Science Benchmark Flashcards
Give three examples of predator → prey relationships
There are hawks that eat mice, fish that eat crawfish, and snakes that eat eggs.
Give one example of a food chain with at least four links. Make sure you show how the energy is flowing through it by using arrows.
Sun -> leaves-> caterpillars -> beetles ->frogs -> snakes
Explain how a food web is different from a food chain.
There are lots of different food chains in one food web.
Explain what happens when one organism in an ecosystem disappears. How does it affect the organisms that depended on it and how it affects the organisms it depended on?
If an animal disappears, the predators that ate that organism will starve. The animals that ate that predator would starve as well. For the animals that the organism depended on, they would overpopulate. Eventually there would be too much of that organism, and they would slowly run out of food. That animal would eventually starve as well.
Explain how a carnivore is dependent on plants, using your own words and making sure to include the words ENERGY.
Carnivores get energy from other organisms, and some of the organisms that predators eat are herbivores. They get their energy from plants . This means that the plant’s energy goes through all the animals until it gets to the carnivore.
What is a producer? How does it get its energy? Give at least two examples.
A producer is a plant, and they get their energy from sunlight. They make food out of carbon dioxide and water. Two examples of producers are grass and phytoplankton.
What is a consumer? How does it get its energy? Give at least two examples.
A consumer is an organism that eats producers or other consumers. They get their energy from animals and/or plants. Some examples of producers are cows and hawks.
What are decomposers? Think about what they do, air, how they get their energy, examples of decomposers.
Decomposers are a group of organisms that break down waste and plant and animal matter. They let out carbon dioxide when they break down these things. They get their energy from dead plant and animal matter as well as their waste. Some examples of decomposers are mushrooms, bacteria, mold, and earthworms.
How does a lack of decomposers affect an ecosystem?
Waste and dead organisms will start to build up, and there would be nothing to break it down. Plants might not get enough carbon dioxide and may sicken. Other animals will also sicken and possibly die.
What are three things you learned about worms during our Worm Watcher experiment?
I learned that worms plow the soil. Their poop also helps to fertilize plants. Both of these things are good for plants. They also like regular soil more than sand.
Do plants need water, air, and nutrients equally to grow? If no, what do they need more of?
No, plants need more air, so that they can get carbon dioxide from the air.. Plants are made up of ¾ carbon dioxide and ¼ water. They use water and carbon dioxide to make their own food. The sun helps to give them the energy they need to do this. They need some micronutrients from the soil, or they will slowly start to sicken.
Give another example of two living things that depend on one another. Explain their relationship and what each gets from the other
Worms depend on plants for food. The worms eat dead plant roots and leaves. They also depend on the oxygen that the plants release. Plants depend on worms because worms poop out nutrients and plow the soil.
Which organisms were most likely to survive the Cretaceous extinction? Give a reason for each answer.
Small animals, omnivores, hibernating animals, plants, and decomposers are most likely to survive the Cretaceous extinction. Small animals are because they do not have to eat as much as large animals. Omnivores can eat plants and animals that they come by instead of just eating one. Hibernating animals can sleep through all of this and conserve their energy. Decomposers can literally eat all the dead animals and plants that are lying around. Plant seeds could survive in the soil until the soil was fertile enough to grow plants
