Interactions in an Ecosystem
Explore the complex relationships and interactions within ecosystems, including food webs, energy flow, and symbiotic relationships, for Grade 8 Science.
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Interactions in an Ecosystem
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Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. Use complete sentences where appropriate.
1. Which of the following best describes an ecosystem?
All the living organisms in a particular area.
The non-living components of an environment.
All the living and non-living components interacting in a specific area.
A group of different species living together.
2. What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
To produce their own food using sunlight.
To consume other organisms for energy.
To break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil.
To regulate the population sizes of predators.
3. Organisms that produce their own food are called .
4. A relationship where both organisms benefit is known as .
5. The total amount of living matter in an ecosystem is called its .
6. Energy flows in a single direction through an ecosystem, from producers to consumers.
True
False
7. A food chain is a more complex representation of feeding relationships than a food web.
True
False
8. Examine the food web below and answer the questions that follow.
a) Identify one producer in this food web.
b) Identify one primary consumer in this food web.
c) If the population of snakes decreased, what would likely happen to the population of mice?
9. Describe the difference between a food chain and a food web.
10. Explain what would happen to an ecosystem if all the decomposers were removed.