Scavengers and Decomposers

What is the name of the process where the remains of living things rot, decay or break down?

• Disintegration

• Dissolve

• Decomposition

• Recycling

A living organism that puts materials from dead  plants and animals back to the soil is called a ____________?

• carnivore
• decomposer
• herbivore
• omnivore

An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment. Why are decomposers an important part of ecosystems?

• They break down dead organisms to return nutrients to the soil.
• They produce their own food for survival.
• They play a role in preventing weathering and erosion.
• They provide most of the energy to consumers.

Which best describes how decomposers help support life in an ecosystem?

• Decomposers add nutrients to the soil.
• Decomposers provide a habitat in the ecosystem.
• Decomposers add producers to the ecosystem.
• Decomposers provide energy for consumers.

Which best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• Decomposers eat consumers and pass along energy.
• Decomposers eat scavengers and pass along energy.
• Decomposers get energy from the sun to help producers.
• Decomposers get energy by breaking down decaying matter.

Which describes a decomposer?

• an organism that eats only plants
• an organism that makes its own food
• an organism that breaks down dead matter
• an organism that receives energy from the sun

How are decomposers different from plants?

• They are not different

• They cannot make their own food through photosynthesis like plants

• They don't need nutrients to survive

• They are not important to the environment

All organisms need energy to survive. How do scavengers and decomposers get the energy they need?

• Scavengers break their food down into chemical nutrients. Decomposers take their energy from those chemicals.

• Scavengers make their own food. Decomposers eat the nutrients that scavengers produce. Decomposers then return chemical nutrients to the soil.

• When scavengers kill and eat animals, all decomposers eat the food they leave behind. The decomposers then return chemical nutrients to the soil.

• Scavengers feed on dead animals or plants. The food the scavengers leave behind is broken down by decomposers into chemical nutrients and returned to the soil.

A true decomposer helps the FLOW OF ENERGY in an ecosystem by ________ (check all that apply)

• hunting and eating other organisms

• making their own food from carbon dioxide in the air

• breaking down organic waste

• recycling matter/nutrients and making it available to plants

Which of the following are not decomposers or detritivores? (Check all that apply)

• Mushroom

• Bacteria

• A raven

• A cactus