Food chain basics
What is a food chain?
This is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another.
What is sawgrass?
This grass-like plant covers much of the Everglades.
What is Royal Palm?
This tall palm species is commonly found in South Florida and tropical hammocks.
What is adaptation?
When organisms adjust physically or behaviorally to survive in their habitat, it is called this.
What is a mangrove forest?
Coastal forests made up of salt-tolerant trees form this habitat type.
What is energy?
A food chain shows how this moves between organisms.
What is brackish water?
Water that is a mixture of freshwater and saltwater is called this.
What is saltwater?
Mangroves are specially adapted to survive in this type of water.
What is a sawgrass marsh?
This habitat is dominated by sawgrass and shallow freshwater.
What is an invasive species?
When a species is not native and causes harm to the ecosystem, it is called this.
What is an invertebrate?
This type of animal does not have a backbone.
What is Lake Okeechobee?
Freshwater historically flowed south from this lake into the Everglades.
What is flooding?
Hardwood hammocks grow on slightly higher ground to avoid frequent this.
What is a hardwood hammock?
This slightly elevated, tree-covered habitat remains drier than surrounding wetlands.
What is a drought?
A prolonged period of unusually low rainfall is called this.
What are organisms?
Food chains show relationships between these living things.
What is the American alligator?
This reptile is considered a keystone species because its gator holes provide refuge during drought.
What is erosion?
Mangroves help prevent shoreline loss by reducing this natural process.
What is the wet season?
The Everglades receives most of its rainfall during this season.
What is an estuary?
The boundary where freshwater meets saltwater and supports unique habitats is called this.
What is a producer?
A food chain always begins with this type of organism.
What are primary consumers?
If primary producers decline, this trophic level would be directly affected first.
What is White Mangrove?
This mangrove species typically grows farther inland and has rounded leaves.
What is the Florida panther?
This endangered predator requires large territories within the Everglades.
What is overpopulation?
When prey populations increase due to predator removal, this imbalance may occur.