Exploring the Role of Decomposers in Ecosystems

The video explores the concept of waste in nature and the role of decomposers like bacteria, fungi, insects, and worms in breaking down waste to release energy. It explains how energy flows through ecosystems via food chains, highlighting the importance of decomposers in recycling nutrients and maintaining ecological balance. The video concludes by emphasizing the critical role decomposers play in preventing waste accumulation and supporting life cycles.

What is the primary role of decomposers in nature?

• To consume other animals

• To break down waste and dead organisms

• To produce food for plants

• To create energy from sunlight

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Which of the following is NOT an example of a decomposer?

• Mouse

• Worms

• Fungi

• Bacteria

What do all living things need to survive?

• Sunlight

• Water

• Energy

• Shelter

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In a food chain, what is the term used to describe the flow of energy?

• Energy cycle

• Energy transfer

• Energy flow

• Energy chain

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What happens to the energy from an apple when it is eaten by a mouse?

• It is transferred to the mouse

• It is converted to sunlight

• It is lost

• It is stored in the ground

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If an owl eats a mouse, where does the energy from the mouse go?

• It is lost

• It is transferred to the owl

• It is converted to sunlight

• It is transferred to the ground

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Where can decomposers appear in a food chain?

• Only at the beginning

• Only at the end

• At any point where there is waste

• Only in the middle

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What do decomposers break waste down into?

• Food and water

• Energy and gas

• Nutrients and other chemicals

• Water and sunlight

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What would happen if decomposers were removed from an ecosystem?

• Animals would stop eating

• Plants would grow faster

• Waste would pile up

• Nothing would change

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Why are decomposers essential for the balance of an ecosystem?

• They recycle nutrients and prevent waste accumulation

• They produce food for animals

• They create energy from sunlight

• They consume other animals

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