Ecology

Suggested Time : 20 Days

Objectives

Students Will:

determine the roles of various organisms in a particular food web and/or energy pyramid, including: producers, consumers and decomposers.
determine the path of energy transfer through successive trophic levels of a food web and/or energy pyramid in terms of: producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer.
explain why the amount of available energy is reduced in successive trophic levels, such as:
- the metabolism in each of the lower trophic levels releases some as heat by applying the 10% Rule.
analyze the movement of matter and energy through the water and carbon cycles (biogeochemical cycles)
describe a population’s size in terms of births, deaths, emigration, and immigration
explain how limiting factors determine carrying capacity and influences a population’s size
predict the impact a change to the abiotic and/or biotic limiting factors will have on a population’s size or dynamic (births, deaths, etc.)
- limiting factors include: carrying capacity, symbiotic relationships, available resources, et
predict potential changes or responses in an ecosystem resulting from:
- seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
describe the impact to an ecosystem’s loss of biodiversity in terms of:
- catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity and the introduction of invasive and nonnative species
predict both the positive and negative consequences a reduction in biodiversity will have on a population or ecosystem
explain how abiotic factors in an aquatic system affect biotic factors
- abiotic factors may include- depth, latitude, temperature, underwater topography (caves and corals), light, proximity to land, pH, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorous
predict the impact a change in one or more abiotic factors will have on an aquatic population and/or ecosystem
evaluate the possible environmental costs and benefits resulting from the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as:
- water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests
discuss why there is a need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policy decisions, such as: o indicator species, pollution levels, urbanization, etc.
predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and or sustainability
describe the evaluation of a scientific claim in terms of:
- scientific argumentation, critical and logical thinking, and consideration of alternative explanations
discuss the validity of various scientific claims, including those focusing on:
- renewable and nonrenewable resources, sustainability, and human impact

Benchmarks Covered

L.17.2 (High) - Explain the general distribution of life in aquatic ecosystems as a function of chemistry, geography, light, depth, salinity, and temperature. This benchmark can incorporate changes in salinity and its effect on membranes.
L.17.4 (Moderate) - Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession.
L.17.5 (High) - Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths, immigration, emigration, and limiting factors (biotic and abiotic) that determine carrying capacity.
L.17.8 (High) - Recognize the consequences of the losses of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity, and the introduction of invasive, nonnative species.
L.17.9 (Moderate) - Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers, and explain the transfer of energy through trophic levels.
L.17.11 (High) - Evaluate the cost and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests.
L.17.13 (High) - Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policy decisions.
L.17.20 (High) - Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.
E.7.1 (High) - Analyze the movement of matter and energy through the different biogeochemical cycles, including water and carbon.
N.1.3 (Low)- Recognize that the strength or usefulness of a scientific claim is evaluated through scientific argumentation, which depends on critical and logical thinking, and the active consideration of alternative scientific explanations to explain the data presented.

Essential Questions

What is the environmental cost and benefits of using renewable and nonrenewable resources?
How do the changing biogeochemical cycles affect organisms in the environment in terms of both energy and matter?
What is the difference in the amount of energy available at the first trophic level compared to the amount of energy at the fourth trophic level?

Teacher Lesson Plans

Biology Unit 12 Lesson Outline - Ecology

Understanding Global ChangeThis interactive module allows students and educators to build models that explain how the Earth system works. The Click & Learn can be used to show how Earth is affected by human activities and natural phenomena.

Exploring Biomass PyramidsThis interactive module allows students to collect and analyze data from a virtual river to construct biomass and energy pyramids.

Population DynamicsThis interactive simulation allows students to explore two classic mathematical models that describe how populations change over time: the exponential and logistic growth models.

Aquatic Ecosystems Biodiversity Lab

The Anthropocene: Human Impact on the EnvironmentThis interactive module explores key human impacts on the environment and how they have affected Earth’s landscape, ocean, atmosphere, and biodiversity.

Invasive Species

Population Education

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