Ecosystems Study Guide

Transcription

1 Ecosystems Study Guide The end-of-unit test for Ecosystems will be given over the following two days:. Please study for this test using the study guide and any notes/vocabulary you may have collected over the unit! Crickets 1. What are the antennae of a cricket used for? taste, smell, and feel 2. What are the legs of a cricket used for? movement 3. What groups do the crickets belong to? a. Terrestrial animals (land-living animals), b. Insects (animals with three main body parts and six legs), c. Consumers (consumes other living things-does not make its own food). 4. What are the stages of growth for a cricket? egg --- nymph -- adult Isopods 5. What are the legs of an isopod used for? motion 6. What groups does an isopod belong to?

2 a. Terrestrial animals (land-living animals), b. Scavengers (animals that eat dead and decaying plant and animal matter). 7. What is an exoskeleton? An exoskeleton is the hard outer structure, like a skeleton, that is worn on the outside of an organism. Most insects have an exoskeleton, as well as isopods. The crickets and the isopods in our ecosystems wear an exoskeleton. Most insects have an exoskeleton. An isopod s exoskeleton provides support and protection. 8. What is molting? Molting is when an insect or an isopod sheds its exoskeleton. 9. Animals often adapt to their environment. Animals may have physical adaptations (body structures) that help them find food, defend themselves, or reproduce. They may also have behavioral adaptations which is how they behave in order to survive. What are two adaptations of an isopod? Exoskeleton for support and protection (physical body structure) Curling up in a ball for protection (behavioral way they act) Mosquito Fish

3 10. Where do mosquito fish get their energy? From the plants they consume. Are they consumers or producers? Producers 11. What are two adaptations of a mosquito fish? Large round eyes to help see predators (physical) Protective scales that overlap like roof tiles (physical) Snails 12. What is an adaptation of a snail? A hard shell that protects the soft body (physical) 13. The snail is a scavenger (animal that eats dead and decaying plant and animal matter). General 14. What is a scavenger? A scavenger is an animal that eats dead and decaying plant and animal matter. 15. What animals from our ecosystems are scavengers? Isopods and the snails. 16. What is producer?

4 A producer is an organism that produces their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Plants are producers. 17. What is consumer? A consumer is a organism that eats, or consumes, other organisms for food or energy. Plants 18. What are the stages of growth for an elodea or hornwort seed? For most plants, in general? seed --- germination -- plant 19. Where do plants get their energy from? The sun 20. What is photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to convert the sun s energy, water, and carbon dioxide into their own food or starch. 21. Plants are. (producers or consumers).

5 22. Plants are natural food sources for what in our ecosystems? Mosquito fish and crickets and snails 23. Plants are also natural food sources for people. True or False? 24. Terrarium plants and aquarium plants are dependent on what three things to survive? water and light and air Ecosystems 25. What materials (non-living things) did we use to create our ecosystems? Water, soil, rocks and gravel, plastic bottles 26. What living things helped other organisms survive in your ecosystem? plants 27. Why did we use gravel in the aquarium? To help anchor the plants and to filter the water

6 28. What are some other types of ecosystems? A puddle, a garden, a farm or ranch, trees, forests, deserts, the Earth, etc. 29. What living things did we use in creating our aquarium? Plants and animals 30. What materials did we use to create our terrarium? Soil, gravel and rocks, water, plastic container, seeds for plants, leaf matter and small twigs, 31. If you wanted to build a terrarium on your own, what resources could you use to find information to help you? Books, magazines, websites, librarians, pet shop owners, parents and teacher, etc. Pollutants

7 32. What are pollutants? Anything that can harm living organisms in an ecosystem when too much of it is released into an ecosystem. 33. What are three pollutants you learned about? Acid rain and salt and fertilizer 34. Which of these pollutants come from the earth? Salt 35. What are some negative effects of using salt in the wintertime? It covers the bark of trees and soaks down into the roots. It burns the tops of tender new plants that animals, such as rabbits and woodchucks depend on. It soaks down into the groundwater system and can harm the plants and animals living there.

8 36. What causes acid rain? Acid rain is caused by burning fossil fuels in our homes, cars, and factories. This causes chemicals to be released into the air which can be harmful to the environment. 37. What is an algae bloom and what causes it? An algae bloom is when algae reproduces rapidly when overfed. Excess fertilizer that is washed into the water can cause the plants to be over-fed. Water Supply 38. What are sources of drinking water in Michigan? The Great Lakes and groundwater (water under the ground) 39. Where do we get our drinking water from in South Lyon? Groundwater 40. What are some common public uses of water? Swimming, boating, etc (recreation) Farming (irrigation) Drinking water Generation of electricity (hydropower)

9 41. What are some ways we use water in our homes? Drinking, bathing, washing clothes, watering plants, preparing food, etc. Conservation/Resources 42. Why did we use plastic 2-liter bottles in our classroom ecosystem? Because it wouldn t break like a glass container might. 43. What does conserve mean? Conserve means to use less of something. 44. What does recycle mean? Recycle means to reuse something.

10 45. You and your friend were talking on the playground about your classmate s pollution poster/presentation on salt as a pollutant of ecosystems. Do you think the road crews should use salt or a more costly alternative? Why? Make sure to support your argument with three supporting reasons. I think the road crews should use a more costly alternative. I think this because in the article we read, When Salt Isn t Safe, it says salt coats the bark of tress and soaks down into their roots. This may harm the trees and trees are an important part of our ecosystems. Secondly, in the article it says salt covers plants that roadside animals, such as rabbits and woodchucks depend on for food and shelter. This is bad because the rabbits and woodchucks are important parts of the food chain serving as food for the foxes and coyotes. Lastly, in the article is says the salt can also enter bodies of water like streams and lakes and harm the plants and animals there as well. This could also disrupt the water ecosystems. Even though it is important for people in their cars to be safe, I think road crews should look to find ways to use less harmful products, even if they cost more. Maybe they could start a new recycling program to help raise money for the additional cost!