Name: _________________________________
Period: ________
Life Sciences Test Study Guide KEY
Directions: Answer the following questions to help you study for your test.
1. Describe and give an example of an animals that lives in each ecosystem.
a. Deciduous Forest- Forest ecosystem with 4 distinct seasons. We live in this
ecosystem. Examples- squirrels and white-tailed deer.
b. Desert- a sandy, rocky ecosystem, with little precipitation and little plant life.
Examples- Kangaroo rats and scorpions.
c. Freshwater- A water ecosystem made of fresh (not salty) water. Examples- frogs,
leeches, and goldfish
d. Marine- The largest ecosystem on the planet, it is made of freshwater and covers
71% of the Earth’s surface. Examples- Sharks and clown fish
e. Mountain- a rocky ecosystem with diverse life. The ecosystem has layers where
you’ll find different types of life the higher you go. Examples- mountain goats
and jack rabbits.
f. Prairie- An ecosystem where grasses are the main type of plant life. This is found
in the American mid-west. Examples- prairie dogs and bison.
g. Savanna- An ecosystem where grasses are the main type of plant life. This is
found in parts of Africa. Examples- zebra and lions.
h. Taiga- The coldest of the forest ecosystems. Examples- snowshoe rabbit and
moose
i.
Temperate Rainforest- a rainforest ecosystem with a lot of rain, but in a colder
climate. Examples- Pandas, owls, and bobcats.
j.
Tropical Rainforest- a rainforest ecosystem that is hot, humid, and found near
the equator. The ecosystem has 4 layers where you will find different types of
life. Examples- tree frogs, monkeys, and toucans.
k. Tundra- a large, treeless ecosystem where the soil is frozen (permafrost) all year.
Examples- Caribou, polar bears, and arctic hares.
2. Define the following types of organisms:
a. Producers- An organism that gets its energy directly from the sun.
Name: _________________________________
Period: ________
b. Consumers- An organism that gets its energy by eating plants or animals.
c. Decomposers- An organism that get its energy by breaking down dead
organisms. They return nutrients to the soil of the ecosystem.
3. Give an example of each type of consumer and say if the animal is an herbivore,
omnivore, or carnivore.
a. Primary- Rabbit, herbivore or Grasshopper, herbivore
b. Secondary- Snake, carnivore or Owl, carnivore
c. Tertiary- Wolf, carnivore or Bear, omnivore
4. Match the definition to the symbiotic relationship.
____B___Commensalism
a. A relationship between two or more organisms
where all benefit.
____A___ Mutualism
b. A relationship between two or more organisms
where one benefits and one is unaffected.
____C___ Parasitism
c. A relationship between two or more organisms
where one benefits and one is hurt.
5. Give an example of organisms that have each type of symbiotic relationship. Explain
why the relationship meets that type
a. Commensalism- Egret and a water buffalo. The egret will eat bugs off of the back
of the buffalo and the buffalo is not hurt or helped by this.
b. Mutualism- Clown fish and an anemone. The clown fish lives in the anemone and
gets protection from predators. The clown fish eats small fish that may try to eat
the anemone.
c. Parasitism- A tick and a human. The tick gets blood from the human, but the
human can get sick from the tick’s bite.
Name: _________________________________
Period: ________
6. Draw and explain the difference between a food web and a food chain.
Food Chains are simple and show the
flow of energy in part of an
ecosystem. They are usually
presented in a straight line.
Food Webs are complex and show the flow of energy in an
entire ecosystem. They are usually presented in looking
like a spider web.