Go to the main content of the page.
Logo, Maryland State Department of Education
MCAP, Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

This page shows questions in the Prairie Ecosystem public release module at MSDE. 8th Grade MISA
"Prairie Ecosystem"

Select from the list to explore. Read any associated passages and then interact with the questions here.

Expand All Official Practice Test

This is test content.

During a visit to the Maryland Zoo, a group of students observed a colony of black-tailed prairie dogs. The students decided to research prairie dogs and the North American prairie ecosystem in which they live. The students found the following food web that illustrated relationships between several organisms in the prairie ecosystem.

Food web. The figure shows a diagram of a food web that has one plant and five animals. At the bottom is big bluestem grass, which has arrows pointing to American bison and to black-tailed prairie dog. Black-tailed prairie dog has arrows pointing to black footed ferret and swift fox. Black footed ferret has arrows pointing to golden eagle and swift fox. End figure description.

This is test content.

The students wanted to understand how the availability of resources affects population size. The students used a computer simulation, changed the number of ferrets in a prairie ecosystem and observed the population changes for three different animals and one plant. The simulation collects data every two years. The students studied an eight-year period and completed the following data tables.

INITIAL FERRET POPULATION 20
Species Initial Population Population after 2 years Population after 4 years Population after 6 years Population after 8 years
Grass (kilograms) 4000 2000 500 1000 5000
Prairie Dogs 25000 31000 8000 4000 11000
Ferrets 20 25 35 15 15
Foxes 10 4 4 3 2
INITIAL FERRET POPULATION 80
Species Initial Population Population after 2 years Population after 4 years Population after 6 years Population after 8 years
Grass (kilograms) 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000
Prairie Dogs 25000 25000 25000 25000 25000
Ferrets 80 80 80 80 80
Foxes 10 10 10 10 10
INITIAL FERRET POPULATION 140
Species Initial Population Population after 2 years Population after 4 years Population after 6 years Population after 8 years
Grass (kilograms) 4000 5100 4900 2800 3900
Prairie Dogs 25000 21000 28000 26000 22500
Ferrets 140 75 75 90 75
Foxes 10 11 10 10 10

This is test content.

The students researched other animals in the prairie that are not predators of prairie dogs to consider other types of interactions. The students organized the research into the following diagram and used it to identify these interactions as competitive or mutually beneficial to the prairie dogs in the prairie ecosystem.

Species that have relationships with prairie dogs. Figure 1. A picture of a grasshopper. End figure description.
  • eat the shorter grass that the prairie dogs also like
  • eaten by birds like burrowing owls
  • reproduce in large numbers
  • are active in warmer months/inactive in winter months

Figure 2. A picture of an American bison. End figure description.
  • eat the same type of grass as the prairie dogs
  • eat the taller grass that has less nutrients than the shorter grass
  • fertilize the soil with dung which helps grass grow
  • roll in the dirt mounds created by prairie dogs digging tunnels to help keep biting flies away
  • produce one calf each year

Figure 3. A picture of a burrowing owl. End figure description.
  • live underground in burrows that have been dug out and abandoned by prairie dogs
  • eat grasshoppers
  • produce 3-12 hatchlings a year
  • are active in the daytime, unlike other types of owls
  • may collect bison dung around burrows when nesting

This is a drag and drop question that allows you to select text and place it in an appropriate answer space.

The prairie food web simulation illustrates interactions among organisms that live in the prairie ecosystem.

Identify each organism in the food web as a producer or a consumer.

Place each organism into the appropriate box.

American bison big bluestem grass black-tailed prairie dog golden eagle
Producer Consumer

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

The prairie food web simulation illustrates interactions among organisms that live in the prairie ecosystem.

Which statement best describes the sources of energy for the producers and consumers in the food web?

  1. A.
    Consumers and producers both obtain energy from decomposers.
  2. B.
    Consumers gain energy from the sun, while producers obtain energy by eating other organisms.
  3. C.
    Producers obtain energy from living organisms, while consumers obtain energy from the nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
  4. D.
    Producers use the sun and nonliving parts of the ecosystem to generate energy, while consumers gain energy from other living organisms.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

The prairie food web simulation illustrates interactions among organisms that live in the prairie ecosystem.

The arrows in the food web represent

  1. A.
    the movement of one organism into the territory of another organism.
  2. B.
    the transfer of energy from one organism to another.
  3. C.
    a parasitic interaction between two organisms.
  4. D.
    a genetic similarity between two organisms.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

The prairie dog and ferret interact with one another in the prairie ecosystem simulation.

Which graph best represents the changes in the amount of grass and prairie dog population when the initial number of ferrets in the ecosystem was 140?

Key, tons of grass, prairie dogs, 1 ton = 907.185 kilograms
  1. A.
    Graph of change in grass and prairie dog populations, y-axis is population size, x-axis is time in years
  2. B.
    Graph of change in grass and prairie dog populations, y-axis is population size, x-axis is time in years
  3. C.
    Graph of change in grass and prairie dog populations, y-axis is population size, x-axis is time in years
  4. D.
    Graph of change in grass and prairie dog populations, y-axis is population size, x-axis is time in years

This is a question with 2 parts, including a question with drop-down menus from which you must select an option to fill in the blank.

The prairie organisms’ interactions simulation illustrates the interactions that occur among three different organisms and the prairie dog.

The prairie dog and the grasshopper interact in a  
  way because the prairie dog  
  the grasshopper.

This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.

The three simulations illustrate the interactions among organisms in the prairie ecosystem.

Describe how the prairie dog and bison populations will most likely change if a severe drought were to occur for a four-year period. In your description, be sure to include

  • the cause of any changes to the populations
  • the movement of energy within the ecosystem
  • the interactions among the organisms