Wild Web Slides Wild Web of NC
Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers in Our State
Science Grade 5 | 5.L.2
The Connected Web
A Food Web shows how energy flows through an entire ecosystem.
Unlike a food chain, a web shows that many animals eat more than one thing.
The arrow points to the organism that gets the energy!
Sun
Producer
Primary
Energy Flow
The Ecosystem Jobs
Producers
Make their own food using sunlight (Photosynthesis).
NC Examples:
Sea Oats (Coast)
Red Oak (Piedmont)
Consumers
Must eat other organisms for energy.
NC Examples:
Black Bear (Mountains)
Blue Crab (Coast)
Decomposers
Break down dead matter and return nutrients to soil.
NC Examples:
Mushrooms (Fungi)
Soil Bacteria
High Country Web (Mountains)
In the Appalachian Mountains, energy starts with the Rhododendron and Berry Bushes .
The Players:
Producers: Berries, WildflowersConsumers: Deer, Bear, TroutDecomposers: Forest Fungi
"The Black Bear is an omnivore. It eats berries (producer) and brook trout (consumer), giving it two different roles in the web!"
The Rolling Piedmont
Piedmont Food Chain Example:
Oak Tree
Squirrel
Hawk
In the Piedmont, the Red-tailed Hawk is a top predator. It keeps the population of small mammals in check.
What's unique?
The Piedmont has many suburban areas where humans and wildlife interact. Deer thrive here because they have few natural predators like wolves remaining.
Saltwater & Sound (The Coast)
Marsh Energy
Sea Oats and Marsh Grass stabilize the dunes and provide energy to insects and crabs.
The Blue Crab
The Blue Crab is a scavenger . It acts like a decomposer by eating dead fish, but it is actually a consumer!
Coastal Food Web
Algae → Small Fish → Heron → Bull Shark
Disaster in the Web!
Scenario: Overfishing
If we catch too many Small Fish in the coastal sounds, what happens to the others?
Herons have less food and their population drops.
Algae population explodes because nothing is eating it!
When one part of the web is removed, it creates a Ripple Effect.
Bottom-Up: No producers = entire web fails.Top-Down: No predators = prey population gets too high, then they eat all the plants.
Time to Build!
You are now Field Researchers. You will use your Field Guide cards to construct the three major NC Food Webs.
Map the Flow
Follow Energy
Predict Collapse
Grab your "Wild Web Explorer" packet to begin.
NC Ecosystem Explorer Worksheet Wild Web Explorer
NC Ecosystem Field Report | Science 5.L.2
RESEARCHER:
DATE:
Part 1: The Three Regions
Review your Food Web Challenge Cards. For each North Carolina region, identify one organism for each role.
NC Region Producer Consumer Decomposer Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Part 2: Map the Coastal Web
In the space below, use the following organisms to create a Food Web . Draw arrows to show energy flow. Remember: arrows point to who gets the energy!
SUN Marsh Grass Algae Blue Crab Small Fish Great Blue Heron Bull Shark
Sketch Area
Part 3: Ecosystem Disruptions
Scenario A: The Great Oak Blight
A disease kills off 80% of the Red Oak Trees in a Piedmont forest. How does this affect the populations of Squirrels and Hawks? Explain the chain reaction.
Scenario B: Over-predation
If Bull Sharks were completely removed from the coastal web, what would happen to the Great Blue Heron population? (Hint: Think about what the sharks and herons both eat!)
Energy flow is the heartbeat of the ecosystem.
Food Web Challenge Cards Wild Web Challenge
Organism Reference Cards • Science 5.L.2
Mountain Region
Producer
Rhododendron
Uses sunlight to grow. Provides energy to insects and deer.
Consumer
Black Bear
Omnivore
Eats berries, trout, and small mammals.
Piedmont Region
Producer
Red Oak Tree
Grows acorns. Provides energy for squirrels and deer.
Consumer
Red-Tailed Hawk
Carnivore
Eats squirrels, snakes, and mice.
Coastal Plain
Producer
Sea Oats
Grows on dunes. Provides energy to insects and rabbits.
Consumer
Blue Crab
Scavenger
Eats algae, small fish, and dead matter.
The Cleanup Crew
Decomposer
Forest Fungi
Breaks down dead wood and leaves into soil nutrients.
Decomposer
Soil Bacteria
Invisible workers that return nutrients to the ground.
Cut out these cards for hands-on web building!
Ecosystem Checkup Exit Ticket Ecosystem Checkup
Post-Mission Assessment | Grade 5 Science
NAME: __________________________
01 Which of the following best describes the role of a producer in a North Carolina mountain ecosystem?
A An organism that breaks down dead organic matter.
B An organism that captures sunlight to make its own food.
C An organism that must eat other animals for energy.
D An organism that cleans the forest floor of debris.
02 In a Piedmont food web, if the population of snakes (secondary consumers) decreases, what is the most likely immediate effect on the population of mice (primary consumers)?
A The mouse population will decrease.
B The mouse population will increase.
C The mouse population will stay exactly the same.
D The mice will start eating the hawks.
03 Why are decomposers like forest fungi and soil bacteria essential to a healthy ecosystem?
A They provide shade for the producers.
B They act as the top predators in the food web.
C They return nutrients to the soil for plants to use.
D They make oxygen for the consumers to breathe.
04 Look at this food chain: Sea Oats → Grasshopper → Sparrow → Snake . Which organism is the tertiary consumer?
A Sea Oats
B Grasshopper
C Sparrow
D Snake
05 In a coastal marsh food web, what would happen if a drought killed all of the marsh grass and sea oats?
A The entire food web would eventually collapse.
B The animals would start making their own food.
C The consumers would only eat decomposers.
D Only the secondary consumers would be affected.
06 Which best describes how energy moves through an ecosystem?
A From decomposers to producers to consumers to the sun.
B From consumers to decomposers to producers to the sun.
C From the sun to producers to consumers to decomposers.
D From the sun to consumers to producers to decomposers.
Web Master Answer Key Web Master Key
Teacher Reference & Answer Key
NC Ecosystem Explorer Worksheet
Part 1: The Three Regions (Example Answers)
Mountains: Rhododendron (P), Black Bear (C), Forest Fungi (D)Piedmont: Red Oak (P), Gray Squirrel/Hawk (C), Soil Bacteria (D)Coastal: Sea Oats/Algae (P), Blue Crab/Shark (C), Soil Bacteria (D)
Part 3: Ecosystem Disruptions
Scenario A: Oak Blight
Squirrel population decreases due to loss of primary food source (acorns). Hawk population decreases because they have fewer squirrels to eat.
Scenario B: Over-predation
The Heron population might decrease or be forced to find new food sources because the competition for small fish will increase. Without sharks eating herons or other fish, the fish population might temporarily boom then crash as they over-consume algae.
Ecosystem Checkup Exit Ticket
1 B (Producer definition)
2 B (Predator removal)
3 C (Nutrient recycling)
4 D (Snake is 3rd consumer)
5 A (Producer loss = collapse)
6 C (Energy sequence)
Lesson Facilitation Tips
Arrows: Emphasize that arrows represent energy flow , not "who eats who." A common mistake is pointing the arrow from the predator to the prey.Complexity: Remind students that many NC organisms, like the Black Bear, play multiple roles (eating both producers and other consumers).Scale: If students struggle with the web, start with single chains first, then link them. 
