Question 1

What is an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

An ecosystem is a place where living things like plants, animals, and other organisms interact with each other and their surroundings, like air, water, and soil. It's like a community where everything works together to thrive.

Question 2

What is a food chain?

Accepted Answer

A food chain shows how each living thing gets its food. It starts with plants that make their own food, and then animals eat those plants, and other animals eat those animals. It’s like a line of connections showing who eats whom.

Question 3

Why do plants start most food chains?

Accepted Answer

Plants are special because they can make their own food using sunlight, water, and air. This makes them the first source of energy for many other living things in a food chain.

Question 4

What is a predator?

Accepted Answer

A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals. For example, a lion eating a zebra is acting as a predator.

Question 5

What is prey?

Accepted Answer

Prey is an animal that gets hunted and eaten by other animals. For example, a zebra being eaten by a lion is considered prey.

Question 6

What happens if one part of the food chain disappears?

Accepted Answer

If one part of the food chain disappears, it can affect all the other parts. For example, if there are no plants, animals that eat plants won't have food, and the animals that eat those animals will also suffer.

Question 7

Why are bees important in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Bees help plants grow by moving pollen from one flower to another, which helps plants make fruits and seeds. Without bees, many plants, and the creatures that depend on them, would have trouble surviving.

Question 8

What is an example of a simple food chain?

Accepted Answer

A simple food chain starts with grass, which is eaten by a rabbit, and then the rabbit is eaten by a fox. It shows a straight line of who eats whom in nature.

Question 9

What is interdependence in nature?

Accepted Answer

Interdependence means that living things rely on each other to survive. For example, plants provide food for animals, and animals help plants by spreading seeds.

Question 10

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Decomposers, like worms and mushrooms, break down dead plants and animals into tiny pieces. This process helps recycle nutrients back into the soil, making it rich and helping new plants grow.

Question 11

How do predators and prey keep balance in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Predators help control the population of prey animals, ensuring they don't eat all the plants. At the same time, plenty of prey ensures predators have enough to eat, keeping the ecosystem balanced.

Question 12

Can humans be part of a food chain?

Accepted Answer

Yes, humans are part of the food chain. We eat plants and animals, and our actions can affect other living things in the ecosystem.

Question 13

What happens if there are too many predators?

Accepted Answer

If there are too many predators, they might eat too many prey animals. This can cause the prey population to decline, leading to less food for the predators over time, which can then decrease the number of predators.

Question 14

What is a food web?

Accepted Answer

A food web is a bunch of food chains that are connected together. It shows many animals eating and being eaten, and how all the different chains link together in an ecosystem.

Question 15

Why is sunlight important for an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight helps plants make food through a process called photosynthesis. It provides the energy that starts the food chain, supporting life for almost all organisms in the ecosystem.

Question 16

How does pollution affect ecosystems and food chains?

Accepted Answer

Pollution can harm living things in an ecosystem by making them sick or die. If plants or small animals are affected, it can cause problems for bigger animals that rely on them for food.

Question 17

What is a habitat?

Accepted Answer

A habitat is the natural home where a plant or an animal lives. It's where they find food, water, and shelter, and it's like their own comfy place in the world.

Question 18

Why is it important to protect ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Protecting ecosystems helps ensure all living things have a place to live and get the food and resources they need. Healthy ecosystems also provide clean air and water, and they help regulate our climate.

Question 19

How can we help maintain ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

We can help by recycling, using less plastic, planting trees, and protecting wildlife. Every little action can add up to make a big difference in keeping our ecosystems healthy.

Question 20

What does it mean when an animal is extinct?

Accepted Answer

An animal is extinct when there are no more of its kind left alive anywhere in the world. Once an animal goes extinct, it can no longer be part of the food chain, which can affect the whole ecosystem.

Ecosystems and Food Chains: Interdependence in Nature - 20 FAQs Explained Simply