Name _______________________________________ Date ______________ Period __________
Ecology Worksheet
Main Idea: Ecologists study environments at different levels of organization.
Write a description of each level of organization in the table. Also, provide an example for each level.
Level Description Example
1. Organism
2. Population
3. Community
4. Ecosystem
5. Biosphere
Fill in the diagram below with the Levels of Organization studied in Ecology. Use the terms from the
table above.
Main Idea: An ecosystem includes both abiotic and biotic factors. Producers provide energy for
other organisms in an ecosystem.
Complete the following sentences with the correct term from the list below
autotrophs eating nonliving abiotic living temperature producers
moisture plants animals biotic consumers heterotrophs nonliving
6. All ecosystems are made up of ________________ and ___________________ components.
7. ______________ factors are living things, such as _______________ or _______________.
8. ______________factors are nonliving things, such as wind, ______________, or ______________.
9. ____________________ are organisms that get their energy from ___________________ resources,
meaning they make their own food. These organisms are also called ______________________.
10. ___________________ are organisms that get their energy by __________________other
organisms. These organisms are also called _________________________.
11. Why are producers so important to an ecosystem?
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KEY CONCEPT: Food chains and food webs model the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
Choose the correct term from the box below to fit each description.
carnivore herbivore secondary consumer decomposer detritivore
omnivore primary consumer tertiary consumer trophic levels
12. I eat only plants. I am a(n) ___________________________.
13. I eat only other animals. I am a(n) _______________________.
14. I eat both plants and animals. I am a(n) _____________________.
15. I eat dead organic matter. I am a(n) _______________________.
16. I break down organic matter into simpler compounds. I am a(n) ______________________.
17. I am the first consumer above the producer level. I am a(n) ____________________.
18. I am a carnivore that eats herbivores. I am a(n) __________________________.
19. I am a carnivore that eats other carnivores. I am a(n) __________________________.
20. The levels of nourishment in a food chain are called _______________________.
21. How is a food web different from a food chain?
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22. Label the four tiers of the energy pyramid with the correct trophic level (producers, primary
consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers). Choose an ecosystem. Research what
types of plants and animals live in your chosen ecosystem. Fill in the energy pyramid with what might
exist with that ecosystem.
