Classification
Dichotomous Keys
Food Chains/Webs
Invasive Species
Lucky Dip
100
The formal two-term naming system created by Carl Linnaeus and used in taxonomy is called ____________________.
Binomial nomenclature
100
Why do scientists use dichotomous keys?
To classify different organisms
100
The living and non living things that make up an ecosystem are known as _____________ and ____________ .
Abiotic and biotic factors.
100
Describe what a native species is.
One that occurs naturally in that area.
100
The scientific name for a cat is Felis catus. Which Genus does it belong to?
Felis
200
State 3 of the six kingdoms for life used for classification.
Any three from -
Animalia, Plantae, Monera, Bacteria, Archaebacteria, Fungi
200
Name the three different types of dichotomous keys
Tabular, Branching and Circular
200
What do the arrows in a food chain or food web represent?
Transfer of energy/Being eaten by.
200
Identify three different invasive species in Australia.
Can include any three species such as -
Cane toad, Fox, Cat, Pig, Fire ants, Prickly pear, Rabbit, Camel, etc.
200
How do you know if an organism is an invertebrate?
The organism won't have a spinal cord.
300
Identify the seven main levels of taxonomy classification in order, and explain the difference between the first and the last level.
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Kingdom as the first level is very broad including a lot of organisms, whereas Species is very specific and organisms in this level would have many, if not all, characteristics in common. 
300
Identify 3 features that would be considered weak when classifying organisms. Why?
Possible answers -
Colour, Size, Shape, Behaviour, Environment
These are not the best features as they can change over time or vary between specimens of the same species.
300
Draw a diagram of a food chain that includes at least 4 organisms, identifying the producer and level of consumer for each.
Example response -
300
What methods can be used to reduce the impact of invasive species?
Sterilisation, pesticides, containment, culling and removal have all been used previously to remove invasive species.
300
What characteristics does an organism need to have to be classified as living?
A living organism responds to change in their environment, grow and reproduce, excrete waste and need energy to survive.
400
Give two other names that can describe an organism that makes their own food. Provide an example and explain how they do this.
Two of any of the below - Plant, Primary Trophic level, Autotroph, Producer.
Example response - Producers or autotrophs are organisms, such as plants and trees, that produce their own food through photosynthesis. This is the process where they use energy from the sun, carbon dioxide and water to make energy and oxygen.
400
Design a dichotomous key that can classify the following: Turtle, Cow, Rooster and Potato Chips -
Example (tabular): 
400
Explain what would happen if the frogs were removed from the below food web - 
If the frog was to be removed from the food web, the grasshoppers population would increase as their only current predator gone. The red fox will have less food available and will need to eat more goldfinch and weasels which may lead to a decrease in their population. The deer mouse population may temporarily increase with less predation from weasel, but as the weasel is a food source for owl along with the deer mouse, more likely they will end up being more food for the owl. These disruptions will normally balance again over time as organisms within the web adjust and adapt.
400
Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840s. State whether they are invasive or not, and explain why.
Camels are invasive in Australia as they are impacting the native ecosystems, causing disruptions to the food webs and their habitats. Their population grows quickly, they steal the plants that other herbivores would eat and cause soil erosion and property damage. These factors all lead to them being considered invasive not just introduced.
400
Explain some of the similarities and differences between plant cells and animal cells.
Example response -
Plant and animals cells both have cell membranes, a nucleus and are both eukaryotic (make up multicellular organisms). However plant cells also contain certain things specific to them, which include a large vacuole, cell wall and chloroplasts (so they can photosynthesise).
500
Refer to the table below to identify which two organisms are classified as most similar. Justify your answer using all the characteristics you would expect them to share based on this information. 
Responses may vary, example -
The Humpback Whale and Spider Monkey are the most similar according to the classification table based on sharing the same Class. They are both part of the Animalia Kingdom (meaning they are animals and multicellular). Both are in the Chordata Phylum (meaning vertebrates - have spinal cord). Being that they are in the Mammalia Class that means that they bear live young and mothers can produce milk. They have no further similarities for the purpose of classification.
500
What would need to change in the below dichotomous key for a snake to be added?
Example change - 
500
Predict what would happen if an apex predator was removed from their food chain. Justify your answer.
Responses may vary. Example -
When a top predator is no longer present, populations of their prey begin to increase. Without an apex predator to control their numbers, all other plants and animals on lower trophic levels will be impacted. If the apex predators prey is a herbivore the existing vegetation might be over consumed, or they may start competing for food with other species, causing disruptions. If they are carnivores they may be eating too much of another species, resulting in significant and sometimes irreversible reduction in numbers or impacts to other species.
500
Explain the difference between an introduced species and an invasive species. Provide examples.
An introduced species is a non native species that has ended up in a new environment but it does not disrupt the ecosystem or create negative effects. Example species include earthworms and cactus moths. However the invasive species is one that has been introduced and is having a negative impact on the native species in the area. Some example invasive species include cane toads and rabbits.
500
Justify how biodiversity in an ecosystem can be reduced by the impacts of invasive species.
Biodiversity relates to the different types of life in any given ecosystem and is important to maintain balance. Invasive species have devastating impacts on native ecosystems, causing decline or even extinctions of native species, and cause food webs to become unbalanced. Invasive species are known to reproduce rapidly, out-compete native species for food, water and space, and are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Often introduced species have no natural predators in their new habitats and this leads to dominance and reduction in the diversity within that system.