Ecosystem Roles: Producers and Decomposers

The video tutorial explains the role of decomposers in the ecosystem. It introduces key terms like producers and consumers, detailing the types of consumers: herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, and detritivores. The focus is on detritivores, specifically scavengers and decomposers, highlighting their role in breaking down organic matter. The importance of decomposers in recycling nutrients and maintaining the matter cycle is emphasized. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content.

What is the primary function of producers in an ecosystem?

• To consume other organisms

• To produce their own food using sunlight

• To decompose organic matter

• To act as scavengers

Which of the following is NOT a type of consumer?

• Carnivore

• Omnivore

• Autotroph

• Herbivore

How do decomposers obtain energy?

• By breaking down dead organic matter

• By consuming live plants

• By hunting other animals

• By photosynthesis

What is the key difference between scavengers and decomposers?

• Scavengers ingest and then digest organic matter, while decomposers break it down externally

• Scavengers produce their own food, while decomposers do not

• Scavengers are only found in water, while decomposers are found on land

• Scavengers are a type of producer, while decomposers are not

Which of the following is an example of a decomposer?

• Vulture

• Frog

• Grasshopper

• Bacteria

What happens to a piece of bread left in the mud over time?

• It turns into a plant

• It evaporates

• It decomposes and becomes part of the soil

• It remains unchanged

Why are decomposers important in industrial applications?

• They are used in construction

• They create new organisms

• They help in oil spill cleanups

• They produce energy

In a food chain, what role do decomposers play?

• They are the top predators

• They return nutrients to the soil

• They consume herbivores

• They are the primary producers

What happens to nutrients when an organism dies in a food chain?

• They are lost forever

• They are broken down by decomposers and returned to the soil

• They are absorbed by the atmosphere

• They are consumed by herbivores

How do decomposers contribute to the self-cleaning system of the Earth?

• By consuming all living organisms

• By producing oxygen

• By breaking down dead matter and recycling nutrients

• By creating new ecosystems