What You Need to Know

Producers (plants) make their own food; consumers eat other organisms; decomposers break down dead matter

In a food web, removing one species can have knock-on effects (trophic cascade) on other species

Biodiversity (the variety of species) makes ecosystems more resilient to change

Human impacts such as habitat loss, invasive species, and pollution threaten ecosystem balance

Key Vocabulary

A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment

The variety of different species of organisms in an area

A chain of effects caused by changes at one level of a food web flowing up or down to other levels

An organism that breaks down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

In a food web, rabbits eat grass and foxes eat rabbits. If the rabbit population crashes due to disease, which immediate effect is most likely?

Fox population increases Fox population decreases due to less food Grass population decreases No effect on other species

Question 2

Which group of organisms returns nutrients to the soil?

Producers Primary consumers Decomposers Apex predators

Question 3

Which human activity has the GREATEST impact on biodiversity loss?

Hiking in national parks Recycling household waste Using solar panels Habitat destruction through land clearing