Question

case study
interpreting the food web
what information can you get from your food web?

using the food web you constructed, you
should be able to make observations about
the eating habits of the animals in your case
study.

match the role of each of the
following organisms. (click on each
organism to learn more)

what role do these organims play in their environment?

red squirrel\tcrossbill\tlodgepole pine
consumer\tconsumer\tproducer\ttype of organism
\t\t\tautotroph\tnutrient source
\t\tautotroph\t\t
\t\theterotroph\tnone of the above\ttype of consumer

Explanation:

• Red Squirrel: Consumers are heterotrophs (can't make their own food) that eat other organisms. Red squirrels eat plant material or other small organisms, so they are Consumers (Heterotroph, and depending on diet, maybe Herbivore or Omnivore, but the dropdown here has Consumer as type, Heterotroph as nutrient source - related to how they get food).
• Crossbill: Similar to red squirrel, crossbills eat (e.g., seeds from pine trees), so they are Consumers. Since they can't produce their own food, they are Heterotrophs.
• Lodgepole Pine: Producers are autotrophs (make their own food via photosynthesis). Pine trees are plants, so they are Producers and Autotrophs, getting nutrients from photosynthesis (using sunlight, CO₂, water to make glucose).

For the matching:

• Red Squirrel:
• Type of Organism: Consumer (eats other organisms)
• Nutrient Source: Heterotroph (relies on external food sources, can't photosynthesize)
• Type of Consumer: Depending on diet, but common is Herbivore (eats plants like pine seeds) or could be Omnivore, but from the dropdown context, likely Herbivore (or the relevant option, but since the given dropdown for Crossbill has Heterotroph, Red Squirrel is also Heterotroph as Consumer).
• Crossbill:
• Type of Organism: Consumer (eats pine seeds etc.)
• Nutrient Source: Heterotroph (can't make own food)
• Type of Consumer: Likely Herbivore (eats plant material like pine seeds)
• Lodgepole Pine:
• Type of Organism: Producer (makes own food via photosynthesis)
• Nutrient Source: Autotroph (uses photosynthesis to produce glucose)
• Type of Consumer: None of the Above (since it's a producer, not a consumer)

Answer:

• Red Squirrel:
• Type of Organism: Consumer
• Nutrient Source: Heterotroph
• Type of Consumer: Herbivore (or relevant consumer type, e.g., if options include, but based on context)
• Crossbill:
• Type of Organism: Consumer
• Nutrient Source: Heterotroph
• Type of Consumer: Herbivore
• Lodgepole Pine:
• Type of Organism: Producer
• Nutrient Source: Autotroph
• Type of Consumer: None of the Above

(Note: The exact "Type of Consumer" for Red Squirrel and Crossbill may vary based on detailed diet, but generally, they eat plant material from the pine, so Herbivore is common. The key matches are Consumer - Heterotroph for animals, Producer - Autotroph for the plant.)