Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

Biomes

Ecological Succession

How many producers are in the diagram?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

Since lichen produces its own food through photosynthesis, what would it be?

A. A producer

B. A primary consumer

C. fungi (form of a mushroom)

D. bacteria

a. Producers (produces own food)

Bacteria and fungi are

decomposers and get energy

by breaking down dead matter.

A minnow eats algae in a pond. The minnow’s body uses the stored sugars in the algae to meet its energy needs. What type of organism is the minnow?

a. A producer

b. A consumer

c. A scavenger

d. A decomposer

The answer is B. I am a consumer. To

be exact, I am a primary consumer because I only eat

producers.

How do decomposers meet their energy needs?

a. By converting sunlight

into glucose

b. By consuming

producers

c. By engaging in

predation

d. By breaking down organic matter.

d. By breaking down organic matter (biomass).

Which of the following is an abiotic factor found in a tundra?

A. Polar bear

B. Snow owl

C. Extreme heat

D. Snow/ice

Biotic factors

Heat is an abiotic factor, but not a factor of a tundra biome.

Bats eat mosquitoes and various other bugs. A population of bats in the forest ecosystem, experiences a record high birthrate. How will this most likely effect the insect populations in the forest?

a. The insect population will increase.

b. The insect population will decrease.

c. The insect population will not be effected.

d. The insect population will migrate to other areas.

b. The insect population will decrease.

Oh no. where’d all

the bugs go?

It’s our fault. There is just

too many of us eating the

same food.

A glacier retreats and exposes bare rock. What will occur next?

a. Grasses will begin growing out of the rock.

b. A forest will grow in the area.

c. A pioneer species, lichen will begin growning, turning rock into soil.

d. The rock will be covered by another glacier.

c. A pioneer species, lichen will grow, turning rock into soil.

This is an example of primary succession.

Which type of organism is found at the top of an energy pyramid representing an ecosystem?

a. Consumer

b. Decomposer

c. Prey

d. Producer

a. Consumer

Producers have the most energy in a food chain.

The tertiary consumers, at the top, get the least amount of energy from the food they consume.

According to this food web, which of the following animals would be a tertiary consumer in this ecosystem?

a. Mountain lion

b. Turtle

c. Sunfish

d. Raccoon

a. Mountain lion

The mountain lion is the tertiary consumer in this food web because it is not eaten by any other organism.

Which adaptation would be most important for plants living in a desert biome?

a. Cold-blooded

b. Nocturnal (active at night)

c. Less fur/ability to shed fur

d. Survive with little water

The other answer choices could be adaptations for desert animals.

According to the food web above, which producer gives its energy to the greatest number of primary consumers?

a. Egret

b. Shrub

c. Sunfish

d. Algae

d. Algae

Algae is a producer because it can “produce” its own food through photosynthesis.

According to the food web above, what type of organism is the sunfish?

a. Producer

b. Primary consumer

c. Secondary consumer

d. Tertiary

c. Secondary Consumer

The sunfish a secondary consumer because it eats both plants and animals AND it can still be eaten.

The role of a pioneer species in primary succession is to change a bare habitat into one that is suitable for other organisms. A species that is responsible for primary succession in an ecosystem is MOST likely able to —

A. survive any predator B. migrate during the winter C. live at high altitudes D. carry out photosynthesis

d. carry out photosynthesis

The lichen must

be able to produce their own

food through photosynthesis.

In the food web shown above, which organism’s food supply would be least affected by a spray that kills large numbers of aphids?

a.Tomatoes c. Lady beetlesb.Lacewings D. Spiders

Tomatoes

Lady Beetle

Aphids

Lacewings

Spiders

a. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are producers and they make their own food, so their food supply would not be affected by spraying pesticides.

Which of the following sequences MOST likely represents ecological succession on a recently abandoned wheat field?

A. grasses   flowering plants  shrubs  native trees B. native trees  shrubs  flowering plants  grasses

C. shrubs  grasses  native trees  flowering plants  D. flowering plants  native trees  shrubs  grasses

A. grasses   flowering plants  shrubs  native trees

Usually simple plants like

grasses grow first in

succession. This would

be secondary

succession since soil

is already present.

Which of these types of environments is

MOST LIKELY to experience the arrival

of pioneer species, lichen?

A. An old growth forest

B. An undisturbed prairie

C. An established mountain lake

D. A newly formed volcanic island

d. A newly formed volcanic island

When lava cools, it forms a new layer of rock. A pioneer species would then come into this environment and change this rock into soil.

The arrows in the diagram show

A. that some organisms are more important than others

B. the direction of energy flow through organisms

C. the direction of electrical flow through organisms

D. the sequence of events in feeding relationships

The arrow shows the energy transfer from one organism to the next. Remember that producers have the most potential food energy.

Biome Plant Description

1Absence of trees; plants with thick leaves to withstand strong winds;

extensive root system; seasonal plants

2Nonporous, extremely small or reduced leaves to minimize water loss;

dormant during extreme heat; fewer stomata, extended root systems

3Small, low growing; dark, hairy leaves to absorb heat; grow in clumps for

greater protection from wind and cold; flowers often disk-shaped to collect sun

4Leaves with drip tips, climbing vines, smooth bark; buttress roots; dense

canopy promotes intense plant competition

Refer to the table. Which plants would most likely be found in the rainforest?

A. 1 C. 3B. 2 D. 4

What kind of organism is not shown in the diagram?

A. producer B. consumer C. herbivore D. decomposer The only organism that is

missing is the decomposer.

The figure above shows the same ecosystem in Texas at two different times. Which of the following MOST likely

caused the change of species shown in the figure?A. Development of a parking lot B. Passing through of a glacier C. Preservation of habitat D. Occurrence of forest fire

All of the other answer choices would not cause succession in this area.

Which natural event would be most likely to cause succession in a grassy field?

a. All the soil remains wet for several days after a heavy rain.

b. Most of the grass is blown flat by a strong wind.

c. Many grass plants die after a long period of no rainfall.

d. The grass leaves are injured by a frost.

c. Many grass plants die after a long period of no rainfall.

When the grasses die this

allows other plants to

enter the ecosystem.

This a form of

succession.

Biome Plant Description

1Absence of trees; plants with think leaves to withstand strong winds;

extensive root system; seasonal plants

2Nonporous, extremely small or reduced leaves to minimize water loss;

dormant during extreme temperature; fewer stomata, extended root systems

3Small, low growing; dark, hairy leaves to absorb heat; grow in clumps for

greater protection from wind and cold; flowers often disk-shaped to collect sun

4Leaves with drip tips, climbing vines, smooth bark; buttress roots; dense

canopy promotes intense plant competition

Refer to the table. Which plants would more adapted for a tundra?

A. 1 C. 3B. 2 D. 4

Which of these situations is MOST LIKELY to result in the establishment of pioneer species in an ecosystem?

A. Seasonal flooding of a wetland

B. Harvesting of a wheat field

C. Devastating fire in a forest

D. None of the above

None of the answer choices would cause a pioneer species to enter that area. In all the answer choices, soil would be already present.

A. Seasonal flooding of a wetland

B. Harvesting of a wheat field C. Devastating fire in a forest

1. Which consumers have the most varied diet?

2. List the primary consumers (3)

3. What would happen if there

was a decline in the frog

population?

4. What would happen if there

was an increase in the deer

population?