Exploring Ecosystems and Energy Flow

What is the primary source of energy for most food chains?

• The Moon

• The Sun

• The Ocean

• The Wind

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Which of the following organisms is typically at the top of a food chain?

• Producer

• Herbivore

• Carnivore

• Decomposer

In a food web, what role do decomposers play?

• They produce energy from sunlight.

• They break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients.

• They are the primary consumers.

• They are the top predators.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Explain how energy flows through a food chain starting from the Sun.

• Energy flows from the Sun to producers, then to consumers, and finally to decomposers.

• Energy flows from decomposers to consumers, then to producers, and finally to the Sun.

• Energy flows from consumers to producers, then to decomposers, and finally to the Sun.

• Energy flows from producers to decomposers, then to consumers, and finally to the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Which of the following best describes a food web?

• A linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next one in the chain.

• A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

• A diagram showing the amount of energy at each trophic level.

• A list of all the producers in an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Why is energy transfer in a food chain not 100% efficient?

• Some energy is lost as heat during metabolic processes.

• Energy is destroyed as it moves through the chain.

• Energy is created at each trophic level.

• Energy is stored indefinitely at each level.

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NGSS.HS-LS1-7

Analyze the impact of removing a top predator from a food web.

• The population of prey species would decrease.

• The ecosystem would remain unchanged.

• The population of prey species would increase, potentially leading to overgrazing or depletion of producers.

• The energy flow in the ecosystem would stop completely.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Predict what might happen to an ecosystem if all the producers were removed.

• The ecosystem would thrive as consumers find other food sources.

• The ecosystem would collapse as there would be no energy source for consumers.

• The decomposers would become the primary energy source.

• The top predators would become producers.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Evaluate the role of herbivores in the energy flow of an ecosystem.

• Herbivores are primary producers that convert sunlight into energy.

• Herbivores are primary consumers that transfer energy from producers to higher trophic levels.

• Herbivores are decomposers that recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

• Herbivores are top predators that control the population of other consumers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Design a simple food chain using the following organisms: grass, rabbit, fox, and bacteria.

• Grass → Fox → Rabbit → Bacteria

• Rabbit → Grass → Fox → Bacteria

• Grass → Rabbit → Fox → Bacteria

• Bacteria → Grass → Rabbit → Fox

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3