Vocabulary
An organism that cannot make its on sugar--must eat to gain energy
Heterotroph or Consumer
An ecosystems primary source of energy
The Sun
Another name for a producer
Autotroph
T/F: If you remove an organism from a food web, it will affect other organisms in the ecosystem.
True
An organism that breaks down matter and returns nutrients to the soil
Decomposer or Detritivore
Producers
Amy is mowing her lawn and notices a patch of mushrooms growing in her yard. She knows that mushrooms are decomposers so what can she infer they are doing there?
Breaking down something that is dead, rotting or decaying.
In the food chain Sun → Grass → Grasshopper → Bird who is the secondary consumer?
Grasshopper
Matthew and Damian are on a forest field trip. They observe the forest floor and notice that it is covered with dead plants. “Those plants don’t do anything good for the forest,” says Matthew. Damian states he is wrong. What would be Damian's reasoning?
Decomposers will eat the dead plants and keep the flow of energy moving through the ecosystem.
The living things in an ecosystem
Biotic Factors
Why are there fewer consumers as you move up the energy pyramid?
There is not enough energy to support many of them
Phytoplankton lives in the ocean and gets its energy from the sun. What would it be classified as?
Producer
In the food chain Grass → Zebra → Lion what would happen to the lion if the zebra population decreased?
The lion population would decrease
All the living and nonliving things in an area
Ecosystem
T/F: The energy flow in this food chain is correct
Grass<--Aphid<--Spider<--Thrush
False
Which of these organisms is a primary consumer?
Plant-->Caterpillar-->Bird-->Thrush
Caterpillar
In the food chain Grass → Mouse → Snake → Owl what would happen to the mice population if the snake population decrease?
The mice population would increase
In a swamp, rabbits eat marsh grass. Bobcats eat rabbits. Identity the predator and prey in this scenario.
Predator: Bobcat Prey: Rabbit
Energy in an organism that is responsible for temperature
Thermal Energy
________ energy is converted to chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis
Light (Radiant)
Lily takes a nature walk. She notices ladybugs, earthworms, maple trees, rabbits, wasps, centipedes, grass, flies, slugs, blueberry bushes, raccoons, and caterpillars. Correctly identify the producers that she sees.
Maple Trees, Grass, Blueberry bushes
In the food chain Tree → Deer →Mountain Lion what would be the result if the tree population decreased due to a forest fire?
The deer and mountain lion populations would decrease
Name an abiotic factor found in a pond ecosystem.
Water, wind, rocks, dirt, air, sunlight, clouds, etc.