Ecosystems Review

The picture shows a food web in the mountains of Georgia. Which best describes the organisms that would recycle decaying matter back into the mountain ecosystem?

• The mushrooms because they are decomposers and break down matter to return to the ecosystem.

• The Sun because it provides all the energy required for the organisms to return matter to the ecosystem.

• The deer because they are consumers and break down the matter from producers to return to the ecosystem.

• The berries and flowers because they are producers and are broken down for multiple consumers in the ecosystem.

Matter cycles between the air, soil, and living organisms in an ecosystem. For an ecosystem to be healthy, all of the organisms must be able to meet their needs. Plants need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food. Plants also use nutrients in the soil to help them grow. Animals eat plants or other animals to help them grow. They release solid waste into the ecosystem and add carbon dioxide to the air when they breathe out. When an organism dies, decomposers break down the dead material in the ecosystem. The model shows a simple ecosystem. Which TWO examples describe the cycling of matter between an organism and the ecosystem?

• A herbivore and an omnivore compete for producers.

• An omnivore eats a producer before it is consumed by a carnivore.

• A decomposer breaks down materials and returns them to the soil.

• A producer uses carbon dioxide from the air to make its own food.

• An herbivore receives energy when it consumes a producer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which type of organisms get their energy directly from the Sun?

• Producers

• Decomposers

• First-level consumers

• Second-level consumers

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What do decomposers do in the ecosystem?

• Decomposers return matter back to the ecosystem.

• Decomposers provide food for plants.

• Decomposers absorb carbon dioxide waste.

• Decomposers create new matter for the ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Look at the energy pyramid. Energy in this environment flows from:

• the herring to the mackerel to the sharks.

• the sharks to the small crustaceans to the mackerel.

• the phytoplankton to the sharks to the small crustaceans.

• the herring to the small crustaceans to the phytoplankton.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Based on the diagram, the diving beetle gets energy from the tadpole. The tadpole gets energy from a

• producer, such as a great pond snail.

• consumer, such as a water beetle.

• producer, such as plant plankton.

• consumer, such as a minnow.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is missing from the following food chain? Sun → green plants → [?] → carnivore

• decomposer

• herbivore

• producer

• parasite

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which model BEST shows the flow of energy in a food chain?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following are some of the organisms that might live in a forest ecosystem?

• Lions, Tigers, and Bears

• Fish, Dolphins, and Whales

• Penguins, Seals, and Polar Bears

• Camels, Scorpions, and Cacti

What do the arrows in the model show?

• The arrows show the organisms losing energy in the ecosystem.

• The arrows show the movement of organisms living in the forest.

• The arrows show the movement of matter in the ecosystem.

• The arrows show the organisms competing for food in the ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3