars, desert rabbits.
400
What three things speed up the process of decay? Page 105
Warm temperatures, oxygen, and moisture all speed up the process of decay.
400
What are scavengers? Page 96
Scavengers are consumers that eat dead or decaying plants or animals.
500
What is a omnivore? Page 96
An omnivore is an animal that eats plants and other animals.
500
What's missing from the food web on pages 100 & 101?
Decomposers.
500
What is the tree fungus on page 103 called?
Conks.
500
Name two types of helpful microorganisms. Page 107
The helpful bacteria and fungi in cultured dairy products and Penicillium mold.
500
When plants and animals die or leave wastes, what happens to their unused energy? Page 96
Other organisms such as some insects, fungi, and bacteria break down the dead material or the wastes.