Download Unit 4 (2nd unit covered) Sustainability of Ecosystems Pg

Unit 4 (2nd unit covered) Sustainability of Ecosystems Pg. 272 - 361
Chapter 7 Factors that Affect Sustainability
7.1 – Components of Sustainable Ecosystems
7.2 – Populations and Sustainability
7.3 – How Human Activities Can Affect Sustainability
Chapter 8 Shifting Perspective on Ecosystems
8.1 How Our Understanding of Ecosystems Has Changed
8.2 The Shift Is On – Attitude, Actions, and Empowerment
Pg. 274 – 277 “What you should recall about…” Assignment #1-24
HAND IN THURSDAY
Chapter 7 Factors that Affect Sustainability Pg. 278 - 313
7 Billion and ‘A Cosmic Calendar’ – Pg 278
7.1 – Components of Sustainable Ecosystems Pg 280 - 287
Tuesday Oct 23rd, 2012
 Ecosystems can be large or small
 Comes from Greek for HOMEsystems
Ecosystem: All the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment.
Sustainable Ecosystem: An ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and
giving support to a variety of organisms
Sustainable: To support and endure (continue is same state)
 Many organisms depend on more than one sustainable ecosystem to survive
Migrating birds or eels
Biotic (living) and Abiotic (nonliving) parts
Biotic interact through (pg. 282):
Symbiosis – both benefit
Predation – One eats other
Competition – 2 or more compete for same food source; Competing take energy
away from their lives.
Abiotic Characteristics (pg 283)
Water, Oxygen, Light, Nutrients, Soil
Deciduous Forests – Eastern Can and US, West Europe, East Asia; Similar abiotic and
biotic characteristics
Temperate Deciduous Forests – even 75cm to 180cm or precipitation, 4 seasons
with temps -30C to 30C. Pg. 284-285 Break down of interactions between abiotic and
biotic factors and threats to sustainability.
Pg. 287 # 1-19 but NOT 12 or 14 or 16 NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OFF
Pg. 285 Similar Ecosystems Around the World 1 day research Project {NOT DONE }
Science Watch Pg. 286 Dust on the Move Questions 1 – 3 {NOT DONE }
7.2 – Populations and Sustainability Pg 288 – 296
Thursday Oct 25th, 2012
A population is a group of organisms of one species that lives in the same place, at the
same time, and can successfully reproduce.
Exponential Growth: Accelerating growth
Ex. Organism first comes to a new habitat or as a pressure on population is
removed
Not sustainable
Limiting Factors limit growth, distribution or amount of population in an ecosystem
Density-independent factors
Usually abiotic: Natural phenomena, weather, fires, and pollution
Density-dependent factors
Usually biotic: disease, parasites, predation, and competition
CHECK YOU UNERSTANDING QUESTIONS PG. 290
Carrying Capacity: the size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by
available resources and services of an ecosystem
Balance between pop. and limiting factors
Directly counted or estimated
Abiotic interactions also limit populations. Symbiosis, Predation and Competition and
limiting factors restrict pops. to particular places, roles, and sizes in the ecosystem they
occupy.
Ecological Niche: The way an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including
all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors.
 Providing services to their ecosystem
 No two species can occupy the exact same ecological niche or provide the exact
same services to their ecosystem.
The fact that most organisms are limited to particular ecosystems niches is partly why
different species are only found in specific types of ecosystems in specific parts of the
world.
Human’s brains allowed us to move out of our narrow niche but now require sustainable
use (no long term depletion of a resource or affect the diversity of the ecosystem from
which the resource is obtained) of resources to stay in our broad niche.
Early humans were regulated by carrying capacity. Now on exceptional growth (pg 294).
Current doubling time of 60 years.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING PG. 295
Ecological Footprint: is a measure of the impact of a human individual or pop. on the
environment. Based on energy consumption, land use, waste production.
Unsustainable – decline in the function of an ecosystem. Sustainability – use of resources
(land, water) forever
Carrying Capacity of Humans: 12 billion? Carrying biomes with us to multiple niches?
Exceed carrying capacity for ever?
7-2B Supporting a Country’s Ecological Footprint Pg 296– WEEKEND HOMEWORK –
Hand in Monday
7-2A: Graphing Population Change Pg 291 – Monday in class to be handed in
Pg. 301 # 1- 7, 9 - 15 Monday/Tuesday in class to be Checked
Science Watch Pg. 300 # 1 {NOT DONE }
7.3 – How Human Activities Can Affect Sustainability Pg. 302-308 October 31, 2012
Earth’s Systems: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere
All matter and energy recycled
Nutrient Cycles: Nitrogen (part of fertilizers)
Excess nitrogen (or phosphorus) causes algae blooms – eutrophication – deposits in
ecosystems cause an overgrowth of algae (primary producers). Upsets balance
Pg 303 Algae blocks light and plants that die, algae die, decomposers use oxygen, fish
die
ELA Experimental Lakes Area
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING PG 303 # 8 – 11
Greenhouse gases are gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere: Water vapour,
carbon dioxide, methane. Natural insulating called greenhouse effect.
Fossil Fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas): Carbon based and have been trapped out of
the biospheres cycling system for millions of years.
Humans have released millions of year old carbon dioxides in the last 100s of years:
Since mid 1700s industrial revolution. Increased greenhouse gases - increased average
earth temperature. Affects sustainability of ecosystems.
Pg. 305 Effects of an Imbalance of Carbon cycle READ
Reducing Carbon Dioxide : Kyoto Protocol – Carbon Sinks with forests – Recycling
Trophic Level is a category of organisms defined by how they get energy: Primary
producers, primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), tertiary
consumers (top carnivores).
Biomass is the total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area. All energy
comes from the sun directly or indirectly. Trophic efficiencies (amount of energy passed
up to higher trophic levels) are around 10 percent or less. Energy used in life functions,
wasted and heat loss.
Bioaccumulation: Materials or toxins are ingested at a rate greater than they are
eliminated.
Biomagnification: The increase in the concentration of a toxin as it moves from one
trophic level to the next. Greatest health problems at top. DDTs and PCBs.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING PG 308 # 12 – 15
Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are connected through surface runoff.
Pg 311 # 1 - 12, 14 – 16 HOME WORK TO START
Science Watch Pg 309 # 1-3 {NOT DONE}
“Biotic and Abiotic Factors that Affect Ecosystems Assignment” to be completed in a
group of 2 and passed in.
Wolf pack game LAB
Chapter 7 Review Pg 312 – 312 # 1-28 {Do not need to be done, but read to prepare for
Quiz}
Chapter 7 Quiz {NOT DONE}
Chapter 8 Shifting Perspectives on Ecosystems
Nov 7-8th
8.1 How Our Understanding of Ecosystems Has Changed
Early attitudes that earth resources endless and we couldn’t affect ecosystems.
Ecosystems Services: The benefits sustainable ecosystems provide that are experienced
by living organisms, including humans. Pg 316
Forests should not just be valued in dollars for cutting them down: influence climate,
carbon sinks, reducing erosion and benefit watersheds, and habitat.
Watershed: an area of land over which the run-off drains into a body of water.
Pg. 318 #1-4 Do together
Wetlands: land covered by water for part or all of the year. 6% of earth surface (24% of
which in Canada). Benefits: Store water, flood and erosion control, habitat, protection,
migration, filtering. NS wetlands provide $8billion/year to its residents. Pg 319
Self Pollination vs. Cross pollination (a service) provided by insects and birds.
For example Honey Bee Bee and Colony collapse disorder due to parasites (feed of them
or suffocates them), pesticides (affect direction) and beekeeping practices (transportation,
temp, vibrations)
Pg. 322 # 5-7 Do together
Ecotourism.
Connectivity is the collection of links and relationships between ecosystems that are
separated geographically. Migration.
Insect eating bird (aerial insectivores) population declined since 1980: Habitat destruction
or insecticide use in tropics.
Sun grown coffee vs. shade grown coffee: Sustainability, clear cutting, pesticides,
fertilizers and Canadian birds.
Disrupting connectivity: Salmon and species diversity, carry capacity and biodiversity in
the forest. Pg 324.
Biodiversity: The number and variety of life forms found within a specific region, as well
as all the number and variety of ecosystems within and beyond that region.
What happens in one eco system affects others.
Resilience because of biodiversity.
More species, more efficient ecosystem, less invasive species and less disease. Pg 326
Deforestation – clear cutting without replanting. This affects carbon levels, weather,
birds, habitats …
Draining Wetland for land, mosquito control, water use. This affects water filtration,
habitat and fisheries…
Pg 327 Check You Understanding #8 – 11
Alien Species: a species that was accidentally or deliberately introduced into a new
location. Many are harmless or beneficial.
Invasive Species: a species that can take over the habitat of native species. Upset the
equilibrium of an ecosystem. Pg 329 READ.
Ballast water.
Over exploitation: The use or extraction of a resource until it is depleted.
Pg. 335 # 1-13, 15 Complete and have Mr. Hirtle Check for Tuesday!!
8.2 The Shift is on – Attitude, Actions, and Empowerment
Pg 336 - 346
Nov. 13/14
Paradigm: A view of the world or a way of thinking about how the world works. A shift
is a significant change.
1600s Geocentric Model vs. current Heliocentric
1850s spontaneous generation took 200 years to shift
1900s Continental Drift and Pangaea 1910 to 1960
1960s seeing earth from space, all is connected
Currently shift w.r.t. sustainability of ecosystems and the use of resources on
earth.
Proof examples Pg. 339 and :
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Public Transportation
Alternative sources of enerfy
Reducing invasive species
Education citizens about environmental issuses
Government, Fed/Prov/Minicipal, regulations/laws/acts
Smart growth
Dark sky preserve
Check your Understanding Pg. 340 # 15 – 18
Pesticides and By-Laws – stops the use of cosmetics pesticides (like DDTs) that
can bioaccumulate.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement – as a result of the ELA a phosphorus
control program.
Environmental Farm Plans – impact of farms,
nutrient/soil/irrigation/wildlife/pesticide management,
Highway and outdoor lights switch.
Idle Free Zone
BPA (Bisphenol A) baned in 2008
Check your Understanding Pg. 343 # 19 – 20
Individual Empowerment – Be the change
Consumers, Volunteer, Advocacy Groups, Citizen and Voter, Citizen Scientist.
Self Education
Fair Trade Products are based on transparency in business and sustainable
development
Product’s Life Cycle: All aspects involved in making, distribution, selling, using,
and disposing of the product. Pg. 345
Be aware of the consequences of YOUR actions and activities
Pg 349 # 1-10, 14 TO be Checked of by Mr. Hirtle Wed. Nov 14th
THINK ABOUT # 11, 12, 13
Owl Pellet Lab Thursday November 15th
Invasive Species Project Friday Nov. 16th and Monday Nov. 19th
UNIT REVIEW Pg 356 – 361 # 1 – 40 TO CONSIDER for the test.
Mindshift Tuesday November 20th
TEST Wednesday November 21st
PHYSICS Thursday November 22nd