Describe populations, communities, and ecosystems 2GP IXL V.1

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

The temperate mountains of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming are made from volcanic rocks. These mountains are home to many large mammal species. For example, gray wolves are common predators in this habitat. Gray wolves hunt in packs to capture the elk, white-tailed deer, and bison that live in the mountains. Coyotes often eat the scraps of prey animals that wolf packs leave behind. After the coyotes have fed, birds such as ravens and magpies eat the meat that remains on the animal bones.

Which of the following best describes a population in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park?

• the magpies and the ravens

• a pack of gray wolves

• the elk, the coyotes, and the volcanic rock

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

In a small lake in Wisconsin, aquatic plants such as water milfoil, American lotus, and water purslane grow along the shoreline. These plants help to keep the lake clean by absorbing substances that can pollute the water. The plants also provide oxygen to aquatic animals and create a habitat for fish, frogs, and insects. Many insects and small fish hide in these aquatic plants. So, the plants are a common hunting area for predatory species such as bluegill fish.

Which of the following best describes a community in a small lake in Wisconsin?

• a school of bluegill fish

• the water milfoil, the American lotus, and the water purslane

• the insects, the water milfoil, and the nutrients

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

A terrarium is a garden that is grown in a glass container. A tropical terrarium has a lid to limit the evaporation of water. The moist air inside a tropical terrarium creates a good environment for tropical plants such as bromeliads and orchids. A tropical terrarium can also be used as a habitat for amphibians or reptiles. Brightly colored poison dart frogs and chameleons can live in a terrarium. They eat small insects such as crickets, fruit flies, and moths.

Which of the following best describes an ecosystem in a tropical terrarium?

• the soil, the bromeliads, and the poison dart frogs

• the chameleons and the poison dart frogs

• the crickets, the fruit flies, and the moths

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

Sea ice in the Arctic is a resting place for many mammals. Species such as ringed seals, walruses, and polar bears rest on sea ice when they are not hunting in the water below. These mammals are adapted to extremely cold temperatures. Ringed seals and walruses grow thick layers of fat, called blubber, under their skin. Blubber protects their bodies from the frigid temperatures. Polar bears eat ringed seals and walruses. The blubber in these types of prey is a good energy source for polar bears.

Which of the following best describes a population on sea ice in the Arctic?

• the polar bears and the walruses

• the walruses and the sea ice

• a group of ringed seals

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

In Australia, cathedral termites live in groups called colonies. Termites in these colonies work together to build large mounds using digested plant material and sand. These mounds can be 10 meters tall and last for hundreds of years! A mound provides a home for a termite colony. But termite mounds are also used by other animals. Birds such as blue-winged kookaburras and barking owls perch on mounds to hunt for prey. Reptiles such as southern heath monitor lizards lay their eggs inside termite mounds.

Which of the following best describes a community at a termite mound in Australia?

• the southern heath monitor lizards and the sand

• the blue-winged kookaburras, the barking owls, and the cathedral termites

• a colony of cathedral termites

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

Giant kelp is one of the largest species of seaweed. Forests of giant kelp grow in the cold, clear water off California. Kelp forests provide shelter for many organisms. Garibaldi fish defend territories at the base of kelp stalks. Purple sea urchins live on the rocks that cover the seafloor. California sea otters float on the surface, resting as they hold onto kelp fronds to stay in one place.

In a California kelp forest, the garibaldi, the purple sea urchins, and the rocks make up which of the following? Select all that apply.

• a population

• part of a community

• part of an ecosystem

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

At 2,500 meters deep, an ocean vent at the bottom of the Eastern Pacific is in complete darkness. The vent releases hot water full of sulfur into the sea. The deep-ocean vent is home to a diverse group of organisms. Species such as giant tube worms grow to be 2 meters long. Snails crawl on the outside of the tube worms. Both the giant tube worms and the snails are hunted by pink vent fish, a species of deep-sea predator.

At a deep-ocean vent in the Eastern Pacific, the giant tube worms make up which of the following? Select all that apply.

• a population

• part of a community

• part of an ecosystem

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

Rose gardens are a good habitat for insects. Aphids are tiny insects that eat roses and produce a sticky substance called honeydew. Honeydew is a favorite food of ants, so ants often live with aphids. The ants protect the aphids against predators such as ladybugs. Another way that ants help aphids is by removing dead aphids. This way, an aphid that died from a fungus infection will not infect the rest of the aphids.

In a rose garden, the aphids, the ants, and the ladybugs make up which of the following? Select all that apply.

• a population

• part of a community

• part of an ecosystem

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

Rain forests in Indonesia have at least 15,000 species of plants, more than any other forest in the world. These plants include sugar palms, Bornean ironwood, and durian trees. Bornean orangutans spend most of their lives in trees. Staying in the trees helps the orangutans avoid predators such as the saltwater crocodiles that live in the rivers below. But other predators, such as Sunda clouded leopards, can climb trees to hunt orangutans.

In a rain forest in Indonesia, the Bornean orangutans, the saltwater crocodiles, and the rivers make up which of the following? Select all that apply.

• a population

• part of a community

• part of an ecosystem

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Read the passage. Then answer the question below.

More than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats live in Bracken Cave in Texas. Every night at sunset, the bats leave the cave to find food. They eat flying insects such as moths, flies, and wasps. When so many bats live together in one cave, they produce a lot of bat feces, or guano. The guano builds up on the cave floor and provides food for fungus and bacteria. The fungus and bacteria are eaten by millipedes and other small crawling insects. These small insects are eaten by larger organisms, such as centipedes, spiders, and salamanders.

In Bracken Cave in Texas, the Mexican free-tailed bats make up which of the following? Select all that apply.

• a population

• part of a community

• part of an ecosystem

Answer explanation

In an environment, organisms interact with each other and with their nonliving surroundings. To help describe these interactions, ecologists use specific terms for different types of groups.

A single organism is an individual. Individuals of the same species that live in the same place are part of a population.

Multiple populations of different species that live in the same place are part of a community.

Together, communities of living organisms and the nonliving parts of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-2