Balance in Nature Worksheet
Explore the intricate balance of ecosystems, food webs, and the impact of human activities on natural environments.
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Balance in Nature
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Show your work where applicable.
1. Which of the following best describes an ecosystem?
A group of animals living in the same area.
All the living organisms and non-living components in an area interacting with each other.
Only the plants in a specific habitat.
The study of rocks and minerals.
2. What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
To produce their own food.
To consume other organisms.
To break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil.
To provide shelter for other animals.
3. A shows how energy flows through an ecosystem, illustrating who eats whom.
4. Organisms that produce their own food, like plants, are called .
5. The variety of life in an ecosystem is known as .
6. All ecosystems are static and never change over time.
True
False
7. The introduction of an invasive species can disrupt the balance of a native ecosystem.
True
False
8. Observe the food web below. Identify one producer and one tertiary consumer.
Producer:
Tertiary Consumer:
9. Explain how human activities, such as pollution, can negatively impact the balance of an ecosystem.
Match each term on the left with its definition on the right.
10. Producer
a. An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.
11. Consumer
b. An organism that breaks down dead organic matter.
12. Decomposer
c. An organism that produces its own food.
13. Describe the concept of carrying capacity in an ecosystem and provide an example of how it can be affected by environmental changes.