“Ecosystems #2: Kelp Forests” Quiz
#1. How much of the Earth’s surface do oceans cover: none,40%, 70%, or all of it?
Answer: 70% of the surface of the earth is covered with water. It is the largest ecosystem in the world!
#2. What kind of sea floor do kelp forests usually grow on?
Answer: They are often found near coastlines on a rocky sea floor.
#3. True or False: Kelp is a plant.
False! It is a kind of algae.
#4. What is the part of the kelp that holds it to the ocean floor called?
Answer: It is a “holdfast” which is sort of like roots on a plant but the holdfast
does not absorb any nutrients.
#5. What are two keystone species in kelp forests?
Answer: Kelp andsea otters!
#6. Why are kelp forests so full of animals?
Answer: There is food for animals, and shelter for animals.
#7. What do sea urchins like to eat?
Answer: They love to eat algae.
#8. Why are sea urchins dangerous to kelp forests?
Answer: Because they also like to eat the holdfasts of kelp, which makes the kelp
detach from the ocean floor and float away.
#9. How do sea otters eat sea urchins?
Answer: They otters keep a rock in a pouch between their front legs. They smash sea
urchins against this rock to crack them open and get to the meat under the
spines.
#10. What happened to make sea otters an endangered species (and endangering kelp forests as a result)?
Answer: Starting in the 1740s were hunted for fur to make clothing.
Comments