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Worksheets

Food Webs and Chains

Total questions: 36

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The picture shows an energy pyramid. What will most likely happen to the foxes and the wolves if the rabbits are removed?

a)

The foxes will eat more wolves

b)

The foxes will eat fewer wolves

c)

There will be more foxes and wolves

d)

There will be fewer foxes and wolves

2.

The picture shows an ocean bay food chain. Sea otters move into the ocean bay. They eat all the sea urchins. This change will cause the

a)

kelp to have less food

b)

crabs to have more food

c)

sea ducks to have less food

d)

arctic foxes to have more food

3.

Which model correctly shows energy flow in a food chain?

a)
b)
c)
d)
4.

A marine food web is shown. Which organism below belongs in level 3 of this marine food web?

a)

salmon

b)

zooplankton

c)

sea algae

d)

polar bear

5.

A marine food web is shown. Which chart correctly shows three of the organisms according to their roles in cycling matter in the marine food web?

a)
b)
c)
d)
6.

This picture shows the energy flow through a meadow community. Which of the following would most likely occur to the populations within the community of organisms immediately after a wildfire burns the environment?

a)

Hawks would increase and foxes would increase.

b)

Hawks would decrease and foxes would increase.

c)

Meadow plants would increase and rabbits would decrease.

d)

Meadow plants would decrease and rabbits would decrease.

7.

Which statement best describes what will happen if the population of herbivores in the community decreases?

a)

The population of foxes will increase.

b)

The population of hawks will increase.

c)

The population of rabbits will increase.

d)

The population of meadow plants will increase.

8.

Which statement best describes the flow of energy as it passes through the organisms in the pyramid?

a)

Energy flows through the organisms from bottom to top and increases at each level.

b)

Energy flows through the organisms from bottom to top and decreases at each level.

c)

Energy flows through the organisms from top to bottom and increases at each level.

d)

Energy flows through the organisms from top to bottom and decreases at each level.

9.

The diagram shows a simple food web. Which animal is classified as an omnivore?

a)

red fox

b)

deer

c)

black bear

d)

rabbit

10.

The diagram shows a simple food web. Which of the following animals might compete with the coyote in this food chain?

a)
b)
c)
d)
11.

Decomposers are important in the food chain because they

a)

produce their own food using light from the sun

b)

stop the flow of energy from one organism to another

c)

break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients into the soil

d)

are microscopic and other organisms cannot consume them

12.

This diagram shows a marine food chain. The zooplankton in this food chain are

a)

primary producers

b)

primary consumers

c)

secondary consumers

d)

tertiary consumers

13.

The table above contains information about animal diets. Which energy pyramid best represents the data in the table?

a)
b)
c)
d)
14.

A forest ecosystem food web is shown. If additional wrens are introduced into this ecosystem, there will most likely be an immediate decrease in the

a)

frog population

b)

snake population

c)

falcon population

d)

grasshopper population

15.

In a pond, the primary producer is a green alga, Spirogyra; the primary consumer is the crustacean, Daphnia. The secondary consumer is a small fish, the bluegill; and the tertiary consumer is a larger fish, the smallmouth bass. What changes can be expected in the pond if the Daphnia are killed with pesticides?

a)

The Spirogyra population will probably die.

b)

The bluegill population will probably increase.

c)

The Daphnia population will eat something else.

d)

The smallmouth bass population will die.

16.

For the food chain shown, which of the following changes would have the most severe consequences?

a)

a drastic decrease in rainfall, causing drought

b)

the poaching of predatory hawks by game hunters

c)

the introduction of a second predator that eats field mice

d)

a parasitic infestation that reduces the cricket population

17.

Which of these organisms would most likely be found at the top of an energy pyramid?

a)

clams

b)

sardines

c)

sharks

d)

kelp

18.

Which of these organisms would most likely be found at the bottom of a biomass pyramid?

a)

giant squids

b)

sand sharks

c)

sea cucumbers

d)

green algae

19.

As organisms eat other organisms, energy and nutrients pass through various feeding levels. These feeding levels are called trophic levels. The following is a diagram of the energy and nutrient flow through a simple community. Which group would most likely contain living algae?

a)

Producers

b)

First order consumers

c)

Second order consumers

d)

Decomposers

20.

According to the diagram, nutrients from dead organisms are released into the soil by the action of _______.

a)

producers

b)

first order consumers

c)

second order consumers

d)

decomposers

21.

A group of students on a field trip observed the following organisms on an old oak tree: woodpecker, honeybee, oak, squirrel, beetle, and caterpillar. Which of the following food chains is most likely to be found in this ecosystem?

a)

caterpillar --> honeybee --> woodpecker

b)

oak tree --> squirrel --> woodpecker

c)

oak tree --> caterpillar --> woodpecker

d)

beetle --> woodpecker --> squirrel

22.

The diagram shows part of an aquatic food web for a stable lake ecosystem in Connecticut. What is the source of energy for the algae?

a)

waves

b)

sunlight

c)

bacteria

d)

rotifers, water fleas, and tadpoles

23.

Suppose that a new predator of the rabbit migrated into this ecosystem. What is the most likely initial effect on the other organisms?

a)

more competition among the mice for food

b)

more competition among the hawks for food

c)

less competition among the snakes for food

d)

less grass available for food

24.

A chemical pesticide was applied to an area of this ecosystem by a landowner to control the mouse population. There was a decrease in the mouse population due to the presence of this pesticide. Which one of the following would most likely occur first due to this change in the ecosystem?

a)

the amount of grass would decrease

b)

the snake population would increase

c)

the rabbit food supply would increase

d)

the snake food supply would increase

25.

The available chemical energy in this ecosystem _____.

a)

decreases as it flows from consumer to producer

b)

remains constant as it flows from consumer to producer

c)

decreases as it flows from producer to consumer

d)

increases as it flows from producer to consumer

26.

If animals eat plants to get energy, where do plants get their energy?

a)

soil

b)

water

c)

wind

d)

sun

27.

A simple food chain is shown. What is the source of food in this food chain?

a)

sun

b)

grass

c)

frog

d)

grasshopper

28.

How would the removal of earthworms from the food chain affect the other organisms?

a)

The number of bass will increase.

b)

The number of crayfish will decrease.

c)

The crayfish will get their energy directly from the sun.

d)

The number of bass and ospreys will increase.

29.

A student examines the information in the table. The student concludes that Organism W should be placed at the base of the food web. However, the student later learns that Organism W's cells do not contain chloroplasts. Which conclusion would be appropriate, based on the new information?

a)

Another organism in the marine ecosystem is a producer.

b)

Organism W is a secondary consumer in the marine ecosystem.

c)

The role of Organism T in the marine ecosystem changes during its life.

d)

This marine ecosystem does not have any producers.

30.

Wolves get energy from eating rabbits. Rabbits get energy from eating grass. The grass makes its own food energy. If lots of the wolves were killed, then

a)

there would be more rabbits

b)

there would be fewer rabbits

c)

more grass would grow

d)

less grass would be eaten

31.

In ecosystems, the sun's energy is transferred through food webs as shown. The sun's energy is most directly available to people through

a)

path A

b)

path B

c)

path C

d)

path D

32.

We get energy from the food we eat. The energy in the food first comes from the

a)

soil

b)

fertilizers used by farmers

c)

sun

d)

vitamins added by food manufacturers

33.

In this energy pyramid, which organism would most likely be in level 2?

a)

bird

b)

fox

c)

caterpillar

d)

tree

34.

Which group of organisms is not represented in the diagram above of a simple food web?

a)

decomposers

b)

consumers

c)

prey

d)

producers

35.

What do the arrows in the food chain indicate about the flow of energy in an ecosystem?

a)

Energy is continuously recycled by the organisms in an ecosystem.

b)

Energy flows in one direction in an ecosystem, from producers to consumers.

c)

More of the available energy in an ecosystem is given to large animals than to small animals.

d)

Organisms at the end of the food chain receive more energy than those at the beginning.

36.

Which group is not represented in the food web?

a)

producers

b)

primary consumers

c)

secondary consumers

d)

decomposers