Words of the Wild
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Predators & Prey
Chains & Webs
Nature Under Pressure
100

What do we call all the living and nonliving things that interact in one area?

An ecosystem

100

Which type of organism makes its own food?

A producer

100

In a healthy ecosystem, how should predator and prey numbers relate?

The should be balanced

100

What type of organism does every food chain begin with?

A producer

100

What do we call organisms that break down dead organisms and wastes?

Decomposers

200

What do we call a single living thing, like one wolf or one spruce?

An organism

200

Which organisms eat plants or other animals instead of making food?

Consumers

200

On Isle Royale, what are wolves to moose?

Predators

200

A food web is made from many overlapping what?

Food chain

200

In a healthy ecosystem, how many different organisms are present?

One  -  A few  -  A lot

A lot

300

What do we call scientists who study ecosystems and share their findings?

An ecologist

300

Which gas do plants release during photosynthesis that animals need to breathe?

Oxygen

300

If predator numbers drop for a while, what commonly happens to prey numbers?

Prey numbers increase

300

Energy moves one way through a chain, but what does matter do?

Matter cycles

300

When prairies were plowed for farms, what kind of change happened (positive or negative) to the prairie ecosystem?

A negative human impact that disrupted the food web.

400

What is the name for the surroundings and conditions where an organism lives?

The environment or habitat

400

During photosynthesis, producers use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and which liquid to make sugar?

Water

400

In some years, many Isle Royale moose were weakened by ticks. Based on predator–prey relationships, what would likely happen to the wolf population soon after?

It would increase because weaker moose are easier to catch, giving wolves more food.

400

A cobra eats snakes, mice, rats, and lizards. In its web, what kind of organisms does it eat?

Consumers

400

Fungi belong to which ecosystem role?

Decomposers

500

What word describes materials like the minerals which organisms need to grow and stay healthy?

Nutrients

500

What is the original energy source for almost every food chain on Earth?

The Sun

500

Name two non-predation (not predators) factors that can change wolf–moose numbers over time.

Disease, parasites, weather, migration

500

If one species disappears from a chain, what happens to organisms that depend on it?

Their food/energy supply is lost and they struggle to survive.

500

Why do some animals hibernate in winter?

Food is scarce, so they conserve energy by hibernating.

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