How Do Living Things Change Earth's Surface?

Some plants, like moss, grow on rock and take minerals from it. It weakens the rock and causes it to break down. This is an example of ________.

• Erosion

• Weathering

• Deposition

• Sedimentation

Which of the following is an example of animals causing deposition?

• Snails eat algae on the surface of a rock.

• Prairie dogs make a burrow for shelter

• Beavers build a dam to block the flow of a river.

• Wild animals eat plants and uncover rock and soil.

Walking in the same grassy area many times can cause erosion because

• soil is exposed and can easily be carried away by wind or water.

• it attracts animals that dig burrows.

• it allows tree roots to spread more easily.

• it makes it easier for snails to crawl over rocks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Sometimes people make flat ___________ on hillsides to prevent soil erosion.

• Roads

• Dams

• Windbreaks

• Terraces

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NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

When Jana and her friends walk along a cool, shaded stream, they see moss growing on some of the rocks. In which of the following ways can the moss affect this rock?

• Moss can erode the rock by breaking off pieces of rock

• Moss holds the rock together by sending roots into the rock.

• Moss builds the rock up by depositing sediment onto the rock.

• Moss breaks the rock down by taking minerals from the rock

Marc’s parents get mad when they see new molehills in the yard because the hills make it harder to mow the grass. Using evidence from the photo, how does this mole cause a change to Earth’s surface?

• The mole deposits new soil, building up the area

• The mole protects the soil, mixing it into the grass

• The mole erodes the soil, moving it to the surface.

• The mole causes weathering of the soil, breaking it up.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

When Rieko and her family go hiking in the woods, they see a beaver dam. Rieko notices how the dam changes the land and the water flow. Which of these observations is evidence that the dam will cause deposition in the pond?

• water moving rapidly past the dam

• water moving slowly before the dam

• plants that have grown around the pond

• rocks that are seen at the bottom of the pond

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

When Levi rides the school bus home, he sees farms along the way. These cows are in one farmer’s field. How do you think these cows affect Earth’s surface in the field?

• They increase erosion by drinking the water.

• They increase weathering by eating grass in the field.

• They increase deposition by moving soil into the stream

• They increase erosion by trampling grass by the water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2