Ecosystem Assessment #1: Lessons 1-4

Front

What are consumers in an ecosystem?

Back

Consumers are organisms that cannot make their own food and rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients. Examples include birds, cats, dogs, and humans.

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with each other and their nonliving environment (air, water, soil) in a specific area.

Front

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are organisms that can make their own food through processes like photosynthesis. Examples include plants and algae.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil and helping to recycle matter in the ecosystem. Examples include fungi and bacteria.

Front

What is photosynthesis?

Back

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll, converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Front

What are the main components of an ecosystem?

Back

The main components of an ecosystem include living organisms (biotic factors) like plants and animals, and nonliving elements (abiotic factors) like sunlight, water, air, and soil.

Front

How do energy and nutrients flow in an ecosystem?

Back

Energy flows through an ecosystem in a one-way direction, from producers to consumers, while nutrients cycle through the ecosystem, being reused by different organisms.

Front

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Back

Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem (like plants and animals), while abiotic factors are the nonliving components (like water, sunlight, and temperature).

Front

Why are producers important in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers are important because they are the primary source of energy for all other organisms in the ecosystem, forming the base of the food chain.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another, starting with producers and moving up to various levels of consumers.