Life Beneath the Surface: The Lake Ecosystems Quiz

If an organism lives underwater, then it must be able to breathe oxygen from water; if a fish has gills, then it can extract oxygen from water; therefore, the fish is the best suited organism.

If plants need sunlight to create food through photosynthesis, then they must reach the light; if the water is deep, then floating on the surface provides the best access to sunlight.

If a shark is adapted for saltwater, then its body depends on salt to function; if a lake contains freshwater, then the shark's body cannot maintain balance; therefore, it would not survive well.

If fish depend on clean water to breathe and stay healthy, then pollution introduces harmful substances; if the water is harmful, then the organisms living in it will struggle to survive or die.

If an animal captures and eats another animal for food, then it is defined as a predator; if the bass eats the smaller fish, then it is acting as a predator.

If an ecosystem includes both living and non-living parts, then we must identify the one without life; if sunlight provides energy but is not an organism, then it is a non-living part.

If a bird hunts fish in shallow water, then it must stand in the water without getting its feathers wet; if it has long legs, then it can wade into the water to hunt; therefore, the legs are for wading.

If biodiversity includes all living things in a habitat, and if microscopic organisms provide food for larger creatures, then they are a vital part of the system.

If aquatic plants are specifically adapted to live in water, then they cannot survive in dry soil; if the water disappears, then the plants lose their essential habitat and will die.

If a lake ecosystem is a freshwater habitat, then the animals there must be suited for that environment; if a polar bear requires arctic ice and sea prey, then it is the least suited for a standard lake.

If a predator looks down, the dark top blends with the lake bottom; if a predator looks up, the light belly blends with the sky; if these blend in, then the fish is better protected.

If different lakes have different temperatures, depths, and locations, then different organisms will be adapted to them; if adaptations vary, then biodiversity will be different in each lake.

If organisms die in a lake, then their bodies must be cleared away; if bacteria break down this dead matter, then they recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem for other plants to use.

If we measure the variety of life in an area, then we are looking at biodiversity; if there are many different species, then the biodiversity is considered high.

If a beaver needs deep water to protect its lodge, then it must stop the flow of a stream; if it builds a dam, then the water piles up and creates a lake habitat that suits the beaver.

If a turtle is a living organism and a rock/sunlight are non-living, then the turtle using them for heat is a living/non-living interaction.

If a tadpole has gills for water, then it must develop lungs to breathe on land; if it grows legs and loses its tail, then it becomes a frog that can survive in both environments.

If two groups of fish need the same food, then they must compete; if the new fish eats all the food, then the original fish have nothing to eat and will survive "less well."

If small fish and insects need protection from large predators, then they need hiding spots; if shallow wetlands have many plants to hide in, then they support more types of life.

If an organism produces its own energy from the sun, then it is not consuming others; if it creates its own food supply, then it is classified as a producer.