Ecosystem Roles and Food Chains

Mr. Sonenberg explains the concept of food webs, highlighting their complexity compared to food chains. He discusses the roles of producers, various types of consumers, and decomposers in the ecosystem. The video illustrates a desert food web, emphasizing energy flow and the importance of generalist species in maintaining ecological balance.

What is a key difference between a food web and a food chain?

• A food web is a single linear path of energy.

• A food web consists of multiple interconnected food chains.

• A food web only includes producers and primary consumers.

• A food chain is more complex than a food web.

Which type of consumer primarily eats plants?

• Decomposers

• Herbivores

• Omnivores

• Carnivores

What do omnivores consume?

• Only meat

• Only decomposed matter

• Only plants

• Both plants and meat

What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• To recycle nutrients from dead organic matter

• To consume only plants

• To act as primary consumers

• To produce energy from the sun

Which of the following is an example of a decomposer?

• Fungi

• Hawk

• Mouse

• Snake

In a desert food chain, what does the mouse primarily consume?

• Plants

• Snake

• Decomposers

• Hawk

What is the role of the hawk in the desert food chain example?

• Producer

• Primary consumer

• Secondary consumer

• Tertiary consumer

Why can't species in a food web be strictly labeled as primary or secondary consumers?

• Because they only eat plants

• Because they can change roles based on the food chain

• Because they are always producers

• Because they do not consume any other organisms

What is the significance of arrows in a food web diagram?

• They point to the largest consumer

• They show the direction of energy flow

• They represent the speed of energy transfer

• They indicate the size of the organism

What is a generalist species in the context of a food web?

• A species that only eats one type of food

• A species that can consume a variety of organisms

• A species that is at the top of the food chain

• A species that only decomposes matter