IQWST Unit 3 - Where Have All the Creatures Gone? End of Module

Which statements below best describes why you need food?  Select all that apply.

• to help brain function

• to have strong bones and muscles

• to have a lot of energy so I can do activities 

• to change my eye color

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A very hot summer in the forest caused the spider population to decrease greatly.  What is likely to happen to the population of grasshoppers?

• The grasshopper population will decrease.

• The grasshopper population will increase.

• The grasshopper population will stay the same.

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Why are producers typically found at the beginning of a food chain?

• Producers do not rely on other organisms for food.

• There are always more consumers than producers in food chains.

• Consumers are always more complex organisms than producers.

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An invading fungus develops in the forest and kills many of the green plants.  Which of the following populations will be directly or indirectly affected by the invader?

• owl population

• beetle, grasshopper, and snail populations

• shrew, spider, and wood mouse populations

• all of the above

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In a healthy ecosystem, biotic and abiotic elements interact in a way that keeps the ecosystem stable. That means life goes on in the ecosystem as usual. Sometimes though, an abiotic factor, like a pollutant, enters an ecosystem. At first, a pollutant may not harm the organisms, but as it builds up, it begins to have an effect on them. This happens because of a process called bioaccumulation.

Bioaccumulation is the term scientists use when they talk about how some pollutants enter and build up, or accumulate, through an organism at the beginning of a food chain. The pollutant becomes even more dangerous as it is passed through the food chain from prey to predator.

Look at the example to the right -->

In this example, imagine that the plants have taken in a harmful pollutant from the water. One insect will eat from many plants that contain the pollutant. The amount of the pollutant from each plant will now go to the insect. As a result, there is a greater amount of pollutant in the predator than there was in the prey. One toad eats many insects. One snake eats many toads. Finally, one hawk eats many snakes. The hawk will have the most pollutants in its body because it will have ingested small amounts from many snakes. The snake got it from the toads, which got it from the insects that ate a lot of polluted plants. Although there may be only a small amount of a pollutant in each plant, it can build up to a much greater level in a hawk.

In the food chain example, which organism is going to have the least amount of pollutants?

• toad

• hawk

• plant

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Which of the following statements is true about the food web? Select all that apply.

• Beetles eat shrews.

• Beetles eat grasshoppers.

• Shrews eat beetles.

• Wood mice eat spiders.

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In some parts of the world, overfishing is a problem.  Overfishing happens when people remove a type of fish from the ocean faster than the fish can reproduce.  The population of that type of fish decreases.  Click to open and analyze the food web.  

How is human overfishing of the fish in the center of the model likely to affect the penguin, elephant seal, and zooplankton populations?

Use the text and food web to develop a claim that answers the question. [Use a complete sentence.]

Use the text and food web to provide sufficient evidence to support your claim. [Use complete sentences.]

Use the text and food web to provide reasoning for how the evidence supports your claim. [Use complete sentences.]

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Click to open and use the images of the bird's claw and beak to answer the question.

Based on the structure of the bird's claw and beak, what is this bird most likely to eat?

• nectar from inside the flower

• small seeds

• small mammals, snakes, and fish

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Which example describes a plant with a specialized structure that most directly helps it reproduce?

• Maple leaves are large and flat. This improves a maple tree's ability to absorb sunlight.

• Cacti store water in their tissues. This improves a cactus plant's ability to survive in a desert.

• Milkweed seeds are feathery. This improves the seeds' chances of being carried by the wind.

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What is the primary (number 1) source of energy in the habitat in the picture?

Click on it to make it bigger.

• energy from minerals in the soil

• fossil fuels

• solar energy

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