Download ecology culminating project

MAJOR UNDERSTANDINGS
1. All life on earth is interdependent and maintains a natural balance by
cycling resources and energy
2. A small disruption in an environment can lead to severe unintended
consequences
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the unit you should…
 be able to identify renewable/nonrenewable resources
 be able to compare and contrast the three forms of symbiosis and other relationships between
organisms
 be able to describe the recovery of an altered ecosystem
 be able to map flow of energy in an ecosystem by making energy pyramids and food webs
 be able to diagram and explain cycles of nitrogen, carbon/oxygen and water
 be able to justify a solution to an environmental problem based on given information
 be able to interpret a series of diagrams showing terrestrial and aquatic succession
 know the pros and cons of industrialization
 know the benefits of biodiversity in addition to its cause
 know how energy is transferred within an ecosystem
 know how human activities can decrease biodiversity
 know the definition of carrying capacity and limiting factors
 know the causes of ecosystem disturbance/instability (Global Warming, etc)
KEY VOCABULARY
1. abiotic
2. acid rain
3. autotrophic nutrition
4. bacteria
5. biodiversity
6. biotic
7. carnivore
8. carrying capacity
9. competition
10. consumer
11. decomposer
12. deforestation
13. ecology
14. ecosystem
15. energy pyramid
16. extinction
17. food web
18. fossil fuels
19. fungi
20. global warming
21. herbivore
22. heterotrophic nutrition
23. industrialization
24. limiting factors
25. ozone layer
26. parasite/host
27. pollution
28. population growth
29. predator/prey
30. producer
31. recycle
32. renewable resources
33. scavenger
ECOLOGY RESOURCES
Textbook Resources
Page #
814
805
789
781
540-542
538
508
477
139-160
119-132
98-112
94-97
87-93
74-80
67-73
62-65
Topic
Ecology of Birds
Ecology of Reptiles
Ecology of Amphibians
Ecology of Fishes
Symbiotic Fungi
Fungi as a Decomposer
Ecology of Algae
Bacteria as Decomposers
Human Impact
Population & Carrying Capacity
Aquatic & Terrestrial Ecosystems & Biomes
Succession
Abiotic/Biotic Factors & Symbiosis
Nutrient/Chemical Cycles
Food Chains/Webs & Energy Transfer
Ecology & Organization
Internet Resources
BrainPop: Water Cycle
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/watercycle/
BrainPop: Carbon Cycle
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/carboncycle/
BrainPop: Nitrogen Cycle
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/nitrogencycle/
BrainPop: Global Warming
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/globalwarming/
BrainPop: Greenhouse Effect
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/greenhouseeffect/
BrainPop: Ozone Layer
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/ozonelayer/
BrainPop: Air Pollution
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/airpollution/
BrainPop: Humans and the Environment
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/humansandtheenvironment/
Ecological Footprint
http://www.myfootprint.org
Ecosystem Postage Stamps (John D. Dawson)
http://jdawsonillustration.com/stamps/john_d_dawson__postage_stamps.htm
USE THE FOLLOWING LINK TO ACCESS RESOURCES FOR THIS UNIT THROUGH LIVEBINDER
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1676604
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ECOLOGY VOCABULARY SHEET
Vocab Word
Definition (in your own words)
Examples
Picture
abiotic
acid rain
autotrophic nutrition
biodiversity
biotic
carnivore
carrying capacity
competition
consumer
decomposer
deforestation
ecology
ecosystem
energy pyramid
extinction
food web
fossil fuels
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Vocab Word
Definition (in your own words)
Examples
Picture
global warming
herbivore
heterotrophic
nutrition
industrialization
invasive species
limiting factors
ozone layer
niche
parasite/host
pollution
population growth
predator/prey
producer
recycle
renewable resources
scavenger
succession
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Ecology
Name_______________________________
Ecology Ecosystem Pre-Assessment
Directions: Match the vocabulary terms below to their definitions.
______ Abiotic Factors
A.
Organism that eats dead animals
______ Renewable Resource
B.
All the living and non-living factors
interacting in the same area
______ Heterotroph
C.
Organism that breaks down and recycles
dead organic materials
______ Decomposer
D.
Two or more organisms of the same
species living in the same area
______ Biotic Factors
E.
Non-living things in an ecosystem
______ Scavenger
F.
Organism that eats both meat and plants
______ Population
G.
Organism that eats only meat
______ Omnivore
H.
Living things in an ecosystem
______ Limiting Factors
I.
Organism that eats other organisms for
food
______ Ecosystem
J.
Organism that makes its own food in the
process of photosynthesis
______ Herbivore
K.
Organism that eats only plants
______ Invasive Species
L.
Prevents a population from increasing
beyond the carrying capacity
______ Carnivore
M.
Non-native species
______ Autotroph
N.
Replaceable in a short amount of time
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ECOLOGY CULMINATING PROJECT:
LANDSCAPE PROJECT
Directions: In this activity you will create an landscape picture of an
ecosystem or biome. There are two levels for both location and
vocabulary. You will get a recommendation from the teacher about which
level you should choose, but may move to a higher level in order to push
yourself. Step one is picking a location, step two describing/including
topics from the unit, and step three is a presentation of your work.
1. Locations:
Level 1:
Pond
Forest (Deciduous)
Forest (Coniferous)
Wetland (Freshwater Marsh)
Level 2:
Tundra
Desert
Taiga
Tropical Rainforest
Savannah
Coral Reef
2. In your landscape picture you must represent the topics below:
Level 1
biodiversity
population
community
biotic
abiotic
producer
decomposer
herbivore
carnivore
food web
succession
scavenger
limiting factors
positive and negative effects of humans on this ecosystem
omnivore
consumer
food chain
O2 - CO2 cycle
Level 2 (includes topics from above plus the following topics)
succession
scavenger
nitrogen cycle
symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism, or
parasitism)
limiting factors (density dependent and density independent)
3. Once you finish you will demonstrate your knowledge of these topics by PRESENTING
YOUR PICTURE using one of the presentation options: Prezi, Audio Recording, QR code,
Google slide show or a Smore flyer).
Directions for each of these presentation
options can be found at the following link
under the subtopic HOW TO PRESENT:
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1676604
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ECOLOGY CULMINATING PROJECT:
LANDSCAPE PROJECT GRADING RUBRIC
Unsatisfactory
1
Limited
2
Emerging
3
Proficient
4
Mastery
5
Accuracy of
Ecosystem/Biome
Ecosystem/Biome is
unrecognizable
Few abiotic and
biotic factors
accurately represent
the ecosystem/biome
Some abiotic and
biotic factors
accurately represent
the ecosystem/biome
Most abiotic and
biotic factors
accurately represent
the ecosystem/biome
All abiotic and biotic
factors accurately
represent the
ecosystem/biome
Use of terminology
Vocabulary terms are
not represented in the
landscape
Few vocabulary
terms are represented
in the landscape
Some vocabulary
terms are represented
in the landscape
Most vocabulary
terms are represented
in the landscape
All vocabulary terms
are represented in the
landscape
Content Accuracy
Terms are not used or
represented correctly
Few terms are used
and represented
correctly
Some terms are used
and represented
correctly
Most terms are used
and represented
correctly
All terms are used
and represented
correctly
Presentation
Visual incomplete or
incoherent
Visual impedes
comprehension
Visual is sloppy or
missing major details
Visual has only
minor errors
Visual is clear, neat
and organized
Conventions
Written or verbal
description is
incoherent
Errors impede written
or verbal
comprehension
Written or verbal
description has
multiple errors, but
comprehension is not
affected
Written or verbal
description has minor
errors
Written or verbal
description is free
from error
(Spelling, grammar,
pronunciation)
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Ecosystem and Biome Landscape Project Checklist
What specific ecosystem or biome is represented in your picture?
Explain how your picture shows biodiversity.
List three abiotic factors shown in your picture.
List three biotic factors shown in your picture.
Identify one population shown in your picture.
How does your picture represent a community?
List three producers/autotrophs shown in your picture.
Explain why they are called autotrophs.
List three herbivores/primary consumers in your
picture.
Explain why they are referred to as herbivores.
List three carnivores/secondary consumers in your picture.
Explain why they are called carnivores.
List three omnivores shown in your picture.
List one scavenger shown in your picture.
Explain why it is called a scavenger.
List one decomposer shown in your picture.
Explain why it is called a decomposer.
Trace one food chain through your picture.
Expand that food chain to make it more of a food web.
Why is a food web more stable than a food chain?
Identify one renewable resource shown in your picture.
Explain how your picture represents the O2 and CO2 cycle using the terms
photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
What is one limiting factor that could affect the carrying capacity of populations in
your ecosystem or biome?
Describe one positive and one negative human effect on this ecosystem.
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Level 2
Is the limiting factor you described a density dependent or density independent
limiting factor? Why?
Describe three different symbiotic relationships shown in your picture and identify
whether the relationship is mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism.
Choose one organism and describe its niche.
Explain how your ecosystem could have originated from bare rock through succession.
Use your picture to describe the nitrogen cycle.
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COMPARING BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS
1. Break down each word, what do biotic and abiotic mean?
2. List all of the abiotic factors found in the diagram above.
3. List all of the biotic factors found in the diagram above.
4. Pick an abiotic and biotic factor from your answers above. Describe how the abiotic factor
you chose influences the biotic factor.
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LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
Every Organism has its own NICHE.
A NICHE is: the role that an animal or plant species plays in the environment
Draw an organism of your choice in the box labeled species/organism. Using that organism,
expand your drawings to represent its niche in a population, community, and an ecosystem.
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
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RELATIONSHIPS IN ECOSYSTEMS
Directions: Complete the chart below based on information from the ecology notes or the textbook page 93.
Define: Symbiosis –
Commensalism
Mutualism
Parasitism
Predator/Prey
Definition
Symbols
+ positive,
- negative,
0 unaffected
+
+
1.
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
3.
Examples
Which one of these three is not a symbiotic relationship? Why?
What is the difference between parasitism and a predator/prey relationship?
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ECOLOGICAL
SUCCESSION NOTES
Directions: Answer the following questions to
increase your understanding of ecological
succession. Pages 94-97 in the textbook can be used
as a resource.
TERRESTRIAL (LAND) SUCCESSION
1. Lichen is a symbiotic relationship between two
organisms. What two organisms make up lichen and how does each organism play a role in promoting
succession?
2. Define pioneer species and list an organism that could be described as pioneer
species.
3. How is primary succession different than secondary succession? How are they alike?
4. List as many events as you can that could lead to secondary succession and explain how that
would occur.
5. What is the name given to the generally stable last stage of succession? Discuss the level of
BIODIVERSITY found at this stage of succession compared to the other stages.
6. Based on the information you have gathered, define ecological succession in your own
words.
AQUATIC (WATER) SUCCESSION
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EXAMINING THE STAGES IN TERRESTRIAL SUCCESSION
The climax community in this area of New York is a beech-maple forest. This is illustrated
below. Briefly explain what is happening in the diagram as each stage transitions from the
previous stage.
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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NYS RELATIONSHIPS & BIODIVERSITY LAB STUDY GUIDE
Important Terms
1. Amino Acids
2. Biodiversity
3. Chromatography
4. DNA
5. Enzymes
6. Evolutionary relationship
7. Extinct
8. Gel Electrophoresis
9. Genus species
10. Habitat Degradation
11. Habitat Destruction
12. Human Impact
13. Molecular Evidence
14. Structural Evidence
15. Transcription
16. Translation
Key Points
1. The diversity of life on the planet has been created through the process of evolution by means of
natural selection.
2. Through natural selection, organisms have evolved to lessen competition, and therefore fill a wide
array of niches. This biodiversity increases the stability of ecosystems.
3. Biodiversity has important benefits to mankind, including development of new food sources and
medicines; as well as beneficial, free, ecosystem services. Ecosystem degradation and destruction
lead to the loss of genetic biodiversity and increases the chance that an ecosystem will become less
stable and collapse.
Botana curus
Species X
Species Y
Species Z
Leaf Structure
Vascular Tissue
Seed Structure
Chromatograph
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FOOD WEB ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Directions: Answer the questions on the following pages based on the diagram. Label the organisms in
the diagram using the bold words in the questions. Use pages 69-73 in the textbook as a resource.
1. Explain why plants are called producers or autotrophs.
2. What do the arrows represent in the food web?
3. Explain why the snail is considered a primary consumer.
4. Why are primary consumers also known as herbivores?
5. Explain why the hawk is considered a secondary consumer.
6. Why are secondary consumers also known as carnivores?
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7. Which organisms are the decomposers in the food web?
8. Describe the niche of the decomposers in the food web.
9. Provide examples of two different food chains found within the food web.
10. Label the energy pyramid to the right with the names of organisms that would fit into those
categories.
Tertiary
Consumers
Secondary
Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
11. How is energy lost as it travels through a food chain/up the energy pyramid?
12. If toxic chemicals are in the soil, how could it end up influencing the hawk and owl species?
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STUDENT EXPLORATION: FOOD CHAIN
GIZMO WARM-UP
The SIMULATION pane of the Gizmo shows the current population, or number, of
each organism in the food chain.
1. What are the current populations of each organism?
Hawks: _____ Snakes: _____ Rabbits: _____ Grass: _____
2. Select the BAR CHART tab, and click Play (
population as time goes by?
). What do you notice about each
If populations don’t change very much over time, the ecosystem is in equilibrium.
3. Compare the equilibrium populations of the four organisms. Why do you think populations decrease
at higher levels of the food chain?
PREDATOR-PREY RELATIONSHIPS
 Click Reset (
).
 Check that the BAR CHART tab is selected.
Question: Predators are animals that hunt other animals, called prey. How do predator and prey
populations affect one another?
1. Observe: Run the Gizmo with several different starting conditions. You can use the + or – buttons to
add or remove organisms, or you can choose Diseased from the dropdown lists.
2. Form hypothesis: How do you think predator and prey populations affect one another?
3. Predict: Based on your hypothesis, predict how changing the rabbit population will affect the other
organisms at first. Write “Increase” or “Decrease” next to each “Prediction” in the table.
Change
Doubling rabbit
population
Halving rabbit
population
Grass
Prediction:
Snakes
Prediction:
Hawks
Prediction:
Result:
Result:
Result:
Prediction:
Prediction:
Prediction:
Result:
Result:
Result:
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4. Test: Add rabbits until the population is about twice as large as it was (200% of balance). Click
Play, and then Pause (
) after approximately ONE month. Next to each “Result” line in the
table, write “Increase” or “Decrease.” Click Reset and then halve the rabbit population (50% of
balance). Record the results for this experiment in the table as well.
A. How did doubling the rabbit population affect the grass, snakes, and hawks at first?
B. How did halving the rabbit population affect the grass, snakes, and hawks at first?
Predict: Predict how changing the snake and hawk populations will affect the other organisms within the
first month. In the tables below, write your predictions.
Change
Grass
Rabbits
Hawks
Prediction:
Prediction:
Doubling snake Prediction:
population
Result:
Result:
Result:
Halving snake
population
Prediction:
Prediction:
Prediction:
Result:
Result:
Result:
Doubling hawk
population
Prediction:
Prediction:
Prediction:
Result:
Result:
Result:
Halving hawk
population
Prediction:
Prediction:
Prediction:
Result:
Result:
Result:
5. Test: Click Reset. Try each experiment with the Gizmo. Record each result after one month.
A. How did increasing the snakes affect the grass? Why?
B. How did increasing the hawks affect the rabbits? Why?
6. Draw conclusions: In general, what effect did removing prey have on predators?
What effect did removing predators have on prey?
Extend your thinking: In North America, many top predators, such as wolves, have been driven nearly to
extinction. What effect do you think this has on their main prey, deer? Write your answer below, and/or
discuss with your classmates and teacher.
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19
Carrying capacity is the number of animals the
habitat can support all year long. The carrying
capacity of a certain habitat can vary from year to
year. It can be changed by nature or humans.
20
21
EXPLORELEARNING: RABBIT POPULATION
INTRODUCTION
A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same
area. The size of a population is determined by many factors. In the Rabbit Population by Season
Gizmo™, you will see how different factors influence how a rabbit population grows and changes. A
female rabbit can give birth to over 40 baby rabbits a year.
ACTIVITY A: CARRYING CAPACITY
Question: What determines how large a population can grow?
1. A limiting factor is any factor that controls the growth of a population. What do you think are some
of the limiting factors for the rabbit population?
2. Run Gizmo: Select the DESCRIPTION tab. Set the Simulation speed to Fast. Select the GRAPH
tab. Click Play, and allow the simulation to run for at least 10 years. (Note: You can use the zoom
controls on the right to see the whole graph.)
A. Describe how the rabbit population changed over the course of 10 years.
B. What pattern did you see repeated every year?
C. How could you explain this pattern?
3. Analyze: The carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that
an environment can support. All environments have carrying capacities.
A. What is this environment’s approximate carrying capacity for rabbits? (Note: Average the
summer and winter carrying capacities.)
B. When did the rabbit population reach carrying capacity? Explain how you know.
ACTIVITY B: DENSITY-DEPENDENT LIMITING FACTORS
 Click Reset.
 On the SIMULATION pane, make sure Ample is selected for the amount of LAND available.
Background: Population density is the number of individuals in a population per unit of area. Some
limiting factors only affect a population when its density reaches a certain level. These limiting factors
are known as density-dependent limiting factors.
1. What do you think some density-dependent limiting factors might be?
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2. Predict: Suppose a shopping mall is built near a rabbit warren, leaving less land available for rabbits.
How will this affect the environment’s carrying capacity?
3. Experiment: Use the Gizmo to find the carrying capacity with Ample, Moderate, and Little land.
List the carrying capacities below.
Ample: _________________ Moderate: _________________ Little: _________________
4. Analyze: How did the amount of space available to the rabbits affect how many individuals the
environment could support?
5. Infer: Why do you think limiting a population’s space decreases the carrying capacity?
ACTIVITY C: DENSITY-INDEPENDENT LIMITING FACTORS
 Click Reset.
 On the SIMULATION pane, select Ample for the amount of LAND available.
Background: Not all limiting factors are related to a population’s density. Density-independent
limiting factors affect a population regardless of its size and density.
1. What do you think some density-independent limiting factors might be?
2. Gather data: Click Play. Allow the population to reach carrying capacity. Click Pause (
the GRAPH tab and look at the population graph with “Normal Weather.”
). Select
3. Predict: How do you think a period of harsh winters will affect the rabbit population?
4. Investigate: Click Reset. Select Harsh winter from the CONDITIONS listed on the
SIMULATION pane. Click Play, and observe the how the population changes over five years.
A. How does the Harsh Winter graph differ from the Normal Weather graph?
B. What do you think most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs?
5. Other than unusual weather, what might be another density-independent limiting factor that could
affect the rabbit population?
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IN THE VALLEY OF THE WOLVES
REINTRODUCTION OF THE WOLVES
When the gray wolf was eradicated from Yellowstone
National Park in the 1920s, more was lost than just the noble
and fascinating predator. The park’s entire ecosystem
changed. Now, nearly a dozen years since the wolves
returned, the recovery of that system to its natural balance is
well underway, say ecologists William Ripple and Robert
Beschta of Oregon State University.
The researchers began studying the interaction of wolves
with other parts of the ecosystem somewhat indirectly.
“Back in 1997, I became aware that the aspen trees in Yellowstone were declining,” Ripple
explains. “There was disagreement and confusion as to why these trees were disappearing, so I
set out with graduate students to unravel this mystery.”
“We went out to the park and we cored the trees and studied the tree rings which show the
annual growth, and we were able to age the trees that are still there,” Ripple says. The tree ring
analysis indicated that the aspen, which usually regenerate themselves by sending off new shoots
rather than by producing seeds, had stopped producing new trees during the first half of the 20th
century.
Ripple and his colleagues looked at several possible variables that could be affecting the trees,
from climate fluctuations to a changing natural forest fire regime. But the only factor that fit,
Ripple says, was the browsing patterns of elk, which like to feed on the seedlings of aspen trees,
and which are also a favored food of gray wolves: “The wolves were killed off from Yellowstone
in the 1920s, which correlated with the start of the aspen decline. That led us to develop the
hypothesis that the wolves were connected in some way to the aspen trees.” That connection,
Ripple concluded, was mediated through elk: “We connected the dots: wolves affect elk; elk
affect aspen; and therefore wolves affect aspen.”
Ripple and his colleagues subsequently discovered other changes. In some areas, willows —
small, scrubby trees that grow in wet areas along stream beds — were starting to grow taller,
because they were escaping predation by elk. In other areas, however, the willows continued to
be heavily grazed upon. The same patchy changes were also seen with cottonwood trees, which
also grow along streams.
“The more I looked at it the more I could see that what is going on may be an ecology of fear,”
Ripple says. “The theory goes like this: the browser — in this case the elk — need to make
behavioral decisions and tradeoffs as to how much time and energy to put into eating food versus
how much time to be staying in safe places.” Those decisions affect where the animals
concentrate their feeding efforts, and therefore the distribution of the vegetation they eat. “What
we started noticing is that the plants were doing better where the terrain might favor the wolf a
little bit more than the elk,” he says. For example, the elk might browse less in areas with poorer
visibility (more dangerous to the elk because they can’t see if wolves are on the scene), or
regions littered with heavy debris (a risk because it becomes an impediment to escape in the
event of an attack).
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Indeed, Ripple says, “we found that aspen were growing the tallest along streamside areas that
had some downed woody debris or some downed logs nearby.”
Elk behavior and vegetation distribution aren’t the only factors impacted by the return of the
Yellowstone’s wolves. Ripple suspects that the ripples of their recovery are reverberating
throughout the entire ecosystem, in birds, fish, insects, as well as in other plants and animal
species. Beavers, for example, are probably affected, he says. “The park service has been
monitoring beaver since the wolves returned, and found that they have increased in numbers
every year in the northern part of Yellowstone. Before the wolves returned, there really wasn’t
much food for the beaver. But now with this growth of these plants — especially the willow —
the beavers have more food, and they are also using the willows to build their lodges and their
dams, which may be contributing to beaver population increases.”
“We are at the beginning of a grand ecological experiment,” Ripple says. “We were without
wolves for seventy years, and we’ve just had them back in for 11 years, so we’re only just
starting to see changes. It could take many decades for the ecosystem to recover.”
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HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH GRAPHING ACTIVITY
Directions: The data in the chart below represents the human population. Graph the data on the
graph paper below.
Year A.D.
1650
1750
1850
1925
1956
1966
1970
1976
1980
1991
Number of People (in billions)
.50
.70
1.0
2.0
2.5
3.3
3.6
4.0
4.4
5.5
2004
2008
2014
6.4
6.7
7.2
What is the impact of the increase in the human population?
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CHEMICAL CYCLES
Directions: Fill in the blanks in the 3 cycles then answer the questions on the next page. Pages
74-80 in the textbook can be used as a resource.
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NITROGEN CYCLE
Questions:
1. Define the following terms:

Transpiration

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Nitrogen fixation

Denitrification
2. Name an imbalance that could occur in one of the chemical cycles.
3. What would cause that imbalance?
4. What would be the long term effect?
5. How could it be fixed?
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HUMAN IMPACT NOTE SHEET
Directions: Fill in the chart and answer the questions on the following page using pages 143-160 in the textbook.
PROBLEM
DESCRIPTION
CAUSE
EFFECT
SOLUTION
DEFORESTATION
ACID RAIN
BIOMAGNIFICATION
INVASIVE SPECIES
OZONE DEPLETION
GLOBAL WARMING
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HUMAN IMPACT NOTE SHEET
1. Is industrialization positive, negative or neither? Defend you answer with facts from the textbook.
2. What are renewable and non-renewable resources? Provided at least three examples of each.
3. In your opinion what is the most negative consequence of deforestation? Support your answer.
4. Explain how human activities impact biodiversity. Why is this good or bad?
5. In the food chain below each organism will each ten of the organism below them in the food chain.
If there is 1 gram of mercury found in the plant plankton, how much mercury would a person ingest
from eating one tuna? (for reference 1 gram = .0022 pounds)
6. Why are invasive species so successful?
7. What is the best way to deal with an invasive species?
8. What this the problem with exposure to large amounts of UV light?
9. Explain how ozone depletion and global warming are completely different things.
30
THE LORAX
1. Create a mini food web found in the Land of the Lifted Lorax and identify
the producer and primary consumers (herbivore) in this food web.
2. In a drawing (on the back of this sheet), describe the ecosystem of the Land of the Lorax.
Label three biotic factors and two abiotic factors in your drawing.
3. Every population is linked, directly or indirectly, with many others in an ecosystem.
Disruptions in the numbers and types of species and environmental changes can upset
ecosystem stability. Explain how a disruption in a population in the Land of the Lifted Lorax
disrupted other populations and the stability of this ecosystem.
4. Give an example of a Once-ler activity that depleted a natural resource.
5. State three things the Once-ler could have done after building his Thneed factory to maintain
the initial quality of the environment.
6. List and describe two types of pollution created by the activities of the Once-ler and his
family and explain how these activities were detrimental to the ecosystem of this area.
7. Biodiversity refers to differences between or within species. Biodiversity also ensures the
availability of a rich variety of genetic material that may lead to future agricultural or
medical discoveries with significant value to humankind. As diversity is lost, potential
sources of these materials may be lost with it. In a paragraph explain how the decrease in
biodiversity caused by the removal of the Truffula trees decreased the stability of the
ecosystem in this story.
31
LAND OF THE LIFTED LORAX
32
IN THE NEWS: HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
With rising gas prices and dependence on unsustainable
fossil fuels at a high, there's a desperate need to find
alternative energy sources. And let's be honest, most
energy producers wouldn't be upset to simply find more
sources of fossil fuels, either.
Hydraulic fracturing -- or hydro fracking -- is one
way that we can get at "hidden" reserves of natural gas,
petroleum -- even water. It sounds extremely
complicated, but fracking is a fairly simple process. Way
far underground (we're talking some 7,000 feet/2,133
meters below the surface), rocks like shale can hold
gases, water or oil in their pores. Hydraulic fracking
moves that resource from the pores of the rocks to
production wells.
It's done by creating horizontal "veins" off a vertical well, and then pumping that horizontal well
full of water (plus sand and some chemical additives) at an extremely high pressure. This causes
fissures in the rock that branch off, releasing gas, oil or water into the cracks created. The gases
and oils are forced into the horizontal wells and then flow up to storage tanks with the water that
comes back up.
So it's smooth sailing from there! The world gets to grab some hard-to-reach energy resources
and everybody wins, right? Except, of course, the process is extremely troubled with
environmental and safety concerns. From claims of groundwater contamination to reports of
destroyed land, critics have a growing list of fears when it comes to hydraulic fracking.
Questions:
Define the term hydraulic fracturing.
Identify both pros and cons of hydrofracking.
Predict what might occur if these horizontal veins came in contact with groundwater wells of
nearby towns.
Write one question that you could ask an engineer working on a hydrofracking well.
33
ECOLOGY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
CURRENT SCIENCE ARTICLES
Topic/Description
"carbon capture" for power plants and
factories to reduce global warming
species survival; disease v. population
decline; conservation
a botanist who climbs redwoods and
studies the species encountered
describes several species who feed on
blood (popular vampire characters)
harmful effects of pollution on species who
inhabit the Pacific and its coast
walrus habitats are threatened and their
species is endangered due to hunting
Gorilla's in captivity vs. the wild.
Storing wind energy
Solar energy
Greenhouse Effect
Fuel Efficient Driving (Hypermiling)
cleaning contaminated water
Depletion of the underground Water
Supply in Nebraska
a homemade box oven can be built that will
help eliminate deforestation.
restoration of the Everglades in progress to
preserve species
Kenyans raise orphaned elephants and
return them to the wild
blobs of organic matter (containing E. coli)
are increasing in the oceans
cleanup of nuclear (plutonium) waste site
in Hanford Washington
raising chickens in urban environments is
a "Green" idea
agricultural runoff (sediment and feces)
leads to "dead zones" that can’t support life
Decline of America's songbirds is related to
pesticides and habitat destruction
Issue
"What a Waste"
Oct 2009
"What a Waste"
Oct 2009
"High Life"
Dec 2008
"Blood Thirst"
Apr 2009
"Ear Ache"
Sep 2008
"Ion Flux"
Mar 2009
"Heart Sick"
Oct 2008
“Heart Sick”
Oct 2008
“Heart Sick”
Oct 2008
"War Torn"
Jan 2008
"War Torn"
Jan 2008
“Amazing Race”
Feb 2009
"Auto Pilot"
Oct 2009
“Tag Team”
Nov 2009
“Save my Swamp”
Dec 2009
“Family Matters”
Jan2010
“Ice Men”
Jan 2010
“Small Wonders”
Feb 2010
“Free Range”
Feb 2010
“Free Range”
Feb 2010
“Life Saver”
Mar 2010
Article Title
Big Catch
Page #s
10 & 11
England has the Blues
12
High Life
4&5
Blood Thirst
4&5
What a Dump
6&7
Tusk, Tusk
4&5
Heart Sick
4&5
The Air Down There
10 & 11
Solar Dish Collects
Cheap Energy
What Lies Beneath
15
8&9
Hyper Active
10 & 11
Pur and Simple
6&7
High and Dry
8&9
Box oven Wins Prize
14 & 15
Restoring the
Everglades
Family Matters
6-9
4&5
13
Blobs Infest Warming
Sea
Dirty Job
8&9
Free Range
4&5
Muddy Waters
8&9
The Sound of Silence
10-12
34
ECOLOGY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
INTERNET ENRICHMENT RESOURCES
Title/Description
Population Ecology: Impact of
plant seeds
Link
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/population-ecology.html
Impact of Invasive species:
(article)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/impact-invasive-species.html
Explore Madagascar's
Ankarana: Abiotic & biotic
factors
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/madagascar-ankarana.html
Invasive Species Matching
Game
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/invasive-species-game.html
Orchid Gallery: Biodiversity
Amazing Ants: Biodiversity
Pick the Pollinator: Symbiosis
Mother of Gardens:
Biodiversity
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/orchid-gallery.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/amazing-ants-game.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/pollination-game.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/china-plants.html
Capturing Carbon: Where Do
We Put It?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/tech/carbon-sink.html
Your Favorite Smart Animal:
(audio)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/favorite-smart-animal.html
Hurricane Katrina: Wetland
Destruction
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/earth/katrina-wetlanddestruction.html
Filming in a Disaster Area: Mt. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/hissen-disaster.html
St. Helen’s succession
Ingredients for Life: Water
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/evolution/ingredient-lifewater.html
Life in the Abyss: (article)
Plant vs. Predator: (article)
The Lives of Extremophiles:
(article)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/life-in-the-abyss.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/plant-vs-predator.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/lives-of-extremophiles.html
Mt St Helens: Back From the
Dead: Ecological succession
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/mt-st-helens.html
What Triggers Ice Ages?
(article)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/cause-ice-age.html
35
ECOLOGY STUDYGUIDE
Key Vocabulary
1. ecosystem
12. food web
23. parasite/host
2. producer
13. energy pyramid
24. scavenger
3. consumer
14. carrying capacity
25. biodiversity
4. decomposer
15. recycle
26. pollution
5. autotrophic nutrition
16. bacteria
27. deforestation
6. heterotrophic nutrition
17. fungi
28. extinction
7. ecology
18. competition
29. global warming
8. energy
19. population growth
30. ozone layer
9. herbivore
20. limiting factors
31. fossil fuels
10. carnivore
21. carrying capacity
32. industrialization
11. cycling of materials
22. predator/prey
33. acid rain
Learning outcomes
You should be able to …
 identify renewable/nonrenewable resources
 diagram and explain cycles of nitrogen, carbon/oxygen and water
 discusses how human activities can decrease biodiversity
 justify a solution to an environmental problem based on given information
 evaluate pros and cons of industrialization
 map flow of energy in an ecosystem by making energy pyramids and food webs
 explain transfer of energy within an ecosystem
 define carrying capacity and limiting factors
 compare and contrasts the three forms of symbiosis and other relationships between
organisms
 describe the benefits of biodiversity in addition to its cause
 interpret a series of diagrams showing terrestrial and aquatic succession
 list causes of ecosystem disturbance/instability (Global Warming, etc)
 describe the recovery of an altered ecosystem
Essential Questions
How do human activities improve or degrade ecosystems?
Why don't natural populations just keep growing?
Why is biodiversity important?
How does an ecosystem maintain stability?
36
Topic #1
List five typical abiotic factors that could be found in an environment (remember plants are
living organisms).
Put the following terms in order from most complex to least complex and define each term.
Ecosystem, population, biosphere, community, species.
Define and provide an example of each symbiotic relationship:
Mutualism –
Commensalism –
Parasitism –
Topic #2
Define climax community.
Define pioneer organism, include an example.
Sketch a simple diagram of either aquatic or terrestrial succession over time.
Time (years)
37
Topic #3
Complete the chart below
Term
Synonym(s)
Producer
Definition
Example
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Match each organism in the food web with a level on the energy pyramid.
Approximately what percentage of the energy from each level is available to the level above it?
What would happen to the food web/energy pyramid if the grasses all died? Why would this
happen?
Topic #4
Define the following terms:
Carrying capacity –
Limiting factors –
How do limiting factors impact the carrying capacity of a population?
38
Topic #5
Draw a diagram of one of the three chemical cycles we discussed in class.
What is nitrogen fixation?
Describe one way humans influence the carbon cycle.
Topic #6
What is global warming? What do most people believe to be the cause of global warming?
What causes ozone depletion? Why is ozone depletion a problem?
What are some of the main reasons for deforestation? Why is deforestation a “double-whammy”
when it comes to global warming?
What is an invasive species? Give an example of one.
Why are invasive species so successful and why are they such a problem?
What is biomagnifications?
Why was DDT bad for bald eagles even if the eagles weren’t eating it themselves?
39