Biodiversity Sustainability, Food Web Watershed 3

In the diagram shown, it shows water flowing from various rivers. What kind of area does these water routes represent?

• Watershed

• Ocean Front Property in Arizona

• Desert

• Tundra

An ecosystem that is not sustainable can break down when a natural disaster occurs. This can lead to organisms in the ecosystem either leaving the area or dying off.

Increased biodiversity results in a more sustainable ecosystem because -

• F. A greater number of plant species means that there is less barren land

• G. A greater variety of species present allows more organisms to adapt after changes occur

• H. The transition area between two ecosystems is narrower.

• J. There are fewer species to be affected by environmental stresses

Students in a science class visited four local ecosystems. The students observed the species present in each ecosystem and recorded their observations in the table.

Based on these observations, which ecosystem is likely to be the LEAST sustainable?

• A. Ecosystem 1, because it has the fewest species.

• B. Ecosystem 2, because it includes both aquatic and terrestrial species.

• C. Ecosystem 3, because it has few predators.

• D. Ecosystem 4, because it supports many animals.

Tropical rainforests have the greatest biodiversity of any type of land ecosystem. How does biodiversity contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem?

• F. The presence of more species with different adaptations makes it more likely that some organisms will survive an ecological disaster.

• G. Greater genetic variation within species makes it more likely that some individuals will survive a disease outbreak.

• H. The presence of a variety of herbivore species that can feed on a large number of different producer species helps ensure abundant prey for predators in the ecosystem.

• J. All of the above.

The food webs below model relationships among the organisms in two ecosystems.

Which ecosystem would be more likely to survive if a disease killed the grasses?

• A. The forest ecosystem, because most of the animals can eat other organisms.

• B. The grassland ecosystem, because several predators compete for food.

• C. The forest ecosystem, because it has three top predators.

• D. The grassland ecosystem, because it has many herbivores.

When biodiversity decreases

• Sustainability also decreases

• Sustainability remains the same

• Sustainability increases

Why might an organism have more than one arrow coming from them in a food web?

• More than one organism may eat them. 

• They may eat more than one other organism. 

• This organism gets its energy from multiple sources. 

• They have no resources available to them.

The rabbit in this food web would be considered a:

• Decomposer

• Producer

• Secondary Consumer

• Primary Consumer

What are biotic factors?

• Factors that are NON-LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are LIVING and USED-TO-BE-LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are both NON-LIVING and LIVING.

What are abiotic factors?

• Factors that are NON-LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are LIVING and USED-TO-BE-LIVING in an ecosystem.

• Factors that are both NON-LIVING and LIVING.