Decomposers Assessment

How do decomposers help plants?

• They help with photosynthesis.

• They enrich the soil.

• They provide oxygen.

• They hold water.

Answer explanation

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil. This process enriches the soil, making it more fertile and beneficial for plant growth, which is why the correct answer is that they enrich the soil.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

_________ can sprout from the soil like plants, but cannot make their own food.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'fungi', as it refers to organisms that can sprout from the soil like plants but do not perform photosynthesis to make their own food, unlike plants.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Energy and other materials from dead organisms are recycled back into the soil by ________.

• producers

• herbivores

• omnivores

• decomposers

Answer explanation

Energy and materials from dead organisms are recycled back into the soil by decomposers. They break down organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil, which is essential for ecosystem health.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

Fill in the blanks using the available answer choices. Organisms, such as fungi and __________, that break down dead organisms and return them as nutrients to the soil, are known as _________.

• blank 1: bacteria

  blank 2: decomposers

• blank 1: decomposers

  blank 2: bacteria

• blank 1: mushrooms

  blank 2: bacteria

• blank 1: bacteria

  blank 2: mushrooms

Answer explanation

Bacteria, along with fungi, are key organisms that decompose dead matter, returning nutrients to the soil. Therefore, the correct fill-ins are 'bacteria' for blank 1 and 'decomposers' for blank 2.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

People can help nature recycle plant material by composting. People use compost in their gardens. How does placing compost in your garden improve the natural environment?

• It makes the soil harder.

• It makes the soil unstable.

• It helps keep the insects away.

• It makes the soil rich in nutrients.

Answer explanation

Placing compost in your garden improves the natural environment by making the soil rich in nutrients. This enhances plant growth and supports a healthy ecosystem, unlike making the soil harder or unstable.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

Fill in the blanks using the available answer choices.

__________ break down decaying material in an ecosystem.

• Producers

• Decomposers

Answer explanation

Decomposers break down decaying material in an ecosystem, recycling nutrients back into the soil. Producers, on the other hand, create energy through photosynthesis. Therefore, the correct choice is 'Decomposers'.

The job of decomposers is to break down dead plants and animals into useful substances. This job is their _________.

• adaptation

• skill

• niche

• habitat

Answer explanation

The job of decomposers to break down dead matter into useful substances is their niche, which refers to their role in the ecosystem. Adaptation and skill do not specifically describe their ecological function, while habitat refers to their living environment.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

Mrs. West's class created this diagram as a model of an ecosystem.

The class uses the model to predict how the living things in the ecosystem could be affected during periods of drought.

Predict how drought could affect the amount of food for each organism shown in the model.

Answer explanation

Drought reduces water availability, leading to decreased plant growth. With less food (plants) available, herbivores will struggle to find enough to eat, which in turn affects carnivores that rely on them for food.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1

Predict how the ecosystem would be affected if the decomposers shown in the model die.

Answer explanation

If decomposers die, organic matter would accumulate, nutrients would not be recycled, and plant growth would decline. This would disrupt the entire food web, leading to a less stable ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.5-LS2-1