Ecological Relationships

When handling cat litter, humans can potentially be exposed to a harmful single-celled protozoan. Its primary host is the common domestic cat, but it can also live in humans. This protozoan is an example of a

• predator

• producer

• parasite

• scavenger

Which group of organisms in an ecosystem fills the niche of recycling organic matter back to the environment?

• carnivores

• decomposers

• producers

• predators

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The diagram represents a pond ecosystem.

Energy in this ecosystem passes directly from the Sun to

• herbivores

• consumers

• heterotrophs

• autotrophs

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Dodder plants consist of tangled masses of yellow, leafless vines and contain few chloroplasts. The vines twist around and grow into the stems of other plants and absorb water and nutrients from them. Which statement best describes this relationship?

• Dodder plants are parasitic, relying on host organisms for resources.

• Dodder plants are decomposers, returning organic material back to the environment.

• Dodder plants are producers, while the other plants that they attach to are consumers.

• Dodder plants are consumers, transferring energy to other plants in the ecosystem.

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Many bacteria and fungi are important in the environment because they

• return energy to the environment, making it available for plants

• recycle nutrients, making them available for other organisms

• produce glucose through the process of respiration

• reverse the flow of energy in the ecosystem

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The diagram shows the relationship between the snowshoe hare and the lynx. The snowshoe hare is prey of the lynx.

The populations of the two species increase and decrease based on the numbers of each species present. This relationship is an example of

• ecological succession

• an energy pyramid

• interdependency

• competition

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Rabbit populations vary in size over time. An increase in which factor would likely prevent the rabbit population from steadily increasing?

• food

• mates

• predators

• prey

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Ringworm is a skin infection common among school-aged children. Although the name suggests that a worm causes the disease, it is actually caused by a fungus that lives and feeds on the dead outer layer of the skin. The relationship between ringworm and humans can be described as

• predator/prey

• predator/host

• parasite/prey

• parasite/host

Which row in the chart below correctly pairs a group of organisms with the type of nutrition they carry out?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Fire ants have a powerful venom that is deadly to the small animals they eat. The deadly venom has reduced the populations of birds who build nests on the ground.

The relationship between fire ants and ground nesting birds is an example of

• producer/consumer

• predator/prey

• scavenger/decomposer

• parasite/host