5th Ecosystems Transfer of Energy

The figure below shows an ecosystem with different plants and animals. What statement can you make about the flow of energy in this ecosystem?

• On a cloudy day, no energy will flow in this ecosystem.

• Grass can use and store energy from the sun, which eventually flows to all of the other life-forms.

• Eagles eat snakes, rabbits, and frogs and are not affected by the energy in other parts of the ecosystem.

• If eagles are removed from the ecosystem, energy can no longer flow to any of the other animals.

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Hawks eat mice and birds. If hawks come into the forest area, what will happen in the food web? Choose all that apply.

• There will be fewer plants eaten.

• The population of owls will increase.

• The population of mice will increase.

• The population of foxes may decrease.

• The population of grasshoppers will increase.

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If Hawks come into the area and eat mice and birds, what are some options for the Owl?
Make a claim about what you think the owl might do.

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An area has a large decrease in the deer population. How might this impact the ecosystem?

• The rabbit population could increase because the cougars now only eat rabbits.

• The population of mice could decrease, causing the snake population to decrease.

• There could be less food for cougars to eat, which would cause a decrease in their population.

• There could be an increase in both the cougar and snake populations because more grass will be available.

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A company wants to clear some forested areas around the pond and stream inhabited by beavers to build six houses. The criteria for the project is listed below:

• Clear six forest sites to build houses

• Have a view of the pond from some houses

• Maintain a forest area between each house for privacy

• Maintain the beaver habitat and population.

The models below show the two designs for the project.Which statement best explains why one of the designs is more appropriate for maintaining the beaver population around the pond?

• Design 1 is more appropriate because it provides easy access to the food in the forested areas.

• Design 1 is more appropriate because it provides a view of the pond from all the houses.

• Design 2 is more appropriate because it provides easy access to the food in the forested areas.

• Design 2 is more appropriate because it provides a view of the pond from all of the houses.

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What role do decomposers play in a food chain?

• They produce energy from sunlight.

• They break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients.

• They are primary consumers.

• They are top predators.

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In this food web, what would happen if the amount of grains available decreased?

• The mice population would decrease

• There would be no change

• The bird population would increase

• The owl population would decrease

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Dejon and Katie want to test whether plants need soil to grow. They cut two branches off of the plants for X and Y. X was in an area with sunlight and Y in a shaded corner of the room.

They then planted two IDENTICAL seeds in soil and placed A in sunlight and Y in a shaded corner. 

Over the next three months, the plants grow.

What claim can you make about what plants need to grow and/or be healthy? Justify your answer using diagram from Dejon’s and Katie’s experiments and what you know about science.

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Study the food web. What belongs in the box?

• sun, because it supplies energy to the food web

• grass, because it can use and store energy from the sun

• consumer, because it can eat the mice

• bacteria, because it can take nutrients from decomposing materials

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Create a food chain from the picture.

• grasshopper

• frog

• hawk

• grass

• snake

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