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25 questions
What is the role of a decomposer in an ecosystem?
capture the energy of sunlight for plants to make food
produce oxygen for plants and animals
break down dead organisms and their wastes
transport nutrients and other materials among organisms
Which organisms are examples of decomposers?
rabbits
lions
fungi
trees
Bacteria have no way to store excess food, so in order to stay active, they
store excess food as sugar like animals do.
stay close to fungi and get energy from them.
remain in sunny areas so they can make their own food.
live in places where they can be surrounded by food sources.
When a decomposer dies, its once-living material becomes waste. These wastes are
then
converted into energy that can be used.
transformed into bacteria that fungi can eat.
further decomposed by producers and consumers.
released into the air, soil, and water of an ecosystem.
Compost takes advantage of natural processes to
increase the temperature on Earth.
help return matter to their ecosystem.
provide animals with clean drinking water.
release harmful metals into the environment.
While hiking through a nearby forest, you find some fungi growing on a tree stump.
What role does the fungi play in this forest ecosystem?
It breaks down dead tree matter.
It eats living organisms and their wastes.
It uses sunlight to produce energy for the tree.
It produces oxygen that other forest organisms use to survive.
You build a compost pile using kitchen waste like egg shells and banana peels. Three
weeks later, you check your compost. Which of the following observations is the BEST
evidence of decomposition?
There was no color change.
There was no change in smell.
The kitchen scraps became smaller over time.
The kitchen scraps and the container became cold in temperature.
While on a safari in South Africa, you see some vultures pulling meat off the bones of a
large, dead mammal. Which of the following observations accurately describes how
vultures are different from fungi?
Vultures produce juices to digest dead material.
Vultures break down tiny food pieces into soil.
Fungi leave behind waste while breaking down food.
Vultures break down large food pieces into small food pieces.
These fallen apples will decompose and some substances from the decomposing apples
will return to the apple trees. Which of the following decomposer wastes can apple trees
in this forest use again?
oxygen released into the water
carbon dioxide released into the air
methane released into the air
nutrients released into the water
You are studying the difference between fungal growth and bacterial growth over time.
When the experiment is over, you remove the source of food for the fungi and bacteria.
You discover that the fungus survives much longer than the bacteria after their food is
gone.
Which of the following BEST explains these results?
Fungi go dormant to survive longer.
Fungi can produce energy from sunlight.
Fungi do not need food matter to live and grow.
Fungi can store excess food for long-term survival.
At which moisture level did the most mold grow after one week?
0 mL
4 mL
12 mL
16 mL
Which of the following describes the relationship between moisture and mold growth in
your study?
Moisture is not required for mold growth.
Moisture slows down the rate of mold growth.
Moisture speeds up the rate of mold growth.
Moisture level is directly related to the amount of mold.
Decomposers need resources in order to grow and give off waste products. Which of the
following is another way to measure mold growth each day in this experiment?
Measure the amount of water contained in the plastic bag.
Measure the amount of sugar contained in the plastic bag.
Measure how much the sealed bags deflate due to oxygen release.
Measure how much the sealed bags expand due to carbon dioxide release.
What are groups of decomposers that are living things but are neither plant nor animal?
Fungi
Bacteria
Lilly Pads
Dirt Worms
Why to of decomposer is an organism that is too small to be seen with out a microscope?
Fungus
Mold
Bacteria
Vulture
How do fungi digest food?
They consume the dead material and break down the materials with the digestive juices in its stomach.
They release digestive juices into the dead material they are growing in and the dead material is broken down into simple materials to be absorbed.
They wait for other decomposers, such as earth worms, to start the decomposition process and once the dead material is broken down enough, they absorb the simple materials that they need.
They don't digest food.
What happens with the broken down matter, made by the fungi's digestive juices, that the fungi does not absorb?
It enters into other fungi.
The bacteria consume the left over broken down matter.
Fungi will eventually absorb the rest once they are down processing what they have already absorbed.
It enters into the soil and the air, becoming a nonliving part of the ecosystem.
What is a group of small fungi that get energy by breaking down food.
Spores
FBF (food breaking fungi)
Mold
Zygomycota
What does it mean if an organism is "dormant"
That is not growing but it is still developing.
It is neither growing nor developing but is still alive.
It has died and is waiting to be decomposed
It is no longer developing but is still getting larger.
What is a harmful gas that some bacteria release when they break down dead material?
Methane
Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen
Propane
What things should be added to a compost pile?
plants and any animal matter
only plants
only animal matter
plants and some animal matter
What is an example of something that should not be added to a compost pile?
meat scraps
egg shells
coffee grounds
vegetable peels
What type of environment do fungi, bacteria, & worm most likely to live in?
hot and dry
cold and moist
hot and moist
cold and dry
Why is a decomposer's waste important to plants ?
It gives them the carbon dioxide that they need.
It has nutrients that plants need.
It gives the plants the methane that they need.
It gives them the water that they need.
True or False: Compost is a mixture of soil and decaying matter that provides the materials that plants need.
True
False
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