Ecology Unit Exam Prep

This is a food web of Yellowstone National Park. Which organism(s) do Beavers get their energy from? Choose all the apply.

• Coyote

• Aspen, willow leaves and twigs

• Aspen bark

• Grizzly bear

• Berries

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These fungi are also found in the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem. What is their role in the food web?

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Answer explanation

They are decomposers! They put nutrients back into the soil. This helps the producers in their process of making their own energy source which in turn helps the whole food web/ecosystem.

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Based on the food web what type of organism is the Raven? Explain your answer. (Word bank: Producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, decomposer)

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Answer explanation

The raven is an omnivore. It mainly gets its energy source from berries and seeds, but it is also a scavenger and will eat elk carcass.

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Identify three organisms that are apart on one food chain within the Yellowstone National Park food web. (Hint: start with a producer)

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Answer explanation

1) Grass, Elk, Gray wolf

2)Aspen bark, snowshoe hare, coyote

3) Roots, Pocket gopher, Short-tailed weasel

etc.

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This is the food chain for the gray wolf. Explain how energy is passed in the food chain by writing what is happening at each arrow in the food chain.

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Answer explanation

At the first arrow, the Bison is gaining energy from the wild oat by eating it. At the second arrow the Grey wolf is gaining energy from the Bison by eating the Bison

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list all the biotic and abiotic factors in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

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Answer explanation

Biotic: Elk, Wolves, grass

Abiotic: water, snow, atmosphere/sky

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Wolves are a native species to Yellowstone, but they almost went extinct in this area due to over-hunting. They were re-introduced into the ecosystem in 1995.

After the Grey wolf was re-introduced to the Yellowstone ecosystem, make a claim about what happened to the Elk population overall between 1995 and 2009

Claim: After the Grey wolf was re-introduced to Yellowstone, the Elk population ...

Answer explanation

The Elk population declined.

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Wolves are a native species to Yellowstone, but they almost went extinct in this area due to over-hunting. They were re-introduced into the ecosystem in 1995.

After the Grey wolf was re-introduced to the Yellowstone ecosystem, make a claim about what happened to the Bison population overall between 1995 and 2009

Claim: After the Grey wolf was re-introduced to Yellowstone, the Bison population ...

Answer explanation

The Bison population increased.

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Using the graphs, what evidence can you use to support your claim

(Claim: After the grey wolf was re-introduced into Yellowstone, the Elk population... and the Bison population...)

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Answer explanation

Before the wolves, the elk population was about 1700 and the Bison population was about 800. After the wolves, the elk population dropped to about 600 and the bison population increased to about 1600.

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What is the likely reason that bison populations were low before the re-introduction of the grey wolf?

• The elk were hunting the bison

• the elk were scaring the bison away

• the elks overgrazed (overate) all the resources bison eat

• the bison were protesting the absence of their friend the grey wolf

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