Producers
Why are they called producers?
They produce their own food, rather than relying on other organisms for food.
Why are they called consumers?
They consume or eat other organisms in order to get the nutrients they need to survive.
Why are they called decomposers?
They decompose or break down dead plants and animals in order to get the nutrients they need to survive.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
Food chains show one sequence of feeding relationships in an ecosystem. Food webs shows all the relationships/a combination of multiple food chains in an ecosystem.
Why are plant leaves green?
Chlorophyll is found in the leaves. It reflects green light from the sun, so the leaves appear green to our eyes.
What is a predator? What is a prey?
A prey is an organism that is hunted and eaten by another organism.
True or False: Animals like lions are decomposers because they eat other animals.
False
Look at the image of the food web. Write P in front of the organisms listed that are producers. Write C in front of the organisms that are consumers. Write D in front of the organisms that are decomposers.
P = grass, blueberries
C = chipmunks, bears
D = bacteria
What are the outputs in the process of photosynthesis and where do they come from?
Sugar which is stored in the plant, water vapor which is released into the atmosphere, oxygen which is released into the atmosphere
What are the three different categories of consumers and what do they eat?
Carnivores = eat other animals
Omnivores = eat plants and other animals
Fungi are a group of organisms that includes mold and mushrooms. Fungi are neither plants nor animals. Like plants, they cannot move on their own. Like animals, some mold and mushrooms feed on dead or decaying matter from other organisms. Which statement best identifies the role of fungi in a food web.
❍ A Fungi are producers because they need sunlight to produce their own food.
❍ B Fungi are decomposers because they break down dead plants and animals.
❍ C Fungi are consumers because they get nutrition from other organisms.
❍ D Fungi are producers because they provide nutrition to some animals that eat them.
❍ B Fungi are decomposers because they break down dead plants and animals.
View the picture of the food web. The rabbit population decreases dramatically. One possible explanation for this decrease is...
A. an increase in the coyote population
B. a decrease in the owl population
C. an increase in the grass population
D. a decrease in the field mouse population
A. an increase in the coyote population
What is the purpose of chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis?
Tarantulas live in a desert ecosystem. These large spiders rest in their burrows all day. At night they come out to look for food, water, and mates. When day approaches, the tarantulas return to their burrows. Tarantulas are carnivores and need energy to move about at night. Which sentence is true about tarantulas?
❍ A Tarantulas don’t use energy from the Sun because they don’t eat when the Sun is out.
❍ B Tarantulas don’t use energy from the Sun because they don’t eat plants.
❍ C Tarantulas use energy from the Sun because they eat plant-eating insects.
❍ D Tarantulas use energy from the Sun by staying out long enough in the morning to get the energy they need.
❍ C Tarantulas use energy from the Sun because they eat plant-eating insects.
What are the two different categories of decomposers and what do they do?
Grinders break dead and decaying material down into smaller pieces.
Finishers break down these smaller pieces into basic minerals and chemicals that get recycled back into the soil.
Look at the Antarctic food web image. Find an example of 3 organisms competing for the same food source.
Answer will vary
Two students set up an investigation to see what plants need to produce their own food. They planted a bean in several sets of identical cups of soil. Then they placed them in chambers containing different materials. (view first chart)
The students weighed the beans and soil before starting the investigation. After 3 weeks, the students weighed them again. (view second chart)
Write Y (yes) next to each factor needed for plants to make food and increase their mass. Write N (no) next to each factor not needed.
Water = Yes
Carbon dioxide = Yes
Light = Yes
Nitrogen = No
Oxygen = No
Look at the highlighted food chain in the food web. What level consumer is the leopard seal?
Tertiary consumer
Look at the image of the food web. Add a decomposer and connect it to at least two organisms with arrows.
Answers will vary
A student drew this food web in his notebook. Another student was looking at it and said, “I agree with the organisms you’ve used for the food web, but I disagree with the direction you drew arrows. I also think you are missing something. Food webs usually include producers, consumers, and the Sun.” If you were a third student taking part in this conversation, what would you tell the other two?
The arrows need to be reversed to show where the nutrients and energy are being passed through the food chain. The Sun can be included since this is an input for producers to be able to make their own food.