Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

What is the primary role of decomposers in a food web?

To recycle energy and materials from dead producers and consumers.

Which organisms are consumers in this food chain? (slug, etc.)

slug, frog and heron bird.

Why would there be fewer herons in the ecosystem than slugs?

so much energy is lost at each level of the food chain; therefore less energy is available to support larger consumers.

How do producers and consumers differ from each other?

Consumers eat only animals, and producers eat only plants.

Describe the role of a decomposer in a food web.

Decomposers break down matter so plants can use it.

Fungi are decomposers in this ecosystem. Where do they fit into the food chain? Explain.

Decomposers fit in every level of the food chain because they break down the remains of dead organisms at each level.

Different grasses are observed in a microhabitat in a schoolyard. Why is grass and essential part of a healthy ecosystem?

It is a producer that is a necessary part of the diet of most consumers.

Based on the carbon cycle, hypothesize how the combustion of fossil fuels affects the amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean. Justify this hypothesis.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean will increase as the combustion of fossil fuels increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Justification - Fossil fuels contain carbon that is stored from ancient organisms. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As more fossil fuels are burned, more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

A slug, frog, heron bird, and grass plant are all part of the same food chain. Through which process does energy get into the food chain?

The energy comes from the sun and is stored in food through the process of photosynthesis in plants.