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More is Better: The Biodiversity Story catalog #2795 Teacher’s Guide Produced by ... Paul Fuqua Published & Distributed by… AGC/UNITED LEARNING 1560 Sherman Avenue Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 24-Hour Fax No. 847-328-6706 Website: http://www.agcunitedlearning.com E-Mail: [email protected] MORE IS BETTER The Biodiversity Story Viewing Time: 18 minutes INTRODUCTION Thousands of species of plants and animals are disappearing from the earth today at an alarming rate. Although extinction is a natural process, scientists have concluded that before humans, species probably became extinct at the rate of one every one thousand years. Today, scientists report that a species disappears every twenty seconds. What's causing the problem? What are the effects? And why more is better when it comes to biological diversity are addressed in this unique video lesson. Exquisite live-action video taken in a wide variety of interesting locations combined with a storylike narrative make this program appropriate for a wide range of ages--grades 5-12. In addition to this teacher's guide, this 18-minute, live-action video includes a set of four blackline masters designed for xerography or to be made into overhead transparencies. PROGRAM GOALS The goals of this presentation are to explain... • How much faster than normal species are becoming extinct. • What pressures are producing this accelerated rate of extinction of so many species. • Why it is important to maintain the broadest based biodiversity possible. 1 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO PRESENTATION More Is Better opens by introducing viewers to a number of researchers whose work is helping to maintain the earth’s biodiversity and the challenges they face. It then goes on to show how the earth’s population is rapidly expanding and how the resulting increase in people is putting a number of severe pressures on many of the planet's other species. These pressures include such things as air and water pollution, the activities of exotic plant and animal collectors, the introduction of nonindigenous species, over-hunting and the wide-scale destruction of wild habitats. From there the presentation moves to a discussion of the fact that although extinction is nothing new—that species have become extinct throughout the history of life on earth—it is happening now at a rate that is far faster than would be normally expected. More Is Better then points out some of the reasons why biodiversity is important. These include both direct benefits, such as the use of "wild" genetic material to produce new drugs and improve agricultural crops, and indirect considerations, such as our responsibility to pass on to the next generation a healthy and biologically diverse planet. TEACHER PREPARATION We suggest you view the video and familiarize yourself with this teacher’s guide and the accompanying blackline masters before using this program. In this way you will become familiar with the materials and be better prepared to adapt the program to the needs of your class. You may choose at this time to duplicate the blackline masters you intend to use. We also suggest that the video presentation take place before the entire class and under your direction. The lesson activities grow out of the content of the video, therefore it is helpful to make the presentation a common experience for all your students. As you review this guide, make any changes that you feel will help your class get the most out of this learning experience. 2 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] STUDENT OBJECTIVES After viewing the video and participating in the follow-up activities, students should be able to... • Describe the rate at which species are now estimated to be disappearing. • Discuss human population growth trends and their negative impact on other species. • Describe how species are being negatively impacted by: - Air pollution - Water pollution - The collection of rare and exotic species - Non-indigenous species - Over-hunting - Habitat destruction • Describe some of the ways in which humans benefit from maintaining a rich biodiversity. • Discuss ways to curb the extinction of species and to maintain a broadbased biodiversity. INTRODUCING THE VIDEO DID YOU KNOW? Ask you students the following DID YOU KNOW? questions. Ask for a show of hands and have the class observe how others respond to the statements. Have no extended discussion at this point. The purpose of this activity is to create an interest on the part of your students in viewing the video. • Some pain medicine comes from the skin of amphibians, such as frogs? 3 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] • Approximately 90% of all living things on earth live in less than onetenth of the earth's surface? • Sharks are a source of medical antibiotics? • A species of plant or animal disappears from earth every twenty seconds? Explain to the students that they will find the answers to these questions and much more while viewing the video, More Is Better: The Biodiversty Story. Before viewing the video, distribute Blackline Master 1, Vocabulary List, to each student and review each word and its appropriate definition so that students will become familiar with some of the terms used in the video presentation. Expand upon each definition as needed. Ask the students to retain the list for future reference. View the video. The viewing time is 18 minutes. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES Discussion Read each of the DID YOU KNOW? questions. Encourage related discussion of each question. Additional Discussion Questions Lead a group discussion based on the following questions: 1. Describe the world’s human population today and how it is likely to change by the year 2050. Answers will vary but may include: Today it is estimated that there are more than five and one-half billion people on earth. By the year 2050 that number will have expanded to about twice its present size. 2. How does the rate of extinction the world is now experiencing compare with what scientists consider the normal rate the planet would experience without the impact of human activity? Answers will vary but may include: Today species are being exterminated much faster than would normally happen . Under normal circumstances it is 4 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] estimated that only about 10 species should become extinct each year. In contrast, today thousands of species are thought to be disappearing every year. One estimate is that species are disappearing so fast that we are now losing one every twenty minutes. 3. Explain how modern genetics has highlighted the value of biodiversity. Answers will vary but may include: Scientists now recognize that every organism, no matter how humble, contains a reservoir of potentially valuable genetic material. This material can be used for such things as to help produce new crops and drugs. Any time a species becomes extinct, this potentially valuable genetic is lost forever as is its potential for use by us or future generations. 4. What do you think is the correct answer to the question, "Does the planet earth belong to us, or do we belong to it?" Explain your answer. Answers will vary but should include an explanation of each student’s position on the relationship between humans and the other species with which we share the planet. 5. Give an example of one of the many ways in which human activities threaten biodiversity. Answers will vary but may include: Human activity has adversely impacted the maintenance of biodiversity in many ways. Threats included in the presentation include air and water pollution, collectors, over hunting, the introduction of non-indigenous plants and animals and habitat destruction. Blackline Masters Blackline Master 1, Vocabulary List, will help students become familiar with some of the terms used in the video presentation. Blackline Master 2, Vocabulary Exercise: This activity will help students enhance their understanding of the terms used in the video lesson. Younger students may need to work in small groups. After they have completed the activity, review each vocabulary word and its definition with the entire class. Relate your discussion to the video or to current events whenever possible. 5 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] Blackline Master 3, Extinction Rate Concept Map: Distribute copies and explain how to do concept mapping if needed. You may choose to have the class work in small groups. After the activity has been completed, review the answers with the entire class. Blackline Master 4, Causes of Extinction Concept Map: Distribute copies and review the procedure for completing concept mapping with your students. You may choose to have the students work in small groups. Once the activity is completed, review the answers with the entire class. An answer key can be found beginning on page 8. Projects: Depending on the level of your students, you may choose to involve them in a wide variety of activities based on the information which follows. Activities such as art projects, research and reporting, writing assignments, music, poetry, etc. will assist you if you're using this lesson as a thematic unit The only limit to potential projects for this presentation is the teacher's imagination and that of the students. The list of topics that can be explored by students, either individually or in groups, is all but limitless. Historic examples relating to various North-American species that have been pushed either into or to the brink of extinction provides a rich area for your students to explore. Examples that your students might want to find out more about include: • The poaching of alligators to near extinction for their hides and their recovery once protected. • The complete extinction of the passenger pigeon, a bird that once numbered in the hundreds of millions. • The near extinction of the American buffalo for sport and to feed railway workers. • The slaughter of millions of wading and other birds for feathers to be used in the fashion industry. •The loss of nearly all the original tall-grass prairie ecosystem to the advance of agriculture across the continent. 6 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] Current day examples of species that are under intense survival pressure also abound. Familiar examples that your students might want to investigate include: • The widespread illegal hunting of African elephants for their ivory. • The near extermination of rhinoceroses for their horns. • The increased hunting of bears and other animals for their internal organs which are thought to be of medicinal value in some parts of the world. • The illegal poaching of rare plants and exotic animals, such as reptiles and birds, to supply the collector and pet markets. Students can also be encouraged to explore basic underlying issues relating to biodiversity such as: • The rapid growth of the world’s human population and the impact of this growth on other species. • The impact of regional development on wild species and their habitats. • The conflicts over such complex issues as the protection of the spotted owl and the old growth forests of the American Northwest versus the interests of the timber industry and the loggers that work in it. • The impact that development has had on such species as sea turtles and the Florida panther. Students can also be encouraged to explore their own actions and how they affect biodiversity; how they and their actions impact the biodiversity of their own communities and the world as a whole. Here we suggest the broadest possible approach. Students should be helped to realize that everything from the chemicals they use on their lawns and gardens to the political candidates they vote for and the organizations they support has an impact on the natural world around them and the degree to which its biodiversity is maintained within it. The discussion of all the above topics can be used as a means to help students explore their own actions and those of others in terms of what 7 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] they consider their responsibility for the planet’s stewardship; in other words, what kind of a world they want to leave for the generations that eventually will follow them. Bulletin Boards You will find it helpful to involve a small group of students in preparing a classroom bulletin board centered around the themes presented in this video lesson. Hallway Bulletin Boards will also serve to make the entire school aware of the need for biodiversity. If available, you may want to do several bulletin boards involving several different groups of students from your class. We recommend that you assign each bulletin board group one of the "DID YOU KNOW?" questions. State the questions on the bulletin board and then have the students illustrate or explain the statements through written highlights. Encourage the students to be creative but accurate in the information they present. ANSWER KEY Blackline Master 2, Vocabulary Exercise 1. bacteria (e) 2. ozone (b) 3. photosynthesis (d) 4. acid rain (c) 5. ecosystem (a) 6. biological diversity (f) 7. pollution (g) 8. genetics (k) 9. smog (i) 10. non-indigenous species (m) 11. extinct (l) 12. rain forest (j) 13. pesticide (h) 14. habitat (0) 15. stewardship (n) 8 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] Blackline Master 3, Extinction Rate Concept Map Blackline Master 4, Causes of Extinction Concept Map 9 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT Greenpeace, USA 1436 U St., NW Washington, DC 20039 National Wildlife Federation 1400 16th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 Rain Forest Action Network 3012 Broadway, Suite A San Francisco, CA 94109 The Sierra Club 730 Polk St. San Francisco, CA 94109 World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th St., NW Washington, DC 20037 You may find it informative and an excellent resource to have students write to these organizations asking for information. We encourage you to have only one letter go to each organization on behalf of your entire class. ADDITIONAL VIDEO RESOURCES The following videos are available from United Learning: Acid Rain: The Invisible Threat, grades 8-12; a video lesson Air and Water, grades 7-12; a Unit of Study Alaska: The Final Stand, multi-grade 7-12; a video lesson The Desert's Struggle For Survival, multi-grade 5-12; a thematic unit The Greenhouse Effect, grades 9-12; a video lesson Our Wonderful Wetlands, grades 5-8; a video lesson The Two Faces of Ozone, grades 5-9; a video lesson Where Eagles Fly, An Environmental Issues Program, multi-grade 7-12; a video lesson Where Have All The Animals Gone? Endangered Species, grades 4-8; a video lesson 10 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] SCRIPT OF VIDEO NARRATION DR. Rosie Gillespie and her student helpers are exploring spider life in Hawaii. Dr. Roy Horst is hot on the trail of Caribbean mongooses, those fierce little carnivores imported from India years ago as rat killers, that are now wiping out many animals native to the islands. Dr. Meg Lowman and her associates are collecting insects deep within the rain forests of Belize—one of the most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems to be found anywhere on the planet. And in Florida, Dr. Lew Earhart’ team is racing against time to save sea turtles—that ancient line which, after surviving millions of years, is now under attack by relative new-comers to the planet—us humans. Around the globe dedicated scientists such as these are battling perhaps the most serious ecological crisis facing us today--the total loss, or extinction, of huge numbers of the other living things with which we share the earth—a loss that’s taking place at a breakneck speed. To get an idea of just how fast species are disappearing, consider the following: It only takes about twenty minutes to watch this show. That’s a short time. But during it, some scientists calculate, another species will become extinct, will be wiped out forever. This is the story of what’s happening—and why. Earth, seen here from the moon’s surface, is a unique planet—very different from any other. And just what is it that makes it that way, that so sets it apart from any other place in the universe we know of? The answer is "life"--the presence of living things. It’s that more than anything else, the truly amazing abundance and incredible variety of living things with which we share the planet, that makes the earth so unique. From forests to fields; from across the skies to under the seas; today planet earth is home to the greatest variety of living things it has ever known. Unfortunately, however—as we are now discovering—all is not well with many species. Researchers are finding that many, such as this tu11 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] mor-infested sea turtle, are in such trouble that they are in serious danger of extinction. Of course, as the record of past life on earth shows, extinction is nothing new. Earth’s history is full of species, such as the dinosaurs, that once flourished and then died out completely. Take, for example, this barren landscape. It doesn’t look like much, but in some places where the forces of wind and water have eroded it away, we can visit what’s left of a long-gone and totally different world. These now stone logs are the fossil remains of long extinct species of trees that flourished here hundreds of millions of years ago when much of the area was covered by a vast tropical swamp. They are testimonies in stone to the fact that the forces of extinction are nothing new. What is new, however, is the fantastically accelerated rate at which it’s happening. While scientists can’t say exactly how fast today’s living things are being exterminated, many researchers do believe that species are disappearing much faster than normal. The fossil record suggests that under normal circumstances about ten species a year become extinct. Instead, many scientists fear that we may be losing many thousands of species each year. So many, in fact, that the earth, as we said earlier, may be losing its living things at the astonishing rate of a species every twenty minutes. Obviously, if that’s what’s really happening, planet earth and every living thing on it, ourselves included, is in big trouble. Causes We don’t have to go far when it comes to wondering why so many species are in such serious trouble. The answer is us. It’s a "people" thing. Every year there are more and more of us destroying more and more of the natural world. Just how many more people is truly amazing. In 1950, there were just two and one-half billion people. Since then the world’s population has more than doubled. Today, there are more than five and one-half billion of us. And by the year 2100, it’s estimated that the world’s population will have doubled again to twice that size. 12 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] Such stunning population growth is not good news for many of the other species that share planet earth with us. Remember, for example, the turtles we saw earlier and the tumors that plague so many of them? These poor critters are classic examples of wildlife that’s suffering from the pollution that over-development so often produces. These grotesque growths may, many scientists think, well be caused by a failure of the turtle’s immune systems. Research is increasingly suggesting that this is brought on by pesticides and other such poisonous chemicals that wash off the area’s farms, golf courses, lawns and streets into the waters in which the turtles live. Along with polluting many of the planet’s waterways, we’ve also managed to poison much of the planet’s atmosphere. Emissions from factories and power plants, along with those from the countless millions of vehicles that crowd our roads, all contribute to the smog and other kinds of air pollution that plague so many areas and harm so many species. Look, for example, at this leaf. It’s been poisoned by ozone—a main ingredient of smog. Scientists are finding that such ozone pollution harms many different species. And here’s what happens to trees that have been poisoned by acid rain, another deadly form of atmospheric pollution. In some areas, whole forests have been destroyed by such human-made environmental poisoning. But pollution is just one of the things that’s helping to bring on the extinction of so many species. Some species, such as many kinds of exotic birds, prized reptiles, colorful tropical fish, and sought-after plants, such as these rare orchids and insect-eating pitcher plants, have been over-collected by greedy hobbyists. Still other organisms are threatened by our introduction of non-native species, such as this kudzu vine. Native to Asia, the fast-spreading kudzu was planted widely along roadsides to help prevent erosion. There, because it has no natural enemies to control it, the kudzu quickly crowds out native plants. 13 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] And here’s another troublesome non-indigenous species--domesticated swans--that over the years have escaped or been set free. Originally brought from Europe, the imported birds are more aggressive than the native North-American wild swans, and they’ve taken over many of the prime feeding and nesting sites the native birds once used. This has driven the native North-American swans away from much of the territory they once inhabited. Along with such problems as pollution, over-collecting and non-indigenous species, unregulated over-hunting has also harmed many species. Egrets and other wading birds were, for example, plundered to near extinction by plume hunters after their beautiful feathers. These feathers were so highly prized as hat ornaments that they sold to hat makers for more than the price of gold. Other wildlife, such as buffalo, also suffered terribly. Once numbering in the millions, the great herds were gunned down to near extermination. But as serious as all these problems are, it’s this, the destruction of their habitats—their homes—that poses the gravest threat to the world’s wildlife. For when you wipe out wild areas, be it to build homes, put in golf courses, plant orange groves, build boat marinas, or cut down rain forests, the result is the same. Wildlife suffers. It’s that simple. For the truth, is as the world’s human population grows, so do pressures on other living things. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the rain forests. Though rain forests cover less than a tenth of the earth’s surface, they are home to perhaps as many as 90% of all the planet’s living things. About half of all the wood growing on earth is found in rain forests and the photosynthesis carried on by their green plants produces almost a third of the earth’s oxygen supply. Yet, as vital as they are, in many areas rain forests are being chopped down as fast as possible—disappearing, it’s estimated, at the rate of 1-1/2 acres a second! 14 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] Benefits Poke around any wetland and you’re likely to run into one of these little critters—a frog. Frogs are amphibians, and in the big scheme of things, they may not seem like much; not, that is, unless you’ve been badly burned, suffered a heart attack or needed a powerful pain-killer. Unless, in other words, you’ve benefited from some of the more spectacular modern drugs. If you have, amphibians may be a good bit more interesting. And that’s because the drugs mentioned, plus others, were all discovered by analyzing the hundreds of chemicals found in amphibian skins. Moving into a bit deeper water, we find still other wild species that are helping to keep us alive. For example, the shells of these crabs are yielding chemicals used to make surgical thread. And some sharks have been found to produce potent germ-fighting antibiotics, while the poisons produced by some fish show promise as powerful pain-killers. And then there are the rain forests. Exploring them is like visiting a huge natural pharmaceutical laboratory. That’s because the plants and other organisms living in them have yielded so many useful medicines. Scientists have found that rain forests—and the rest of nature—are such storehouses of useful chemicals that at least a quarter of all prescriptions sold in the United States contain ingredients discovered by analyzing wild plants. Around the globe farmers are benefiting from our planet’s rich biological diversity. Take corn for example. Strains of it have been genetically engineered to produce their own natural pesticides. This pestresistant corn was produced by transferring genetic material from common soil bacteria to the corn plants. Genes from wild species have also helped to make crops resist diseases, use less fertilizer while growing, and last longer without spoiling. Drugs from amphibian skins, poisonous fish, and rain forest plants, and improved crops are just a few examples of how we all benefit di15 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] rectly from other—often seemingly valueless—species. They also highlight how the revolution that’s going on in modern genetics is making us change how we think about other living things. Until recently, our main concern about most critters was how much meat we could carve off their carcasses. Simply put, if we couldn’t slice a good meal off something, we weren’t much interested in it. Today, we’re starting to look at the world around us differently. We’re beginning to realize that all living things—no matter how insignificant they may seem—are, in fact, complex natural chemical labs which produce genetic material that’s unique to that species and that can’t be duplicated or retrieved in a useful form if lost. Thus, when any species, such as these fossil shellfish, become extinct, their genetic material—and any benefits we might gain from it—is lost forever. But as important as such things as new drugs and improved crops are, they’re only part of the reason that "more is better"--only part of the reason that the earth’s rich biodiversity is worth saving. Just as important is the issue of stewardship—of caring for the planet, of deciding what kind of world we want to live in, what kind we want to leave for those who will follow us, what our role in nature should be. Does planet earth belong to us—or do we belong to it? Do we have the right to destroy the natural world at will? Or do we have the responsibility to care for that of which we are a part? Our answers will, to a large part, decide the fate of many of the planet’s other living things, along with ours—and that of generations to come. 16 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] 1 Name _____________________ MORE IS BETTER: THE BIODIVERSITY STORY VOCABULARY Directions: Read each vocabulary word and its definition. As you view the video, listen for each of the words. Acid Rain: Rainfall or other precipitation contaminated by high concentrations of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Rain is considered acidic if its pH is less than 5.6. Bacteria: A large group of microscopic organisms concerned in the processes of fermentation, nitrogen fixation, decay, etc. Biological Diversity: Refers to the variety of species within a habitat. Ecosystem: A physical environment with the community of variousorganisms that inhabit it; considered as an ecological unit. Extinct: No longer exists. An extinct species is one which no longer exists. Genetics: The study of the mechanism of inheritance and the control of the characteristics of an organism by its genes. Habitat: The sum of the environmental conditions that determine the existence of a community in a specific place. Non-Indigenous Species: A species that is not normally found in an area. Ozone: A colorless gas whose molecules are composed of three oxygen atoms. A main ingredient of smog. Pesticide: Any substance that kills pests; includes herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Photosynthesis: The chemical process by which green plants make their own food. Oxygen is given off as a byproduct. Pollution: The release of material into the environment, such as industrialwaste or sewage, which is harmful to humans, plants, animals and other organisms. Rain Forest: A wet forest where there is heavy rain most months of the year. Most rain forests are in the tropics. Smog: A mixture of various chemicals formed in the air from automotive emissions and nitrogen oxides. Ozone is one of the most common compounds formed. Stewardship: The act of looking after something and making good use of things. More Is Better: The Biodiversity Story © 1995 Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] 2 Name _____________________ MORE IS BETTER: THE BIODIVERSITY STORY VOCABULARY REVIEW Directions: Using the words at the bottom of the page, match the word with its correct definition 1. _______ A large group of microscopic organisms concerned in the processes of fermentation, nitrogen fixation, decay, etc. 2. _______ A colorless gas whose molecules are composed of three oxygen atoms. A main ingredient of smog. 3. _______ The chemical process by which green plants make their own food. Oxygen is given off as a byproduct. 4. _______ Rainfall, or other precipitation, contaminated by high concentrations of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. 5. _______ A physical environment with the community of various organisms that inhabit it, considered as an ecological unit. 6. _______ Refers to the variety of species within a habitat. 7. _______ The release of material into the environment, such as industrial waste or sewage, which is harmful to humans, plants, animals and other organisms. 8. _______ The study of the mechanism of inheritance and the control of the characteristics of an organism by its genes. 9. _______ A mixture of various chemicals formed in the air from automotive emissions and nitrogen oxides. Ozone is one of the most common compounds formed. 10. ______ A species that is not normally found in an area. 11. ______ No longer exists. An extinct species is one which no longer exists. 12. ______ A wet forest where there is heavy rain most months of the year. Most of these forests are in the tropics. 13. ______ Any substance that kills pests; includes herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. 14. ______ The sum of the environmental conditions that determine the existence of a community in a specific place. 15. ______ The act of looking after something and making good use of things. Word List: A. Ecosystem B. Ozone C. Acid Rain D. Photosynthesis E. Bacteria F. Biological Diversity G. Pollution H. Pesticide More Is Better: The Biodiversity Story I. Smog J. Rain Forest K. Genetics L. Extinct M. Non-indigenous Species N. Stewardship O. Habitat © 1995 Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] 3 Name _____________________ MORE IS BETTER: THE BIODIVERSITY STORY EXTINCTION RATE CONCEPT MAP Directions: Fill out the concept map using the words listed at the bottom of this page. As the record clearly shows, the of new is is, however, now happening many times The than with some experts estimating the earth is losing another species every the rate loss of species is thought to be about species a Word List: More Is Better: The Biodiversity Story extinction fossil minutes nothing twenty faster ten normal species year © 1995 Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected] 4 Name _____________________ MORE IS BETTER: THE BIODIVERSITY STORY CAUSES OF EXTINCTION CONCEPT MAP Directions: Fill out the concept map using the words listed at the bottom of this page. Many species are becoming extinct because of the pollution introduction collecting destruction of and which, worldwide, is the non-indigenous hunting such as acid and habitat over rain and worst problem species ozone-rich smog Word List: More Is Better: The Biodiversity Story collecting extinct introduction destruction hunting non-indigenous pollution smog worst rain species © 1995 Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected]