Ecosystems, Year 7: more practice

The rabbit

HintIt is the first one in the chain that has to eat to get its energy.

The whyThe primary consumer eats the producer. The fox is the secondary consumer because it eats the primary consumer.

The thrush

HintThe predator is the hunter.

The whyA predator kills and eats other animals. The snail is the thrush's prey.

3

HintThe arrows sit between the organisms, not on them.

The whyFour organisms have three gaps between them, so there are three arrows.

The place where an organism lives

HintIt is a location, not a feature of the animal.

The whyA habitat provides the food, water and shelter an organism needs, for example a pond or a hedgerow.

They spread the weight so the camel does not sink into the sand

HintThink about walking on soft ground in ordinary shoes versus snowshoes.

The whyA wide foot spreads the camel's weight over a bigger area, so it sinks less in loose sand.

It reduces the surface area, so less water is lost

HintThink about how much leaf is exposed to the dry air.

The whyFewer and smaller leaves mean less area for water to evaporate from. The thick stem also stores water.

It insulates them, so they lose less heat

HintThink about how a warm coat works.

The whyBlubber is a layer of fat that reduces heat loss to the cold water. It also acts as an energy store.

A fox

HintFollow the steps one at a time.

The whyAt step 1 the answer is 'fur', which sends you to step 2. At step 2 'lives on land' leads to fox.

A spider

HintCount the choices as you go through.

The whyHaving legs sends you from 1a to step 2, then eight legs leads to spider.

To identify an unknown organism by answering questions about it

HintIt helps you find a name.

The whyA key asks a series of questions, usually with two answers, and each answer narrows the choice until only one organism is left.