Lesson: Succession and Biomes
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#content #criticalthinking #community #collaboration #communication #creativity
Warm Ups, etc:
Lecture Notes: #content
Notes - Virginia Ecosystems
Biomes - regions of the earth defined by similar plant and animals in response to having broadly similar climate (temp/precipitation)
Virginia- Temperate Deciduous Forest - hard wood oak/hickory that lose their leaves
Chesapeake Bay - Estuary of shallow, sheltered brackish water that is surrounded by diverse wetlands
The salt water comes from the Atlantic, the fresh from the rivers within the watershed (James, York, Rappahannock...)
As populations expand, many things can impact the environment, including deforestation and intensive farming
- both reduce water retention/increase runoff, with the addition of sediments/fertilizers/pollutants
Objectives and Vocabulary: #content
BIO.8 The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Key concepts include
c) succession patterns in ecosystems;
d) the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems; and
e) analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.
Ecological succession
Primary succession
Secondary succession
Climax community
Oak - hickory hardwood forest
Chesapeake Bay watershed
Deforestation
Intensive farming
Activities, Assignments, Etc.
Activity/Handout - Succession Slips - if the weather is suitable, take the students for a tour of the schoolyard to identify locations that illustrate the process of succession. The slips provide notes for review, as well as additional concepts/facts about successional patterns. The back of each slip illustrates the main concepts of soil building and biological succession as a visual clue, further reinforcing the ideas.