🌿 NC Ecosystems Explorer
LS.5.2 • 5th Grade
Ecosystem Showcase — LS.5.2.1
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Roles in the Ecosystem
Every organism plays a part — tap a card to explore each role
🌱
Producer
Also called: Autotroph
Makes its own food using sunlight, water, and CO₂ through photosynthesis. Every food chain starts here.
Forest examples
Oak tree Grass Ferns Berry bushes Wildflowers
🦌
Consumer
Also called: Heterotroph
Cannot make its own food — must eat other organisms. Herbivores eat plants. Carnivores eat animals. Omnivores eat both.
Forest examples
Deer (herbivore) Rabbit (herbivore) Fox (carnivore) Owl (carnivore) Bear (omnivore)
🍄
Decomposer
Nature's recyclers
Breaks down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients back to the soil. Without decomposers, nutrients would be locked away forever.
Forest examples
Mushrooms Bacteria Earthworms Mold
Energy Flow — Direction energy moves through an ecosystem
🌞 Sun
→
🌱 Producers
→
🦗 Primary Consumers
→
🦊 Secondary Consumers
→
🍄 Decomposers
Only about 10% of energy passes from one level to the next — this is why there are always fewer predators than prey.
Forest Food Web Builder
Tap organisms to add them to the web — arrows show how energy flows
🌱 Producers
🦌 Primary Consumers
🦊 Secondary Consumers
🍄 Decomposers
🌿

Tap an organism to start building the web

Producer Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Decomposer
📄 Need your worksheet? Download Worksheet ↓
Ecosystem Types
Compare two NC ecosystems side by side — use what you find to answer Questions 1 & 2 on your PDF
🔍 PDF Questions 1 & 2 — Choose two ecosystems below and fill in your comparison table
Ecosystem One
Ecosystem Two
Choose two ecosystems above to compare them
Roles in the Ecosystem
Tap any organism to learn about its role — use this to answer Questions 3 & 4 on your PDF
🔍 PDF Questions 3 & 4 — Use the organism list and food chain below to help you classify and build
Forest Ecosystem Organisms — tap one to explore
🌿

Tap an organism to see its role

Learn what it eats, what eats it, and why it matters

🔗 Example Forest Food Chain
Oak Tree Producer
→
Caterpillar Primary Consumer
→
Owl Secondary Consumer
→
Mushroom Decomposer
Energy flows in the direction of the arrows. Only about 10% of energy passes to the next level.
Connections & Change
See how a change ripples through an ecosystem — use this to answer Questions 5 & 6 on your PDF
🔍 PDF Questions 5a–5d — Explore the ocean scenario below. Question 6 — Use the Human Impact cards
🌳
Forest Ecosystem — What Happens If...?
A disease kills off most of the oak trees in a forest ecosystem. Deer eat acorns from oak trees. Wolves eat deer. Mushrooms and bacteria break down dead matter on the forest floor. Tap "Reveal Next Effect" to see how this one change ripples through the whole food web — use this to help you answer questions 5a–5d on your PDF.
🏭 Human Impacts on NC Ecosystems