Cycles of Matter
All animals breathe this in
oxygen
Name something in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem
grasses, flowers, bison horned larks, burrowing owls
What is a species
many different kinds of organisms
What is the name of the invasive plant we learned about
kudzu
Where do the red fire ants live mainly
southern US
What plants breathe in
Carbon Dioxide
What is a healthy ecosystem
one in which many types of living things are able to meet their needs
What is a population
all the individuals of a species living together in a particular place
Why did farmers want it
it has pretty vines, it smells sweet and it helps to control erosion
Why can't the red fire ants be controlled
they have no natural enemies
Animals get this from eating plants or animals
nitrogen
Where do organisms get what they need to survive
an ecosystem
All the populations that live and interact in an area make up a what
community
What does the kudzu plant do to become an invasive species
it crowds out trees and shrubs
Why are red ants an invasive species
they have a painful sting, kill young birds, mammals and reptiles
When plants and animals die, these return the nitrogen in their bodies to the soil
decomposers
Definition of an ecosystem
all the living and nonliving things that interact in an area
What is the predator if the prairie dog
ferrets, foxes and hawks
Who brought the kudzu to the US
the government and farmers
What did they release to take care of the fire ants
phorid flies
decomposers, plant, nitrogen, rabbit
nitrogen, plant, rabbit, decomposers
Name four physical characteristics of an environment
summer and winter temperatures, rainfall, soil, air
Healthy communities have many species connected by a variety of what
food webs
What is the nickname of the kudzu plant
the vine that ate the south
Explain what the flies do to control the ants
after the egg hatches, the flies move into the ant's head and kill it