STAAR Category 4: Life Sciences

What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

• They convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

• They consume other organisms for energy.

• They decompose organic matter into nutrients.

• They regulate the population of herbivores.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

What is the significance of soil in ecological succession?

• Soil provides nutrients and a habitat for organisms during succession.

• Soil acts as a barrier to prevent erosion.

• Soil is primarily composed of rocks and minerals with no biological significance.

• Soil is only important for agricultural purposes.

What is a food web?

• A simple chain of food sources in an ecosystem.

• A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

• A diagram showing the energy flow in a single species.

• A list of all the plants and animals in a habitat.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

• Living organisms such as plants and animals.

• Non-living components such as rocks, water, and temperature.

• Biological interactions between species.

• Chemical processes occurring in the soil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

How does energy flow through a food chain?

• Energy flows from consumers to producers and then to decomposers.

• Energy flows from producers to consumers and then to decomposers.

• Energy flows in a circular pattern among all organisms.

• Energy flows only from decomposers to producers.

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

• Decomposers produce energy through photosynthesis.

• Decomposers compete with plants for sunlight and nutrients.

• Decomposers create new organic matter from inorganic substances.

What is the role of bacteria in the soil food web?

• Bacteria get nutrients from organic matter.

• Bacteria decompose inorganic materials.

• Bacteria produce oxygen for plants.

• Bacteria inhibit the growth of fungi.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is a consumer in a food web?

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that eats other organisms for energy.

• An organism that decomposes dead matter.

• An organism that competes for resources with other organisms.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is an example of a mutualistic relationship in an ecosystem?

• Bees and flowers; bees get nectar for food, and flowers get pollinated.

• Lions and zebras; lions hunt zebras for food.

• Birds and snakes; birds eat snakes to survive.

• Fungi and trees; fungi decompose trees for nutrients.

What is primary succession?

• A type of ecological succession that occurs in an environment without soil.

• A process where ecosystems recover after a disturbance.

• The gradual change of species composition in a stable environment.

• A type of succession that occurs in areas with existing soil.