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Station 1: Grassland Ecosystem STEP 1 Read the paragraph below. Then, find the section of your classwork paper that says “Station 1.” In the left side box draw the food web of the grassland ecosystem BEFORE the disturbance. Ecosystem 1 There are many animals that live in the grassland ecosystem. Grass and small shrubs are the producers in this biome. Rabbits, squirrels and mice and are the primary consumers. Rabbits and mice eat only small shrubs from the grassland. The squirrels eat both grass and small shrubs. Foxes eat the rabbits and mice. STEP 2 A disturbance hits! A brush fire destroys all of the small shrubs in the grassland. Decide what animals and plants die as a result of this disturbance. (Hint: Start with the plants that you know die.) STEP 3 Redraw the food web of grassland ecosystem after the disturbance. Do not draw any of the plants and animals that were wiped out by the disease! Station 2: Rainforest Ecosystem STEP 1 Read the paragraph below. Then, find the section of your classwork paper that says “Station 2.” In the left side box, draw the food web of the rainforest ecosystem BEFORE the disturbance. Ecosystem 2 Tropical rainforests are the most diverse biome in the world and there are many connections in between species. There are many producers that live in the rainforest, including orchids, banana trees, the coconut tree and bamboo. The primary consumers are the macaw (bird), fruit bats, monkeys and insects. The macaw and the fruit bats eat orchids and banana trees. The monkeys and insects eat bamboo, banana trees and coconut trees. Pythons and jaguars are secondary consumers. Pythons eat macaws and fruit bats. Jaguars eat macaws, monkeys and insects. STEP 2 DISEASE hits! A disease wipes out all small shrubs and trees (both coconut and banana). Decide what animals and plants die as a result of this disturbance. (Hint: Start with the plants that you know die.) STEP 3 Redraw the food web of Rainforest Ecosystem after the disturbance on the right side of the paper. Do not draw any of the plants and animals that were wiped out by the disease. Station 3: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability Directions Use the food webs you made for Station 1 and Station 2 to answer the following questions. Don’t forget to THINK!!! 1. How many species are in the grassland ecosystem BEFORE the brush fire? 2. How many species are in the grassland ecosystem AFTER the brush fire? 3. How many species were lost in the grassland ecosystem because of the brush fire? What were these species? 4. How many species are in the rainforest ecosystem BEFORE the disease? 5. How many species are in the rainforest ecosystem AFTER the disease? 6. How many species were lost in the rainforest ecosystem because the disease hit? What were these species? 7. Which ecosystem started with the largest biodiversity? 8. Which ecosystem ended with the largest biodiversity? 9. Which ecosystem is more stable? 10. In a complete sentence (or two), EXPLAIN why one ecosystem is more stable than the other. When you are finished, take a break. Chill. Station 4, Part 1: Summary Writing (Medicine) STEP 1 Read the following paragraphs. Biodiversity One word that is often used when talking about environmental problems is “biodiversity”. “Diversity” means difference of variety, so “biodiversity” describes the whole range of the different varieties of living things on this earth. Biodiversity can be found everywhere – it includes animal species, plant species, genes, ecosystems and landscapes. Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? Medicine When developing new medicines, modern researchers are looking more and more towards our natural resources. Many animal and plant species have been useful in the past for finding new treatments and cures. One of the most famous examples is digitalin, which is derived from the foxglove and is used to treat heart conditions. Another is vincristine, taken from the rosy periwinkle of Madagascar and used to treat childhood leukemia. Many more medicines have been made from species found in rainforest areas. It is possible that many species could hold the answer to future medical cures – so the more species that are conserved, the more chance there is of discovering something of medical value. STEP 2 Summarize the “Biodiversity” paragraph in 1 – 2 sentences. Then, summarize the “Medicine” paragraph, too. WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Station 4, Part 2: Summary Writing (People) STEP 1 Read the following paragraphs. Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? Ecosystems Biodiversity is of great importance in order to maintain stable ecosystems. An ecosystem is a group of living things that live together in an area. If there is a sudden change in that community’s environment, the balance of the community may change which may cause it to be destroyed. The destruction of ecosystems can have a very serious effect both on local and global levels. Rainforests, for example, contribute both to the process of soil formation and help to regulate the climate through photosynthesis – both producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. This means that the destruction of rainforests causes erosion, loss of valuable species and changes in climate. People Biodiversity and the protection of our ecosystems is also important to us all as individuals. We can all appreciate the beauty of biodiversity whether we are looking at a view, rock-pooling, going for a walk in a wood or sitting in a garden. Human beings like to live in a varied natural environment with open spaces to walk and play in, trees for shade, colorful flowers, clean water for swimming and paddling, birds and animals. What would our world be like without trees? There is also an ethical side to maintaining biodiversity. Many people feel that it is their duty to pass on the same natural world to their children that they have enjoyed. Others think that species themselves have their own value and right to exist whether humans need them or not. STEP 2 Summarize the “Ecosystems” paragraph in 1 – 2 sentences. Then, summarize the “People” paragraph, too. WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Station 5: Importance of the Sun Station 6: Unit Test Practice Directions Answer the following questions. Don’t forget to THINK!!! Modified True/False If the statement is true, write “True.” If the statement is false, write “False” AND re-write the statement to make it true. 11. One of the benefits of biodiversity is that we may discover cures for many diseases in plants. 12. Ecosystems with high biodiversity are more stable than ecosystems with low biodiversity. 13. If an ecosystem has low biodiversity, and one species goes extinct, then the ecosystem will not change very much. Short answer Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 14. Coniferous forests change more when a disease hits than when that same disease hits a deciduous forest. What does this observation tell us about which type of forest has greater biodiversity? Use the following paragraph to answer questions 15-16. There are many tall trees in the rainforest of South America. The trees receive much sunlight at the equator, growing tall. These trees provide food and shelter for the monkeys, who swing from their branches and eat their fruit. The trees are also good for the leopards, which climb the trees and eat the monkeys. Soyex, a multi-national farming company, wants to cut down all of the trees in a 30 square mile area of the rainforest to plant soybeans. 15. How would cutting down the trees affect the biodiversity of the rainforest ecosystem? 16. Would the ecosystem be more or less stable after the drilling? Explain WHY in at least two complete sentences. Describe what happens to all of the organisms in the rainforest ecosystem, and use the word “biodiversity.”