Grassland Food Chain

The shortgrass prairie is an ecosystem found in the Great Plains. Many different populations of animals depend on the prairie ecosystem for survival. A typical community includes animals such as snakes, birds, mice, rodents, and insects.

Which food chain most accurately demonstrates the flow of energy in a shortgrass prairie ecosystem?

• grasshopper → bird → rodent → buffalo

• hawk → snake → mouse → grasshopper

• grasshopper → mouse → snake → hawk

• snake → hawk → skunk → mouse

Observe the food chain above. Which organism’s population would increase if finches were removed from the ecosystem?

• Grass

• Grasshopper

• Snake

• Hawk

The roadrunner is a desert bird that eats fruits and seeds. It also eats insects, spiders, scorpions, and rattlesnakes.

What would likely happen if the roadrunner population disappeared from its ecosystem?

• There would be no more fruits or seeds.

• There would a decrease in spider populations.

• The rattlesnake population would stay the same.

• There would be an increase in scorpion populations.

What is one example of the way that energy flows in the food chain above?

• Energy flows from grass to the Sun

• Energy flows from hawks to snakes

• Energy flows from grasshoppers to finches

• Energy flows from snakes to finches

The diagram shows a grassland food chain. If the mice are removed from this food chain, which animal population would most likely be affected first?

• Plant Seeds

• Field Mice

• Snakes

• Mountain Lions

The diagram shows a food chain.

The squirrel gets its energy directly from -

• sun

• trees

• other squirrels

• hawk

In this food chain, where does the lizard get its energy from?

• plant

• grasshopper

• mushrooms

• sun

What is a part of the food chain that makes its own food and nutrients?

• consumer

• producer

• omnivore

• sun

An animal that eats only plants is called a -

• carnivore

• omnivore

• insectivore

• herbivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals is called a -

• omnivore

• herbivore

• carnivore

• producer