Ecology Test
Where are producers located on the food chain?
At the beginning, because they create their own food.
How is a deer in a forest ecosystem most similar to a rabbit in the same ecosystem?
Both are consumers.
Which best describes the role of a first-level consumer in an ecosystem?
Consumers eat producers and pass the energy along in an ecosystem.
Which best describes how decomposers help support life in an ecosystem?
Decomposers add nutrients to the soil.
How do decomposers recycle materials in nature?
Decomposers break down the tissues of dead organisms.
Which best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
Decomposers get energy by breaking down decaying matter.
Which best describes why decomposers can be called "nature's recyclers"?
Decomposers help to recycle nutrients in the soil.
Some living organisms feed on the remains of dead organisms. Why is this important in nature?
For nature to remain in balance, dead organisms need to be recycled.
Which best describes the role of a tiny plant in a coral reef ecosystem?
It is the start of many coral reef food chains.
An energy pyramid shows that less food and energy is available moving from the bottom to the top. Based on this model, where would producers be located on the energy pyramid?
Level 1
Plants in a forest need to obtain nutrients from the soil to survive. How do MOST of the nutrients get back in the soil once the forest plants have used them for growth?
Organic matter is recycled from dead organisms.
Which statement best describes producers?
Producers in both water and land ecosystems are mainly green plants.
Which best explains the function of producers in a forest ecosystem?
Producers provide energy for consumers in the ecosystem.
Which best explains how producers make their own food?
Producers receive energy from the sun and produce sugars for their food.
Which is the most important effect of decomposers recycling dead plants and animals?
The process adds nutrients to soil.
An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment. Why are decomposers an important part of ecosystems?
They break down dead organisms to return nutrients to the soil.
Which best explains how decomposers benefit an ecosystem?
They break down dead organisms within the food chain.
Living organisms have a role in weathering and erosion in the ecosystem. Which statement describes the role of bacteria and fungi?
They decompose organic matter in the soil.
In which way are decomposers a benefit to the environment?
They make soil more fertile by breaking down dead plants and animals.
Which best explains why producers are an important part of an ecosystem?
They pass the Sun's energy on to other organisms.
Which best describes the producers of an ecosystem?
They provide food to herbivores.
Which best describes the role of both mushrooms and worms in an ecosystem?
They provide nutrients for the soil.
Which best explains why producers are at the beginning of all food chains?
They transfer energy from the sun into food.
Which will most likely cause a decrease in predator populations?
a decrease in prey populations
Which is an example of a decomposer?
a mushroom
Which best describes a producer?
a plant that makes its own food
A crow eats the remains of a dead animal. What type of consumer does this prove the crow to be?
a scavenger
Which is a producer?
a tree
Which organism receives its energy from the sun?
a tree
Which organism provides oxygen and food in an ecosystem?
algae
In a forest ecosystem, which would be most helpful in speeding up the rate of decomposition?
an increase in temperature
Which will most likely increase the rate of decomposition of dead plants and animals?
an increase in the amount of moisture in the air
Which describes a decomposer?
an organism that breaks down dead matter
Which describes a consumer?
an organism that cannot produce its own food
Which is most responsible for recycling dead plants and animals in an ecosystem?
bacteria
Which organism plays an important role in recycling nutrients back into the environment?
bacteria
Which group lists only decomposers?
bacteria, earthworms, and fungi
Tyler is classifying organisms according to their source of energy. Based on the food chain below, which organism would be considered a carnivore?
bird
Which of these organisms is considered a consumer?
bird
Decomposers are important to the flow of energy in an ecosystem because they
break organic material into parts that can be reused.
In a food web, how are consumers most often described?
by the food they eat
How are consumers generally classified?
by the type of food they eat
Which describes a consumer in a pond ecosystem?
catfish
What best describes the roles of the organisms listed below in order from left to right?
consumer, producer, consumer
Which group of organisms eats other living things in order to survive?
consumers
Which would decomposers most likely feed on in a wetland?
dead plants and amphibians
Which best describes the role of the mushroom in the ecosystem?
decomposer
Which is least likely to be classified as a consumer?
decomposer
An organism that breaks down dead plants and animals, returning matter back into the soil, is called a
decomposer.
Bacteria are released into the Gulf of Mexico to help clean up an oil spill. What role do the bacteria serve in the marine ecosystem?
decomposers
What type of organisms are responsible for recycling the remains of a dead plant or animal to the soil?
decomposers
Which organisms use energy to make nutrients for plants?
decomposers
Which type of organisms change dead material into nutrients for other animals to use?
decomposers
Which group of organisms are consumers?
deer, rabbit, and squirrel
Which group includes only decomposers?
fungi, bacteria, and worms
Which organism is a producer?
grass
A food web includes grass, grasshoppers, moss, and mushrooms. Which is identified as a consumer?
grasshopper
Which type of organism eats only plants?
herbivore
Meadow voles are small mouse-like animals that eat plants and insects. Their niche in an ecosystem is a
herbivore.
Which best describes animals that eat only plants?
herbivores
Which organism is best classified as a consumer?
human
Where do decomposers work the fastest to recycle organic material?
in the rainforest
Which organism is a consumer?
ladybug
In the food web, which organisms are producers?
leaves and berries
The main function of a producer in an ecosystem is to
make sugar through photosynthesis.
Which is an example of a decomposer?
mushroom
Which organism is a decomposer?
mushroom
A brown bear eats a variety of foods including berries, insects, and small animals. Which BEST describes a brown bear?
omnivore
In a forest ecosystem, which has the most direct access to the main energy source?
producer
Which gets all of its energy from the sun?
producer
Which is the first organism in a food chain?
producer
In which category are all living things most directly dependent upon the sun for energy?
producers
Which best describes grasses, shrubs, and trees?
producers
Which group of organisms make up the largest part of a food chain?
producers
Which organisms directly use light energy from the sun to obtain food?
producers
Which organisms would be affected first if the amount of light were reduced in an ecosystem?
producers
Which type of organism converts energy from the sun into organic material?
producers
Which is a consumer that only eats producers?
rabbit
Decaying plants and animals are important to an ecosystem because they
return nutrients to the soil.
Which organism is a producer?
sunflower
In a food chain, the sun provides energy for an apple tree to grow. A deer eats an apple from the tree. Which is a consumer?
the deer
Which best describes the role of producers in a wetland ecosystem?
to provide energy and oxygen
In the food web below, which is an example of a producer?
tree
Which is a group of producers that could be found in a forest?
trees, grasses, and vines
What is needed for plants to produce sugar?
water, sunlight, carbon dioxide
Which animals recycle food waste and turn it into nutrients for the soil?
worms
