Ecosystems Test

Front

What is a prey in an ecosystem?

Back

An organism that is hunted as a food source by predators.

Front

Who is considered a tertiary consumer in a food web?

Back

An organism that eats secondary consumers; for example, a hawk.

Front

What is an autotroph?

Back

An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants.

Front

How is population density measured?

Back

By calculating the number of individuals per unit area, such as bears per square kilometer.

Front

What happens to the food chain if a key species is over-harvested?

Back

The population of organisms that rely on that species for food may decline.

Front

Define a food web.

Back

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

They break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What is the difference between a consumer and a producer?

Back

Producers create their own food (e.g., plants), while consumers rely on other organisms for food.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What is biodiversity?

Back

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.