Name: ______Period: ______

Content Benchmark L.8.C.1

I know how matter and energy are transferred through food webs in an ecosystem.

1. Organisms that are responsible for returning matter back into the environment are the

  1. herbivores.
  2. carnivores.
  3. omnivores.
  4. decomposers.

2. Organisms that only eat plants are called

  1. herbivores.
  2. omnivores.
  3. scavengers.
  4. carnivores.

3. Use the food web below to answer the next question.

In the food web above which organism would be called an omnivore?

  1. Grasshopper
  2. Frog
  3. Mouse
  4. Fungus

4. Use the food web below to answer the next question.

In the food web above which organism would have the largest population?

  1. Eagle
  2. Mouse
  3. Frog
  4. Grasshopper

5. Read the following passage to answer the question that follows.

In an aquatic environment, river turtles eat duck weed, tape grass and sometimes snails. Leeches are found on these turtles but do not kill them. Alligators have been known to eat river turtles.

The best description of the river turtle would be a(n)

  1. decomposer.
  2. herbivore.
  3. carnivore.
  4. omnivore.

6.  Read the following passage to answer the question that follows.

In an aquatic environment, river turtles eat duck weed, tape grass and sometimes snails. Leeches are found on these turtles but do not kill them. Alligators have been known to eat river turtles.

Which type of organism is not present in the passage above?

A. Parasite

B. Decomposer

C. Carnivore

D. Producer

7. Read the following passage to answer the question that follows.

Ducks and snails often eat grass and algae in freshwater ponds. The snails are eaten by mice and ducks. Foxes prefer to eat mice, but will eat a duck if the opportunity arises.

Which food chain below is illustrated in the passage?

A. snails → algae → mice → fox

B. fox → ducks → mice → algae

C. algae → snails → mice → fox

D. ducks → mice → snails → grass

8. Read the following passage to answer the question that follows.

Ducks and snails often eat grass and algae in freshwater ponds. The snails are eaten by mice and ducks. Foxes prefer to eat mice, but will eat a duck if the opportunity arises.

What organisms below would be considered secondary consumers?

A. Algae and snails

B. Ducks and mice

C. Snails and ducks

D. Fox and ducks

9. The primary source for all energy used by animals on our planet is

A. the animals they eat.

B. the plants they eat.

C. sunlight absorbed by animals.

D. sunlight absorbed by plants.

10. While most organisms in nature obtain energy directly or indirectly from the sun, some organisms get energy without directly or indirectly using the sun. An example would be

  1. acting as decomposers.
  2. acting as scavengers.
  3. breaking down chemicals.
  4. using fossil fuels.

11. Which sequence of terms below best illustrates how energy flows from the sun to an animal cell where it is used for cellular work?

A. Sun → Plants → Sugars → Animal cell → ATP

B. Sun → Plants → Food → Animal cell → Sugar

C. Sun → ATP → Plants → Animal cell → Sugar

D. Sun → Sugars → Plants → Animal cell → ATP

12. Organisms that do NOT ultimately use the sun as an energy source are

A. aquatic animals.

B. deep sea bacteria.

C. freshwater algae.

D. earthworms.

13. Plants transform energy from the sun into

A. nuclear energy.

B. solar energy.

C. chemical energy.

D. mechanical energy.

14. In an environment, elements such as carbon are usually

A. converted into nuclear energy.

B. synthesized and remains as fossil fuels.

C. converted into nonrenewable resources.

D. recycled and reused by other organisms.

15. Use the diagram below to answer the next question.

Diagram from Examgen Biology Testbank

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the above diagram?

  1. Carbon dioxide and oxygen are used by producers in the ecosystem.
  2. Living organisms remove and replace oxygen back into the atmosphere.
  3. Consumers generate oxygen and consume carbon dioxide.
  4. Living organisms generate carbon dioxide which is used by other organisms.

16. Which of the following statements about the flow of energy in nature is NOT true?

A. A major portion of the energy from food is used to keep our bodies warm.

B. A large amount of energy in food is needed for bodily functions.

C. Some energy from the food we eat is lost as wastes which are passed from the body.

D. Most of the food energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level.

17. Which of the following is NOT one of the ways energy is lost to other organisms as it passes through a food web?

  1. Cellular respiration
  2. Growth and repair
  3. As heat
  4. As waste material

18. What is the average amount of energy that passes from one feeding level to the next in a food chain?

  1. 10%
  2. 25%
  3. 50%
  4. 100%

19. If the decomposers were removed from an ecosystem, what would most likely occur?

A. Energy from the sun would not be absorbed by plants.

B. Carnivores would have no source of energy.

C. Essential elements would not be available to plants.

D. Herbivores would lose their source of energy and nutrients.

20. Use the food chain below to answer the next question.

Grass → Prairie dog → Rattlesnake → Hawk

What sequence below best represents how much energy is passed from one organism to the next in the food chain above?

A. 100% → 10% → 1% → 0.1%

B. 100% → 50% → 25% → 12.5%

C. 100% → 75% → 50% → 25%

D. 100% → 90% → 80% → 70%


Constructed Response L.8.C.1

Use the passage below to help answer the three questions which follow.

In a grassland habitat, the rabbits, herbivorous insects and field mice eat the grasses. The herbivorous insects are eaten by predaceous insects. The mice eat both types of insects. Both the rabbits and field mice are eaten by snakes in this habitat. Hawks flying in the area eat the rabbits, field mice and the snakes.

  1. Draw a food web showing all of the organisms in this grassland habitat.
  1. Which organism is the primary producer? How does it obtain its energy?
  1. Identify which organism would be the least common and explain why.