UNIT Ecology

Name: ____________________________

Date: _______________________

Per: ____

Works he e t: Food Cha in Inte ra c tions

1. Label each member of the following food chain as consumer (primary, secondary or tertiary),
producer or decomposer.
a.

c.

d.

b.
2. In a small meadow, producers and consumers make up 1 food chain as shown in the picture above.
If the meadow flower is killed by herbicide spraying, what changes might be expected in the other
meadow species mentioned?

Abiotic c he mic a ls
(CO2, O2, Nitroge n
mine ra ls )

3. Although consumers play a very

critical role in any ecosystem,
a vital part of an ecosystem is
the stability of its
____________________________

DECOMPOS ERS
(ba c te ria , fungi)

PRODUCERS
(pla nts , tre e s ,
a lga e )

and __________________________.
Cons ume rs
(he rbivore s ,
c a rnivore s )

4. All living organisms are composed of elements stored within our cells. When organisms die- all elements
will eventually be returned to the soil to be used by other organisms. The organisms which carry out the
process of breaking down dead organisms are called __________________________________________.
Minerals & Nutrients

5. In the cycle of energy to the right,

what are the most important decomposers responsible for

Plants

removing and breaking down dead animals?

Animals
_____________________ & _____________________

A Food
We b
Bacteria & Fungi

6. According to the picture to the left, the food

web can best be described as a model of the
feeding relationships between many different
___________________________ and
___________________________.

UNIT Ecology
Name: ____________________________

Date: _______________________

Per: ____

Worksheet: Understanding the Energy Pyramid

1. Label each level as consumer or producer. Label each consumer from the most (4) to
least (1) energy.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

2. Name 3 examples of species that would be found at the top of an energy pyramid?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
True or False
3. An energy pyramid is a model that shows the amount of available energy available at each feeding
level of an ecosystem. ____________
4. As you go up the pyramid the amount of energy increases. ____________
5. As you go up the pyramid the amount of energy stays the same. ____________

6. An organism at each trophic level stores only 10% of the energy available. Of the remaining energy,
some is used for the organism's life processes, the rest is ___________________ ______
__________.