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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 1 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 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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) 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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 10 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? 11 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 12 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. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 13 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 14 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? 15 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? 16 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: 17 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. 18 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? 22 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? 23 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). 24 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.” 25 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? 26 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. 27 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? 28 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 29 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