Ecosystem Interactions

Which example shows a relationship between a living thing and a non-living thing?

• An insect is food for salmon.
• Water carries a rock downstream.
• A tree gets nutrients from the soil.
• A flower makes food for a butterfly.

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Mushrooms are helping to break down the remains of a rotting log in the forest. how do the actions of the mushrooms benefit the other plants in the area?

• By returning nutrients to the soil.
• By releasing oxygen into the air.
• By making space for new animals.
• By decreasing the population of herbivores.

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Which fact below describes one way the bowerbird changes its environment to meet its needs?

• Bowerbirds live in tropical regions of Australia.
• Females lay 1-2 eggs that hatch in about 20 days.
• The diet of bowerbirds consists of fruits and flowers.
• Males design amazing, large nests with colored objects in them to attract females.

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A small gray moth goes through a larva stage. The larva lives inside a seed capsule. The larva move around to get to parts of the seed it can eat and to reach shade. Which statement below describes an interaction that is important for the plant to survive but could be harmful for the larva?

• Absorbing sunlight to make food.
• Larva moving inside the seed.
• Absorbing water through the roots.
• Larva using seed for food.

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There are areas in the oceans that are called dead zones. These areas do not have enough air for living things to survive. Marine life in these areas either die or leave. Areas that would normally have many organisms become underwater deserts instead. The immediate problem that causes living things to leave the area is....

• They do not have water to survive.
• They do not have air to survive.
• They do not have nutrients to survive.
• They do not have plants to survive.

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Mud wallows in Africa are very important to animals. In fact, animals will sometimes fight over these mud wallows. Mud wallows are important to animals in areas of Africa that are hot and dry. Why are mud wallows so important to animals in Africa?

• They give them a place for shelter.
• They give them a place to interact with other animals.
• They give them a place to stay warm and to get energy from the Sun.
• They give them a place to stay cool and get out of the Sun. 

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The African clawed frog has moist skin and is found in murky ponds and other wet environments. When the dry season starts, the frog burrows into the mud to remain moist. It stays in the burrow without eating or moving until rainfall returns. How does the African clawed frog use factors in its environment to survive?

• Basking on rocks in the sunlight.
• Creating burrows that help fish in water.
• Burrowing in mud when it is dry.
• Adding moisture to the soil or mud.

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Which of the following is a question that could be asked in a scientific investigation of how organisms interact in their environment to survive?

• What is the effect of rainfall on the growth of grasses?
• What time of day has the most precipitation?
• how does temperature affect the formation of soil?
• How fast does water move different types of rock?

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All of the following are examples of living things interacting with each other EXCEPT---

• birds using trees as a place to raise young.
• squirrels spreading the seeds of trees by burying them.
• fish usingaquatic plants to lay their eggs. 
• frogs burrowing in the mud at the bottom of a pond to stay warm.

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Beavers cut down some trees in a forest and build dams in streams to make ponds. What is the GREATEST change for plants and other animals when beavers make dams?

• ferns grow next to beaver ponds
• deer do not find food as easily
• woodpeckers have more homes in trees
• trees die from flooding where the ponds are now located

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