How do Ecosystems Change?

A natural change to an ecosystem occurs when

• a severe drought causes plants to die.

• trees are cut down to make paper.

• roads are built through a forest.

• a dam is constructed to hold back water.

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What kinds of changes take place during succession?

• Animals move from one ecosystem to another.

• One or more species die out and no longer exist on Earth.

• Species slowly replace each other as the landscape changes.

• Plants stop growing and making food when days get shorter and colder.

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After a forest fire, new plants and those that were not burned will ______ because the fire released nutrients into the soil.

• slowly die

• grow faster

• stop growing

• become extinct

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Some animals hibernate during the winter because they

• lay eggs that need to be kept warm.

• need to avoid predators.

• change from one form to another.

• cannot find enough food.

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Climate change can cause changes to ecosystems. What can happen to organisms that do not change with their ecosystems?

• They can disappear from Earth.

• They can stop the ecosystem from changing.

• They can form new ecosystems.

• They can be unaffected by the change.

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This tree is losing its leaves during the fall. After all its leaves fall to the ground, the tree branches will be bare for the winter. Then new leaves will grow in the spring.

How can scientists predict these events will happen?

• The climate is changing quickly.

• The tree is going into hibernation.

• Seasonal changes occur in a cycle.

• An ecosystem disturbance has happened.

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Natural changes _________ to the environment.

• often happen

• rarely happen

• never happen

• do not affect

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Which of the following would cause a very slow change to the ecosystem?

• a volcano erupting

• a flood washing away soil

• people cutting down trees

• a drought causing a dust storm

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A disturbance

• changes the environment for a short period of time.

• changes the environment for a long period of time.

• is a slow process of organisms replacing each other.

• is a quick process of organisms replacing each other.

____________ is a type of disturbance.

• A fire

• A flood

• Farming

• all of the above