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7th grade How an ecosystem rebuilds after a change worksheet

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How an ecosystem rebuilds after a change

Grade 7 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Ari orders the stages of primary succession on a new lava island. Which order is right?

    • Bare rock, shrubs, lichens and mosses, grasses, trees
    • Bare rock, grasses, lichens and mosses, trees, shrubs
    • Bare rock, trees, shrubs, grasses, lichens and mosses
    • Bare rock, lichens and mosses, grasses, shrubs, trees
  2. A fire clears a forest, and the soil stays. In which order do plant types grow back, Bo?

    • Lichens and mosses first, then grasses
    • Grasses, shrubs, then trees
    • Trees, shrubs, then grasses
    • Shrubs, grasses, then trees
  3. In an old field left alone, grasses now cover the ground. Which plant type usually spreads next, Esme?

    • Shrubs
    • No new plants arrive
    • Lichens and mosses
    • Tall trees right away
  4. Why does secondary succession usually move faster than primary succession, Jun?

    • It starts with soil already in place
    • It starts with no plants or seeds
    • It starts on bare rock
    • It needs no sunlight
  5. A fire clears one hillside. A lava flow covers the next hillside. Which hillside starts with primary succession, Luz?

    • The hillside cleared by fire
    • The hillside under the lava
    • Both hillsides
    • Neither hillside
  6. From 60 to 120 years after the fire, what happens to the shrubs line, Milo?

    • It stays at 50%
    • It falls from 50% to 20%
    • It rises from 30% to 50%
    • It rises from 20% to 70%
  7. In which year do trees first cover more ground than shrubs, Pia?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • Year 30
    • Year 60
    • Year 90
    • Year 150
  8. After 30 years, the grasses line falls while shrubs and trees rise. Which explanation fits, Ren?

    • The soil turns back into rock
    • Trees grew first and took the room
    • Taller plants shade the grasses and replace them
    • Grasses stop needing sunlight
  9. On a lava island, lichens and mosses cover 40% of the ground at 40 years but 10% at 200 years. Which explanation fits, Tala?

    • The pioneers turned into trees
    • Trees came first and crowded them out
    • The soil was there before the pioneers
    • Later plants grew in the new soil and replaced them
  10. Zee sees the grasses line fall on a succession graph and says the data must be wrong. Is the falling line a mistake?

    • Yes: grasses come last, so they rise late
    • No: grasses are spreading faster
    • No: taller plants are replacing the grasses
    • Yes: a line should keep rising
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7th grade How an ecosystem rebuilds after a change worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

How an ecosystem rebuilds after a change. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can tell primary succession (bare rock, no soil) from secondary succession (soil left behind).
  • I can put the stages in order and say how pioneers such as lichens and mosses help later plants.
  • I can read a succession graph by plant type and explain why a line rises or falls.

Standard: supports MS-LS2-4

Words to know

succession: The order in which plant types arrive and replace each other after a change

primary succession: Succession on new bare rock, such as lava, with no soil yet

secondary succession: Succession where a change cleared plants but the soil stayed

pioneer species: The first hardy living things on bare rock, like lichens and mosses

climax community: The steady community at the end, lasting until the next big change

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up primary and secondary succession. Primary starts on bare rock with no soil; secondary starts where the soil is left.

Your child put bigger plants too early. Small, hardy plants come first, and shrubs and trees take over later as the soil builds up.

Your child read the wrong line or the wrong year on a graph. Point to the line's label, then the year, then read across to the value.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with how an ecosystem rebuilds after a change?

Your child mixed up primary and secondary succession. Primary starts on bare rock with no soil; secondary starts where the soil is left.

Are these 7th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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