Ecological Relationships

What is the function of decomposers in this meadow environment ?

• Splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen

• Conversion of light energy into chemical energy

• Recycling of nutrients from dead organisms back into the soil

• Synthesis of organic molecules from inorganic raw materials

Use the chart below and your knowledge of energy transfers within the food webs to answer the following question. Based on the table above, what is the role of the hawk in this food web?

• Decomposers

• Tertiary Consumers

• Primary Consumers

• Secondary Consumers

The table below shows several organisms and their food sources. Use the table to answer any questions that follow. Which organism in the table receives the smallest percentage of energy transfer?

• Wolf

• Tree

• Moose

• Earthworm

Food webs show feeding relationships among different types of organisms. Those organisms each have a specific niche. Which of the following best describes a function of decomposers in food webs?

• to recycle nutrients into soil

• to convert solar energy into food

• to provide food for secondary consumers

• to compete with secondary consumers for oxygen

Most producers use sunlight to make food through photosynthesis. What are the products of photosynthesis?

• sugar and oxygen

• carbon dioxide and water

• chlorophyll, protein, and DNA

• plant stems, leaves, and root systems

Which statement describes a difference between producers and consumers?

• All producers are types of plants, and consumers are types of animals

• Producers live on land, but consumers may live on land or in water

• Producers get energy only from consuming plant materials, and consumers get energy only from consuming other animals

• Producers make their own food, and consumers eat other organisms to get food

Bees feed on nectar in flowers. To reach the nectar, a bee must fly deep inside the flower. Inside the flower are pollen grains that are produced by the flower's male reproductive organs. The pollen sticks to the furry parts of the bee's body, and the bee transports the pollen as it visits other flowers, allowing the other flowers to be fertilized. Which of these relationships best describes the interaction between the bee and the flower?

• commensalism

• mutualism

• parasitism

• predation

An ecologist studies a forest area for evidence of competition among organisms. She chooses a specific location where a tree was struck by lightning. The lightning strike caused the tree to fall over and opened a space in the tree canopy for light to pass through. Which of these observations provides the best evidence of competition?

• Many tree seedlings crowd the open space and attempt to grow in the sunlight.

• Snakes come into the open space and eat small rodents that can be easily spotted in the sunlight

• Termites that have microorganisms in their stomachs to help them digest wood are found on the fallen tree.

• A type of plant called a bromeliad grows in the branches of the fallen tree and continues to survive even though the tree has fallen.

Jane went for a walk on the farm. First, she saw a mosquito land on her arm and bite her. Second, she saw a hawk capture a mouse. Last, she noticed a bird riding on the back of a cow and eating the bugs off it. What is the order of the relationships Jane saw at the farm?

• competition, predation, parasitism

• parasitism, competition, mutualism

• parasitism, predation, mutualism

• predation, competition, parasitism

The image shows a food web in a Florida ecosystem, with arrows pointing to the consumer. A new organism moves into the ecosystem. Its major food source is the pine borer. Which animals in the food web will form a competitive relationship with the new organism?

• fox and hawk

• kinglet and fox

• salamander and kinglet

• quirrel and salamander