Download Ecosystem/biome Example to explore Ecology 4.1 and 4.2 1. Form a

Ecosystem/biome Example to explore Ecology 4.1 and 4.2
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Form a group of 3-4 students that can work together inside and out of class.
On Edmodo comment on the assignment “Biome choice: _________, student names in group, period”
Biome choices
Aquatic biome choices
Terrestrial biome choices
Freshwater
- like lake tahoe, Lake Baikal, Peck’s Pond in
Pocono mountains, a specific river, a specific
stream…
Wetlands
-like the Delta, Chesapeake Bay, a specific
marsh…
Estuary
-the salt wedge estuary of the Mississippi river
Intertidal zones
-the intertidal zone of Bodega Bay…
Coral Reefs
-Fiji coral reef, Australian coral reef…
Benthos
- a deep sea vent community
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Tropical forests-ex: Hawaiian rainforests, Costar Rica’s cloud forest, the amazon, rainforests of Asia
stretch from India and Burma in the west to Malaysia and the islands of Java and Borneo in the east.
Savanna –Kenyan savanna, Serengeti Plains of Tanzania, the Acacia Plains of East Africa, the savannas of
Venezuela, and the Australian Savanna
Desert-Sonora desert, Gobi Desert…
Chaparral- West coast of the United States, the West coast of South America, the Cape Town area of
South Africa, the Western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.
Temperate grasslands- veldts of South Africa, the Puszta of Hungary, Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay,
the steppes of Russia, North American prairies
Temperate deciduous forest- Temperate deciduous forests can be found in the eastern part of the United
States and Canada, most of Europe and parts of China and Japan. Ex. Great Smoky Mountains
Coniferous forests- he northern coniferous forests are called taiga or boreal forests. They cover vast areas
of North America from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and range across northern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia
and across Asia through Siberia and Mongolia to northern China and northern Japan. Ms. McKay’s favorite
is the California Costal redwood forests
Tundra- arctic tundra, alpine tundra, Iceland, subantarctic islands: South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands and the Kerguelen Islands
Optional Quick internet activity to intro fundamentals of Ecosystems:
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/uploads/alberta/Ecosystem.swf
Review and Research the relevant 4.1& 4.2 standards as related to your biome of choice. KEEP TRACK of your SOURCES.
Construct a PPT slide based poster that uses the biome of choice to demonstrate the IB understandings and the 4.2 Energy pyramid
skill.
a. You can use up to 3 slides. 2 slides for Posters. Last slide for works cited references.
b. Turn in final draft to Edmodo
c. Print out a hard copy too (black and white ok if too Color intense) …will be used to take grading notes on during mini
presentations.
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Nature of science:
Looking for patterns, trends and discrepancies—plants and algae are mostly autotrophic but some are not. (3.1)
Understandings:
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Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations.
Species have either an autotrophic or heterotrophic method of nutrition (a few species have both methods).
Consumers are heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion.
Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion.
Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion.
A community is formed by populations of different species living together and interacting with each other.
A community forms an ecosystem by its interactions with the abiotic environment.
Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment.
The supply of inorganic nutrients is maintained by nutrient cycling.
Ecosystems have the potential to be sustainable over long periods of time.
Applications and skills:
Skill: Classifying species as autotrophs, consumers, detritivores or saprotrophs from a knowledge of their mode of nutrition.
Skill: Setting up sealed mesocosms to try to establish sustainability. (Practical 5)
Skill: Testing for association between two species using the chi-squared test with data obtained by quadrat sampling.
Skill: Recognizing and interpreting statistical significance.
Guidance:
Mesocosms can be set up in open tanks, but sealed glass vessels are preferable because entry and exit of matter can be prevented but light can enter and heat can leave. Aquatic systems are likely to be more successful than terrestrial ones.
To obtain data for the chi-squared test, an ecosystem should be chosen in which one or more factors affecting the distribution of the chosen species varies. Sampling should be based on random numbers. In each quadrat the presence or
absence of the chosen species should be recorded.
International-mindedness:
The need for sustainability in human activities could be discussed and the methods needed to promote this.
Utilization:
Syllabus and cross-curricular links: Geography
Part 2A: Fresh water-issues and conflicts Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.1 Species and populations
Aims:
Aim 6: It would be best for students to obtain data for the chi-squared test themselves, to give first-hand experience of field work techniques.
4.2 Energy flow
Nature of science:
Use theories to explain natural phenomena—the concept of energy flow explains the limited length of food chains. (2.2)
Understandings:
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Most ecosystems rely on a supply of energy from sunlight.
Light energy is converted to chemical energy in carbon compounds by photosynthesis.
Chemical energy in carbon compounds flows through food chains by means of feeding.
Energy released from carbon compounds by respiration is used in living organisms and conv erted to heat.
Living organisms cannot convert heat to other forms of energy.
Heat is lost from ecosystems.
Energy losses between trophic levels restrict the length of food chains and the biomass of higher trophic levels.
Applications and skills:
Skill: Quantitative representations of energy flow using pyramids of energy.
Guidance:
Pyramids of number and biomass are not required. Students should be clear that biomass in terrestrial ecosystems diminishes with energy along food
chains due to loss of carbon dioxide, water and other waste products, such as urea.
Pyramids of energy should be drawn to scale and should be stepped, not triangular. The terms producer, first consumer and second consumer and so
on should be used, rather than first trophic level, second trophic level and so on.
The distinction between energy flow in ecosystems and cycling of inorganic nutrients should be stressed. Students should understand that there is a
continuous but variable supply of energy in the form of sunlight but that the supply of nutrients in an ecosystem is finite and limited.
International-mindedness:
The energetics of food chains is a factor in the efficiency of food production for the alleviation of world hunger.
Utilization:
Syllabus and cross-curricular links: Biology
Topic 2.8 Cell respiration Topic 2.9 Photosynthesis Physics
Topic 2.3 Work, energy and power Topic B.2 Thermodynamics Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.3 Flows of energy and m atter