Food Chains
This organism makes its own food using sunlight and is the first step in most food chains
What is a Producer?
In a food web, what label (P, C, or D) should be placed beside seedlings? Explain your choice in one short sentence. (seedling= young seed that has started to grow)
P= Producer
Fill in the blank from the Term Bank: A __________ ecosystem has a __________ of organisms.
Healthy and balanced
Name two abiotic factors in a Marine Ecosystem and two biotic factors.
Sand & Water
Fish & Coral
In the chain Sun → Grass → Cricket → Turtle → Alligator, name the producer and the top consumer
Producer is Grass top consumer is Alligator
If all seedlings were removed from a food web, what would most likely happen to mice populations? Give the cause.
The amount of mice would either decrease or move away due to the lack of food.
One scenario: 10 cows live in a pasture for 10 years; 25 more cows are added. Describe one direct effect on producers and one likely consequence for the cow population.
Producer decrease due to overgrazing of the Cows. Too many cows for the same amount of space.
Define "producer" and give one plant example
A producer is an organism that creates its own food, Example are plants
What role would bacteria play if added to a food chain and why?
Decomposer because it breaks down dead organisms to give nutrients back to the soil
What is the role of mushrooms in the food web? Explain how they affect matter and energy cycling.
Mushrooms are decomposers, they break down decayed or dead organisms and provide nutrients to the soil.
A nature bridge is built above a highway. Explain two benefits this human impact could have for the ecosystem
Prevents Human interaction with local animals, allows Animals to move around in search of basic needs
Explain decomposition in one or two sentences: name the decomposers and say what decomposition returns to the soil.
Decomposition breaks down decaying organisms, It returns nutrients to the soil to fertilize it
If all turtles in a food chain died, which organism from Sun → Grass → Cricket → Turtle → Alligator would likely increase, and explain why using energy flow ideas.
The Cricket, because the amount of turtles that hunt them decreased, allowing for the cricket population to grow.
Explain how the removal of a predator (for example, turtles) can cause a trophic cascade. Use crickets and mealworms as examples from the provided food web.
If the predator is removed, there will be an over population of the organisms it eats because they would not be hunted as much. This would cause the producers to decrease because of the large numbers of primary consumers that are not being hunted.
A city builds homes on the bank of a creek where many plants and animals live. Identify two negative impacts on the ecosystem and explain how each reduces ecosystem health.
Creates more erosion due to no plants holding the soil in place, Reduces space for animals to find and meet their basic needs.
Using the fossil layers example: Layer A has plant fossils (fern, leaves). Layer B has seashells and a shark tooth. What does this tell you about past environments?
Layer A was rick in Land plants not aquatic. Layer B was aquatic ( under the Ocean)
Draw a simple 4-step food chain (write organism names) that includes a producer, a herbivore, a carnivore, and a decomposer. Then explain how energy moves through your chain from the Sun to the decomposer.
Producer ( Grass) -> Primary consumer (Rabbit)-> Secondary consumer( Fox)
Given a short food web: Seedlings → Mice → Alligator and Seedlings → Mealworms → Turtles → Alligator, identify two species that are competitors and explain why they compete.
Competitors are Mice and Mealworms because they both eat seedlings.
Describe a way Humans can reduce the impact on Ecosystems
Recycling, Conservation of energy
Describe an adaptation (plant or animal) and a Structure say how each helps survival in its ecosystem (one sentence per adaptation).
*Teacher Pick*