8th Science Study Guide
Lesson 1: Ecosystems
1. What is an ecosystem?
A: An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (biotic factors) interacting with
their non-living physical environment (abiotic factors).
2. What are biotic factors? Give three examples.
A: Biotic factors are the living or once-living parts of an ecosystem.
Examples: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi.
3. What are abiotic factors? Give three examples.
A: Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of an ecosystem.
Examples: sunlight, temperature, water, soil, rocks.
4. List and describe three main types of ecosystems (biomes).
• Forest: Characterized by a high density of trees. Can be tropical, temperate, or
boreal (taiga).
• Desert: Receives very little rainfall, has extreme temperatures, and supports
specially adapted plants and animals.
• Aquatic: Includes freshwater (lakes, rivers) and marine (oceans, coral reefs)
ecosystems. The environment is water-based.
5. How do biotic and abiotic factors depend on each other?
A: They are interconnected. For example, a biotic factor like a plant (biotic) needs
sunlight and water (abiotic) to grow. An animal (biotic) depends on the temperature
(abiotic) for survival.
Lesson 2: Food Chains and Food Webs
1. What is a producer (autotroph)?
A: A producer is an organism that can make its own food, usually using energy from
the sun through photosynthesis. Example: Grass, trees, algae.
2. What is a consumer (heterotroph)? Name the three main types.
A: A consumer is an organism that gets energy by eating other organisms.
• Herbivore: Eats only plants. (e.g., deer, rabbit)
• Carnivore: Eats only other animals. (e.g., lion, hawk)
• Omnivore: Eats both plants and animals. (e.g., humans, bears)
3. What is a decomposer? Give an example.
A: A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organic material and returns
nutrients to the soil. Example: bacteria, fungi, worms.
4. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A: A food chain is a single, linear path that shows how energy and nutrients move
from one organism to another. A food web is a complex, interconnected network of
many food chains in an ecosystem, showing how multiple organisms are connected.
6. What is an energy pyramid?
A: An energy pyramid is a diagram that shows the amount of energy available at
each feeding level in an ecosystem.
Lesson 3: Biogeochemical Cycles
1. What is a biogeochemical cycle?
A: It is the path by which a chemical substance (like water, carbon, or nitrogen)
moves through the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts of an ecosystem.
2. Describe the main steps of the Water Cycle.
1. Evaporation: Liquid water from oceans and lakes heats up and turns into vapor.
2. Condensation: Water vapor in the atmosphere cools and forms clouds.
3. Precipitation: Water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
4. Collection: water returns to Earth and is gathered in bodies of water and
underground.