Question

read the passage. then answer the question below.
rose gardens are a good habitat for insects. aphids are tiny insects that eat roses and produce a sticky substance called honeydew. honeydew is a favorite food of ants, so ants often live with aphids. the ants protect the aphids against predators such as ladybugs.
another way that ants help aphids is by removing dead aphids. this way, an aphid that died from a fungus infection will not infect the rest of the aphids.
in a rose garden, the aphids, the ants, and the ladybugs make up which of the following? select all that apply.
a population
part of a community
part of an ecosystem

Explanation:

1. Population: A population is a group of individuals of the same species. Aphids, ants, and ladybugs are different species, so they don't form a single population.
2. Part of a Community: A community consists of all the different populations (species) living and interacting in a particular area. Aphids, ants, and ladybugs are different species interacting in the rose garden, so they are part of the community.
3. Part of an Ecosystem: An ecosystem includes all the living (biotic) components (like the insects here) and the non - living (abiotic) components (like the rose plants, soil, water in the garden). Since these insects are biotic components interacting with the garden environment, they are part of the ecosystem.

Answer:

• part of a community
• part of an ecosystem