Matter Cycles and Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Front

What comes after producers in the energy pyramid?

Back

First-Level Consumers

Front

Why is the cycling of matter important?

Back

Only a limited amount of matter is available so it has to be recycled.

Front

What happens to the number of consumers as they advance to higher energy levels?

Back

As consumers advance to other levels, they get fewer in number.

Front

What is a Food Web?

Back

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

Front

What do you call consumers that eat both plants and animals?

Back

Omnivores

Front

What is the primary source of energy for producers?

Back

The Sun.

Front

What are abiotic factors?

Back

Non-living components of an ecosystem, such as water, sunlight, and minerals.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

They break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients back into the soil.

Front

What is the difference between herbivores and carnivores?

Back

Herbivores eat only plants, while carnivores eat only other animals.