The Ant and the Acacia - Amplify Unit 3

What is a food web used to show in an ecosystem?

• How species reproduce

• How species are classified

• What eats what in an ecosystem

• The climate conditions in an area

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What type of relationship is illustrated by the interaction between the bullhorn acacia tree and the acacia ant?

• Competition

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Predation

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What is an example of a relationship that is typically harmful to one species and beneficial to another?

• Mutualism

• Competition

• Symbiosis

• Predation

What do bullhorn acacia trees provide to acacia ants?

• Protection from predators

• Food, water, and shelter

• Nesting materials

• Only food

How do acacia ants help the bullhorn acacia trees?

• They pollinate the flowers

• They protect the trees from herbivores by attacking them

• They help the trees grow faster

• They spread the seeds of the tree

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What happens to acacia ants if the bullhorn acacia trees are wiped out by a disease?

• The ants will survive by finding other trees to live on

• The ants would likely struggle to find food and shelter

• The ants would migrate to a new location

• The ants would become predators

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What is mutualism?

• A relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed

• A relationship where both species benefit

• A relationship where one species harms the other

• A relationship where both species are neutral

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What would likely happen if the population of acacia ants decreased?

• The bullhorn acacia trees would grow faster

• The bullhorn acacia trees would become more vulnerable to herbivores

• The bullhorn acacia trees would produce more flowers

• The bullhorn acacia trees would become extinct

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What do acacia ants do to protect the bullhorn acacia tree from herbivores?

• They help the tree grow faster

• They attack herbivores and release a bad-smelling chemical

• They help the tree reproduce

• They defend other plants around the tree

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What is a possible consequence if acacia ants were removed from the ecosystem?

• The bullhorn acacia trees would flourish

• The bullhorn acacia trees would be vulnerable to being eaten by herbivores

• The acacia ants would find other trees to live on

• There would be no effect on the acacia trees

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