Change Effects Ecosystem Balance #1 4th Grade TN Ready

Koalas are marsupials that live in Australia and eat mostly the leaves of eucalyptus trees. Imagine that the environment of Australia were to change so that eucalyptus trees could no longer grow there.

Which koalas would be most likely to survive and reproduce?

• those that need more eucalyptus leaves for energy

• those that have the ability to digest a different food

• those that have developed a better sense of hearing

• those that have the ability to climb trees

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Snakeheads are fish that live in rivers, lakes, and ponds. Snakeheads became an invasive species in the United States when they were brought in from Africa and Asia. How will snakeheads interact with other organisms in their non-native ecosystem

• Snakeheads will compete with native species for food.

• Snakeheads will have more predators chasing them than native populations.

• Snakeheads will become native species once their population grows.

• Snakeheads will eat fewer aquatic plants than native fish.

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The Chinese tallow is a tree that grows quickly and starts producing seeds sooner than other trees .A tallow tree can start producing seeds in 3 years, while an oak tree takes 25 years. A tallow tree can even grow new trees out of its roots without seeds. What will happen to the environment where Chinese tallow trees grow?

• The amount of rainfall will decrease, which makes it harder for other plant species to grow.

• The amount of empty space will decrease, which makes it harder for other plant species to grow.

• The amount of sunlight will increase, which makes it easier for other plant species to grow.

• The amount of nutrients in the soil will increase, which makes it easier for other plant species to grow.

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A water hyacinth is a plant that can grow in a pond. It is not native to the United States. Most animal species in the United States do not eat water hyacinth. This means that it can cover a small pond within a few years. How will the water hyacinth change the pond ecosystem over time?

• More nutrients will be available for native plants.

• The pond ecosystem will experience less rainfall.

• The number of other plant species in the pond will decrease.

• Fish populations in the pond will experience more direct sunlight.

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Prairie dogs are an important part of the ecosystem in which they live. They dig burrows that help mix nutrients in the soil for plants. These burrows also provide shelter for other species such as burrowing owls and ferrets. Currently, the population of prairie dogs is getting smaller because of increased use of land for farming. How will this affect the prairie dogs' ecosystem?

• It will decrease the amount of soil, limiting space for plants to grow.

• It will preserve more grassland, which would increase biodiversity.

• The populations of other animals will get smaller, decreasing biodiversity.

• It will preserve more underground space, improving the ecosystem.

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Many types of plants and animals live in grassland ecosystems. Energy is transferred among these plants and animals. A food web from a grassland ecosystem is shown below. If all of the wild cats were removed from the ecosystem, how would the other animals living in the grasslands be affected?

• Lions would have to eat more jackals for energy.

• Owls would have to eat more mice for energy.

• Kites would have to find a new food source.

• Rabbits would have to find a new food source.

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Sometimes, sudden changes happen in environments. If the plants and animals that live in these environments are not able to adjust to these changes, what will most likely happen to them?

• The populations of animals will survive, but the plants will die off.

• The populations of plants and animals will increase permanently.

• The populations of plants and animals will die off completely.

• The populations of plants will survive, but the animals will die off.

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The kudzu plant grows and spreads very fast. The picture below shows how kudzu plants grow. What will happen to the environment where kudzu plants grow and spread?

• The amount of sunlight reaching the ground will decrease, which will cause other plant species to die.

• The temperature and wind speed in the area will drop, which will cause more plant species to grow.

• The amount of rain in the area will increase, which will cause more plant species to grow.

• The soil will become more sandy, which will cause other plant species to die.

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During a drought, soil can dry out and become very hard. How might a drought affect a community of organisms?

• some organisms could survive

• some organisms could move to a new location

• some organisms could die

• all of these

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Many animal species live on the ice in the Arctic, such as walruses and Arctic foxes. The amount of ice in the Arctic changed between 1983 and 2007. The maps below show the Arctic for certain years. In the maps, the ice is colored blue, oceans are white, and land is gray. Based on the Arctic maps, which of the following most likely happened between 1983 and2007?

• More rain helped increase the number of plants on the Arctic ice.

• The number of animals that lived on the Arctic ice decreased.

• The space available for fish species in the Arctic decreased.

• Most of the ocean water in the Arctic became frozen during this time.

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