Ecosystem

Ecosystem

Open Ended

Why is earth the only planet with life on it?

Open Ended

What would happen if one of the ecosystems disappears?

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life.

Multiple Choice

It is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• Ecosystem

• Biotic System

• Abiotic System

• None of the choices

Ecosystem

A complex relationship between all the living and nonliving things (plants, animals, organisms, sun, water, climate etc)interact with each other is known as ‘

An Ecosystem’. Ecosystems are the foundation of ‘Biosphere’ and maintain the natural balance of the earth.

Types of Ecosystems

An ecosystem consists of three types of ecosystems, another term for which is ‘Biomes’.

The three major types are:

a. Aquatic biomes

b. Terrestrial biomes

c. Lentic biomes

Multiple Choice

is the part of Earth where life exists

• Biosphere

• Biota

• Geosphere

• Hydrosphere

Components of the Ecosystem

The components of an ecosystem are divided into: 

1. abiotic components, that include all nonliving components such as minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight and 

2. biotic components, that include all the living components.

These components together make up for the flow of energy in the ecosystem and the nutrient cycle in the ecosystem.

Multiple Choice

What is the term used to describe all living things in an ecosystem?

• Biotic Factors
• Abiotic Factors
• Environmental Factors
• Population

Multiple Choice

What is the term used to describe all non-living things in an ecosystem?

• Biotic Factors
• Abiotic Factors
• Environmental Factors
• Population

Multiple Choice

An abiotic part of an ecosystem; made of small pieces of rock, water and decaying matter.

• sunlight
• oxygen
• water
• soil

Multiple Choice

the living parts of an ecosystem

• biotic factors
• biology
• abiotic factors
• animals

Multiple Choice

An abiotic part of an ecosystem; this gas is required by all living things.

• oxygen
• ecology
• biotic factors
• jellybeans

Multiple Choice

An abiotic part of an ecosystem; required by plants to perform photosynthesis.

• water
• soil
• sunlight
• oxygen

Multiple Choice

The non living parts of an ecosystem

• abiotic factors
• biotic factors
• oxygen
• soil

The gleaming energy from the sun is the basic source of energy in all the ecosystems.

The autotrophs (self-sustaining organisms) absorb this energy and produce photosynthesis where they can use this energy to convert CO2 and H2O into simple carbohydrates.

The autotrophs store energy in these carbohydrates, which they then use to produce more complex and organic products like lipids, proteins, and starches that help the organism to survive.

These autotrophs are the producers of the ecosystem.

Organic compounds produced by autotrophs help in the survival of the heterotrophic organisms.

And heterotrophs are the consumers of the ecosystem since they’re incapable of making their own food.

All organisms like bacteria, fungi or animals are heterotrophs.

Trophic Levels, Food Chain and Food Web

The nutritive levels in a food chain are known as Trophic Levels. The organisms in the trophic levels of the food chain are categorized based on their feeding patterns.

Trophic Levels, Food Chain and Food Web

Producers (green plants) make for the lowest level of the chain.

Consumption of the by-products of these producers by the herbivores or the primary consumers makes for the second-level.

Next, the consumption of these herbivores by carnivore or the tertiary consumers makes for the third-level.

Additionally, omnivores ( organisms that consume plants and animals both) as well come at the third level.

Trophic Levels, Food Chain and Food Web

Quaternary consumers consist of organisms that eat these carnivores.

Lastly, decomposers make up for a completely different level of the food chain alongside the given levels.

These decomposers help in breaking waste materials and convert them into nutrients which is useful for the producers.

Multiple Choice

Which describes a decomposer?

• an organism that eats only plants
• an organism that makes its own food
• an organism that breaks down dead matter
• an organism that recieves energy from the sun

Multiple Choice

Temperature, light, air, water, and soil are all  _____  parts of the environment

• alive
• biotic 
• abiotic
• living

Multiple Choice

Which describes a decomposer?

• an organism that eats only plants
• an organism that makes its own food
• an organism that breaks down dead matter
• an organism that recieves energy from the sun

Multiple Choice

Which organism make their own food through the process of photosynthesis? 

• decomposer
• consumer
• herbivore
• producer 

Multiple Choice

Which group do fungi, bacteria, and termites belong to?

• decomposers
• producers
• herbivores
• omnivores

Multiple Choice

________ are consumers that eat plants and meat.

• Herbivore
• Omnivore
• Carnivore

Multiple Choice

_______ are consumers that eat only meat.

• Herbivore
• Omnivore
• Carnivore

Multiple Choice

What do you call those organisms that feed on dead plants and animals? An example of these are mushrooms

• Bacteria
• Grass
• Virus
• Fungi

Multiple Choice

When the animal dies, what do you call those organisms that break them down?

• Producers
• Decomposers
• Consumers
• None of the choices

Multiple Choice

When a plant is eaten by a caterpillar and the caterpillar is eaten by a frog, the frog belongs to

• Producer
• Primary consumer
• Secondary consumer
• Tertiary consumer

Multiple Choice

When a plant is eaten by a grasshopper, the grasshopper is called

• Producer
• Primary consumer
• Secondary consumer
• Tertiary consumer

Multiple Choice

These are a group of organisms that belong to the same species.

• Population
• Community
• Producers
• Consumers

Multiple Choice

These are organisms that creates their own food such as plants and trees.

• Population
• Community
• Producers
• Consumers

Apex Consumers

Organisms that lie at the very top of the food chain

Food Chain

- the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism

Food Web

The interlinking of feeding relationships of various communities of organisms.

Multiple Choice

Which order is correct? (Levels of Ecological Organization)

• Organism, Community, Ecosystem, Population, Biosphere

• Organism, Community, Population, Ecosystem, Biosphere

• Clownfish, Group of Clownfish, (Sea Turtle, Star Fish, Jelly Fish), Marine, The World

Multiple Choice

What happens to the amount of available energy in the pyramid as it moves up through the different levels?

• it increases

• it decreases

• it remains the same

• it decreases, then increases

Multiple Choice

The transfer of energy from one organism to the next in an ecosystem begins with a producer. A producer is an organism that produces its own food. A consumer is an organism in a food chain that obtains energy from producers or other consumers; consumers may be herbivores or carnivores.

Which food chain correctly describes the flow of energy in an ecosystem?

• grass → grasshopper → fish → human

• grasshopper → fish → human

• human → fish → grasshopper

• human → grasshopper → fish → grass

Multiple Choice

Look at the diagram of the food web. The arrows means “eaten by.”

What will happen if the number of snakes goes down?

• The owl will eat the grass

• The number of frogs will go down

• The hawk and owl will have less food

• The number of mice and grasshoppers will go up.

Multiple Choice

Autotrophs are the same as producers.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

In a marine food chain, small fish eat plankton, big fish eat small fish, and sharks eat big fish. Which organism has the largest population?

• plankton
• small fish
• big fish
• sharks

Multiple Choice

What is this called?

• Food Web
• Food Chain
• Abiotic Factors
• Biotic Factors

Multiple Choice

Which of the following food chains shows the correct energy flow from left to right. 

• rabbit--owl--grass
• grass--rabbit--owl
• owl--rabbit--grass
• grass--owl--rabbit

Multiple Choice

Which organism do the owl and the weasel compete for in the food web?

• Hawk
• Spider
• Grasshopper
• Shrew

Multiple Choice

How many carnivores are shown in this food web?

• 6
• 4
• 5
• 3

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a herbivore?

• cricket
• frog
• hawk
• shrew

Multiple Choice

An organism that can make its own food

• decomposer

• producer

• consumer

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can feed on planktons in the sea?

• mussels
• dolphins
• sharks
• None of the choices

Multiple Choice

Which among the following can feed on deers?

• boar
• tiger
• horse
• squirrel

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can feed on snakes?

• frog
• chicken
• eagle
• cow