All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Find the missing step in this model: plant dies → → nutrients in soil → new plant grows.
Answer: Decomposers break down the dead plant. Decomposition is the crucial recycling step.
Flashcard 2: Which model statement shows recycling of matter: “matter disappears” or “matter changes form”?
Answer: Matter changes form. Conservation of matter: it transforms but never vanishes.
Flashcard 3: What is compost, and which organisms make it by decomposition?
Answer: Decomposed organic matter made mainly by bacteria and fungi. Compost is nutrient-rich material created through decomposition.
Flashcard 4: Which model arrow is correct: decomposers → nutrients or nutrients → decomposers?
Answer: Decomposers → nutrients. Decomposers release nutrients, not the other way around.
Flashcard 5: Identify the missing step in this model: dead leaves → decomposers → → plant growth.
Answer: Nutrients returned to the soil. Decomposition releases nutrients that plants can absorb.
Flashcard 6: Which option best describes matter in ecosystems: it is recycled or it disappears?
Answer: Matter is recycled. Unlike energy, matter cycles continuously through ecosystems.
Flashcard 7: What are nutrients in soil that decomposers help release back into the ecosystem?
Answer: Minerals and other usable substances needed for growth. These essential elements are recycled through decomposition.
Flashcard 8: What is the correct term for the dead plant and animal material that decomposers break down?
Answer: Detritus. This term refers to all dead organic matter in an ecosystem.
Flashcard 9: What type of matter do decomposers break down: living tissue or dead organisms and waste?
Answer: Dead organisms and waste. Decomposers only process non-living organic material.
Flashcard 10: Which two major groups of organisms are the most common decomposers?
Answer: Bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms are the primary decomposers in most ecosystems.
Flashcard 11: Which statement matches a correct model: decomposers recycle matter or decomposers create new matter?
Answer: Decomposers recycle matter. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only recycled.
Flashcard 12: Identify the correct label for decomposers in a model: producers, consumers, or recyclers of matter.
Answer: Recyclers of matter. This label emphasizes their role in nutrient cycling.
Flashcard 13: Which option best completes this model: animal dies → decomposers → nutrients → ?
Answer: Producers absorb nutrients and grow. Plants use the recycled nutrients to build new tissues.
Flashcard 14: What is the immediate product of decomposition that helps plants grow again?
Answer: Simple nutrients released into soil or water. These dissolved nutrients can be absorbed by plant roots.
Flashcard 15: Identify the correct sequence in a simple matter cycle model using these terms: producer, consumer, decomposer, nutrients.
Answer: Nutrients → producer → consumer → decomposer → nutrients. This shows the complete cycle of matter through an ecosystem.
Flashcard 16: In a food web model, what is the main source of energy for decomposers?
Answer: Chemical energy stored in dead organisms and wastes. Decomposers obtain energy by breaking down organic matter.
Flashcard 17: What happens to nutrients in a forest if decomposers are removed from the model?
Answer: Nutrients stay locked in dead matter and become less available to plants. Without decomposition, nutrients remain unavailable.
Flashcard 18: Which option is an example of a decomposer: mushroom, hawk, or grass?
Answer: Mushroom. Fungi like mushrooms are classic decomposers.
Flashcard 19: In a soil model, what change would you predict if decomposition increases?
Answer: More nutrients become available in the soil for plant uptake. Faster decomposition releases nutrients more quickly.
Flashcard 20: Which option is a decomposer: mushroom, hawk, or grass?
Answer: Mushroom. Fungi like mushrooms break down dead organic matter.
Flashcard 21: Which statement best fits a recycling-matter model: matter is destroyed or matter is reused?
Answer: Matter is reused. Matter cycles through ecosystems, never disappearing.
Flashcard 22: What would most likely happen to dead plants if decomposers were absent?
Answer: Dead matter would build up and fewer nutrients would return to the soil. Without recycling, nutrients would remain locked in dead tissue.
Flashcard 23: In a model of a food web, which link shows decomposers receiving matter?
Answer: Dead organisms and wastes → decomposers. All dead material flows to decomposers for recycling.
Flashcard 24: In a matter-cycle model, where do nutrients released by decomposers go first?
Answer: Into the soil or water. Released nutrients enrich the growing environment.
Flashcard 25: Which organism would directly use nutrients released by decomposers: plants or hawks?
Answer: Plants. Plants absorb these nutrients through their roots.
Flashcard 26: What is the correct label for decomposers in a model: producer, consumer, or recycler?
Answer: Recycler. They recycle matter back into the ecosystem.
Flashcard 27: Choose the best model statement: Decomposers return nutrients to the environment as .
Answer: minerals and other simple substances. Complex molecules become basic compounds plants can use.
Flashcard 28: Identify the correct place for decomposers in a simple model: plants → animals → .
Answer: decomposers. They complete the cycle by processing all dead matter.
Flashcard 29: Which process is most closely modeled by decomposers: photosynthesis or decay?
Answer: Decay. Breaking down dead matter is the decay process.
Flashcard 30: What type of matter do decomposers help recycle: nutrients or sunlight energy?
Answer: Nutrients (matter). Matter cycles; energy flows one-way through ecosystems.