Apex Predators

What role do apex predators play in an ecosystem?

• They are the primary consumers

• They serve as the main decomposers

• They regulate the population of other species, maintaining the balance of the ecosystem

• They regulate the temperature of the ecosystem

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Give an example of an apex predator in an ecosystem food web.

• Water

• Lion

• Sunlight

• Grass

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Explain the role of an apex predator in an ecosystem.

• Apex predators maintain the balance of populations in the ecosystem by controlling the numbers of other species.

• Apex predators reduce the amount of oxygen in the ecosystem.

• Apex predators create new species in the ecosystem.

• Apex predators increase the acidity of the ecosystem.

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Describe how energy flows in an ecosystem, focusing on the role of an apex predator.

• Energy flows from the soil to the air, bypassing apex predators in an ecosystem.

• Energy flows from producers to apex predators through a food chain or food web in an ecosystem.

• Energy flows from the sun to the moon, ignoring the presence of apex predators in an ecosystem.

• Energy flows from consumers to producers, with apex predators disrupting this flow in an ecosystem.

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Which animal is the apex predator in this food web?

• eagle

• mouse

• spider

• snake

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Which animal is the apex predator (no one eats it) in this food web?

• eagle

• mouse

• spider

• snake

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Differentiate between the roles of apex predators and other components in an ecosystem.

• Apex predators are inorganic, while other components are organic.

• Apex predators are always visible, while other components are invisible.

• Apex predators do not interact with other components, while other components do.

• Apex predators regulate population and maintain ecosystem balance, while other components include biotic factors like plants and animals, as well as abiotic factors like sunlight, water, air, and soil.

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How does the presence of an apex predator affect a food web compared to its impact on a food chain?

• In a food web, an apex predator helps maintain species diversity by controlling populations, while in a food chain, it ends the sequence of consumption.

• An apex predator regulates energy flow in a food web, whereas in a food chain, it dictates the nutrient cycle.

• In a food web, an apex predator is part of multiple feeding levels, while in a food chain, it is seen as the final consumer.

• A food web with an apex predator shows complex interactions among organisms, while a food chain with an apex predator highlights a straightforward energy path.

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Define a food chain and provide an example that ends with an apex predator.

• A food chain is a series of restaurants where each restaurant serves a different type of cuisine.

• A food chain is a series of animals where each animal is eaten by the previous one in the chain.

• A food chain is a series of organisms where each organism is eaten by the next one in the chain. An example of a food chain is grass (producer) being eaten by a grasshopper (primary consumer), which is then eaten by a frog (secondary consumer), and finally eaten by a snake (tertiary consumer), which is then eaten by an eagle (apex predator).

• A food chain is a series of grocery stores where each store sells different types of food.

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What is the primary source of energy for an apex predator in most ecosystems?

• The moon

• Geothermal vents

• The sun

• Decomposing organic matter

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