Ecosystems
What is a community of living and nonliving things interacting in an environment?
Ecosystem
What does a food chain show?
The path energy takes as it moves from one organism to another.
What is the chemical name for glucose?
C6H1206
What is a natural resource?
A resource that comes from nature and is used by people
What is a natural disaster?
An event in nature that can cause harm or damage to people & the environment
What is a group of the same individuals living together called?
Population
What is a producer?
An organism that makes its own food, usually using sunlight.
What three things does a plant need for photosynthesis?
Water, Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide
Is sunlight renewable or non-renewable?
Renewable
What natural disaster is caused by the shaking of Earth's crust?
Earthquake
How can a change in one population affect other organisms in an ecosystem?
Organisms depend on one another for things such as food, shelter, and resources, so a change in one population can cause changes in other populations.
What is a consumer?
An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms.
What gas is released by plants during photosynthesis?
Oxygen
Name two ways people can conserve energy.
Answers vary.
What causes most tornadoes?
Warm air mixing with cooler air in a spinning column.
A drought causes a pond to lose most of its water. How could this affect the plants and animals living there?
Less water could cause plants to die or decrease, which could reduce food and habitat for animals and cause animal populations to decrease or move elsewhere.
In this chain: Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake, what would happen to the frog population if the grasshopper population decreased greatly?
The frog population would likely decrease because there would be fewer grasshoppers for frogs to eat.
Where does photosynthesis take place?
In the leaves
Why is coal considered a non-renewable resource?
Coal takes millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly.
What is the difference between a watch and a warning for severe weather?
A watch means conditions are favorable and people should be prepared; a warning means dangerous weather has been detected or is occurring and people should take action.
A farmer removes most of the plants from a field. Explain how this could affect the amount of energy available to organisms throughout the food web.
Plants are producers that capture energy from sunlight and make food through photosynthesis. If there are fewer plants, less energy enters the food web, which can affect herbivores and the predators that depend on them.
Why is a food web usually more realistic than a food chain when describing an ecosystem?
A food web shows many interconnected food chains because organisms usually eat and are eaten by more than one type of organism.
Why is photosynthesis important to both plants and animals?
Plants use photosynthesis to make food (glucose) and release oxygen. Animals depend on plants directly or indirectly for food, and many organisms need the oxygen plants release.
A school turns off all of its lights and computers each night. How are they conserving energy?
This reduces the amount of electricity/energy being used.
A coastal community receives a warning that a hurricane is approaching. Name two dangers the community should prepare for.
Answers could include strong winds, flooding, storm surge, heavy rain, falling trees/debris, or power outages.