1. A rabbit was captured and consumed by a coyote in the forest. The rabbit remains (skin, bones, intestines, and some muscle) were left by the coyote on the ground. What answer best describes what happens to the rabbit remains over time. They disappear They are absorbed by plants They are transformed into heat energy They are broken down by other organisms Describe your thinking. Provide an explanation for your answer.

2. Fruit

3. What happens when things decompose (rot)? 1.What causes the fruit to decompose? 2.What happens to the matter that makes up the fruit? 3.What happens to the energy that was stored in the fruit?

4. What happens to plants that aren’t eaten by consumers?

5. What is the role of decomposers? Small organisms Worms, insects Microorganisms Fungi, bacteria

6. Decomposers Detritivores- Small organisms (worms, insects) break down waste and dead organisms into smaller parts. Saprotrophs- Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) digest the smaller parts into chemical forms that can be used by plants.

7. WILL STERILIZING KILL DECOMPOSERS?

8. PREDICTIONSRoom Temperature RefrigeratorIncubator (warm place) Sterilized Not sterilized 1. Fill in the table below telling whether or not you will observe decomposition in each container:

9. NON STERILIZED—REGULAR BREAD REFRIGERATOR ROOM TEMPINCUBATOR

10. STERILIZED BREAD REFRIGERATOR ROOM TEMP INCUBATOR

11. RESULTSRoom Temperature RefrigeratorIncubator (warm place) Sterilized Not sterilized

12. Measuring carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ) concentrations in closed containers with decomposing bread

13. Sterilized bread, incubated in DARK CO 2

14. Sterilized bread, incubated in DARK O 2

15. Non-sterilized, incubated in DARK CO 2

16. Non-sterilized, incubated in DARK O 2

17. Non-sterilized, incubated in LIGHT CO 2

18. Non-sterilized, incubated in LIGHT O 2

19. Fungi Oyster Mushrooms