Ecology Unit 1 - Overview



Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________ Period:_____

Ecology Unit 1 – Overview

Schedule - August 13, 2008 through September 19, 2008; Exam Tuesday 9/16/08

Grant Key Standards

1A: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. As a basis for understanding this concept: Students will compare the relationship between biodiversity and habitat. Key Elements:

1. Define biodiversity, habitat, organisms, and species.

2. Distinguish impacts that change habitats.

3. Examine causes that effect biodiversity.

1B: Stability in an ecosystem is in balance between competing effects. As a basis for understanding this concept: Students will analyze changes within an ecosystem resulting from changes in climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population size. (6b) Key Elements:

1. Define ecosystem, climate, nonnative species, population, succession

2. Analyze how pollution affects the ecosystem

3. How human activity affects environment (pollution, biological magnification, deforestation).

4. Analyze how an introduction of a nonnative species affects an ecosystem.

5. Analyze how population size changes affect an ecosystem

6. Analyze the effects of climate on the ecosystem

7. How Biological Magnification affects organisms in the ecosystem

8. How succession occurs.

1C: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will analyze examples of population dynamics. (6c) Key Elements:

1. Define the following terms: fluctuation, population, population size, ecosystem, immigration, emigration, mutualism, commensalism, symbiosis, and parasitism.

2. Analyze how birth rate affects population size.

3. Analyze how immigration rate affects population size.

4. Analyze how emigration rate affects population size.

5. Analyze how death rate affects population size.

6. Describe symbiotic relationships.

1D: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will interpret a diagram of the various abiotic cycles and explain how they affect the environment (6d) Key Elements:

1. Define an abiotic/biogeochemical cycle.

2. List the abiotic/biogeochemical cycles that exist.

3. Describe and diagram the carbon cycle, water cycle, and nitrogen cycle.

4. Interpret diagrams of each of the three biogeochemical cycles: water, carbon, and nitrogen.

5. Explain how the three biogeochemical cycles affect the environment.

6. Explain how carbon and oxygen cycle through photosynthesis and respiration.

1E: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will describe how energy is dispersed within food webs and energy pyramids. (6f) Key Elements:

1. Define the following terms: producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, energy, food web, food chain, energy pyramid, autotroph, heterotroph

2. Compare and contrast a food chain and a food web, describing how energy is dispersed within food webs.

3. Explain how energy flows between the levels of an energy pyramid.

Textbook – Chapters 2 (pg 30 – 57) 3 (pg 58-89). 4 (pg 90 -113), and 5 (pg 115 – 143)

Class Website – marric.us/teaching;

Resources -

Ecology Unit Summary Ecology is the study of life’s interactions with organisms and the environment. An ecosystem includes all the biotic (living organism) and abiotic (non-living factors like rainfall, temperature). The first topics that are covered are food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. Because nearly all of the energy that fuels life on Earth comes from the sun, we will consider the main process of energy conversion photosynthesis. Just considering photosynthesis, solar energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Glucose is a monomer (single unit) which when bonded with other glucose monomers form polymers of glucose such as starch, cellulose, glycogen (short term energy in animal cells). The next energy converting process that is used by cells involves oxygen and glucose. This glucose breaking down process is called cellular respiration and results in the production of ATP which is energy that is used immediately in cells. Both plant and animal cells perform respiration, but only plant cells perform photosynthesis. So, plant cells are called producers because they can produce chemical energy from solar energy, putting them on the bottom of the food chain, first trophic level. Plants are also called autotrophs because they produce their own food/glucose Organism that consume plants are called primary consumers and are also called herbivores (eat plants) – second trophic level. Any organism that must eat another organism is called a heterotroph (other eater). Organisms that eat primary consumers are called secondary consumers and can either be omnivores (eat both animals and plants) or carnivores (eat only animals). Once moving beyond primary consumers one has begun to consider more complex feeding situations – hence food webs (multiple chains interconnected). The thing about energy pyramids are they are broad at the bottom and narrow at the top, because each time energy is transferred (food eat) energy is lost mostly as heat.

Energy is not cycled because at each change energy is lost. This is not the case for elements necessary for life. These elements including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water, and phosphorous undergo biogeochemical cycling (Bio – involves organisms, geo-earth process). The two main processes involved in carbon and oxygen cycling is photosynthesis (CO2 + H20 + sunlight yields glucose C6H12O6 and oxygen O2) and cellular respiration (glucose + H2O + O2 yields ATP and CO2). Water cycling involves: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorous cycles are more complicated and involve multi-step chemical changes.

When relationships between organisms are essential for the life of each organism, it is said that the relationship is symbiotic. A symbiote in Marvel Comics’ fictional universe is a living alien organism that bonds with another living organism in order to survive. The three main kinds of symbiotic relationships are parasitic (one lives the other harmed), commensalism (one benefits, the other no effect), and mutualism (both benefits). Numbers of populations (same species, same area, and same time) vary based on birth rate, death rate, and fluxes into a population (immigration) and out of a population (emigration). Predator – prey relationship also can have major impacts on population structure. Predators cannot live without prey and prey overpopulate without predators.

Ecosystems are affected by climate, nonnative species invasions, natural succession, and pollution. One type of pollution problem involves chemicals that are accumulated in organisms. This is called biomagnification which becomes more acute – toxic at the top of the food chain/ energy pyramid because predators eat prey that is contaminated. Invasive species that are non-native often can displace native species by out-competing the native species. Invasive species usually changes the biodiversity of a natural ecosystem by decreasing biodiversity. Biodiversity is the number of different kinds of organisms that live together in an ecosystem. Generally, the greater number of different kinds of organisms in an ecosystem yields more stable ecosystems. Here stability means the ability of the ecosystem to continue despite minor changes in the environment. For example, a meadow with lots of different kinds of grasses will remain relatively unchanged if a pathogen that kills a type of grasses enters the system. This is in contrast to a large scale farming operation with one type of wheat (a grass, e.g., wheatgrass the health drink) which can be wiped out completely if a pathogen enters the field. Biodiversity yields stability.

Ecology Unit Vocabulary

1. Abiotic___________________________________________________________

2. Autotroph_________________________________________________________

3. Biodegradable______________________________________________________

4. Biodiversity________________________________________________________

5. Biogeochemical cycle(s) (abiotic cycle)____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

6. Biomagnification (Biological magnification)_________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

7. Biomass__________________________________________________________

8. Biome(s)__________________________________________________________

9. Biosphere_________________________________________________________

10. Biotic____________________________________________________________

11. Carnivore_________________________________________________________

12. Carrying capacity___________________________________________________

13. Climate___________________________________________________________

14. Climax community___________________________________________________

15. Commensalism______________________________________________________

16. Community________________________________________________________

17. Consumer_________________________________________________________

18. Decomposer_______________________________________________________

19. Desert___________________________________________________________

20. Ecological succession_________________________________________________

21. Ecology___________________________________________________________

22. Ecosystem_________________________________________________________

23. Emigration_________________________________________________________

24. Energy___________________________________________________________

25. Energy pyramid_____________________________________________________

26. Environment_______________________________________________________

27. Estuary___________________________________________________________

28. Exotic species______________________________________________________

29. Exponential growth__________________________________________________

30. Food chain_________________________________________________________

31. Food web__________________________________________________________

32. Global Warming(Greenhouse Effect)______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

33. Grassland_________________________________________________________

34. Habitat___________________________________________________________

35. Herbivore_________________________________________________________

36. Heterotroph_______________________________________________________

37. Immigration_______________________________________________________

38. Limiting factors____________________________________________________

39. Mutualism_________________________________________________________

40. Niche____________________________________________________________

41. Non-native species__________________________________________________

42. Omnivore_________________________________________________________

43. Organism_________________________________________________________

44. Parasitism________________________________________________________

45. Photosynthesis_____________________________________________________

46. Population_________________________________________________________

47. Predation_________________________________________________________

48. Producer__________________________________________________________

49. Respiration________________________________________________________

50. Species___________________________________________________________

51. Steady state_______________________________________________________

52. Symbiosis_________________________________________________________

53. Taiga (Coniferous)___________________________________________________

54. Temperate Deciduous forest___________________________________________

55. Transpiration______________________________________________________

56. Trophic level_______________________________________________________

57. Tropical Rain Forest_________________________________________________

58. Tundra___________________________________________________________

59. Algae (Alga)________________________________________________________

60. Atmosphere_______________________________________________________

61. Concentration*_____________________________________________________

62. Condensation_______________________________________________________

63. Erosion___________________________________________________________

64. Evaporation________________________________________________________

65. Fluctuation*_______________________________________________________

66. Lichens___________________________________________________________

67. Metabolize________________________________________________________

68. Microbe__________________________________________________________

69. Plankton__________________________________________________________

70. Precipitation______________________________________________________

71. Restoration_______________________________________________________

72. Savanna__________________________________________________________

Tentative Schedule

August 13 – 15: Anticipatory Questions; Chapter 1 – The Study of Life SciNotebooks.

August 18 – 22: Ecology Quiz #1 (Tues 8/19); Chapter 2.1-2.2; Lecture Notes; Science Notebook pg. 12-17; Unit Study Guide and Vocabulary; Energy Flow in an Energy Pyramid (Dataworks); MiniLab Construct a Meadow Ecosystem Food Web. (Diversity Ch 17.3?)

August 25 – 29: Ecology Quiz #2 (Tues 8/26); Ch. 2.3 Cycling of Matter; Lecture Notes; Science Notebook pg. 18-24; Water Cycle Model Diagram; Carbon Cycle Model Diagram; Nitrogen Cycle Model Diagram; Fish in Hot Water Project.

September 4 – 7: Ecology Quiz #3 (Tues 9/4); Ch. 2.3 Cycling of Matter; Lecture Notes; Science Notebook pg. 18-24; Water Cycle Model Diagram; Carbon Cycle Model Diagram; Nitrogen Cycle Model Diagram; Ch.3 Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems;

September 10 – 14: Ecology Quiz #4 (Tues 9/11); Ch.3 Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems; Lecture Notes; Science Notebook pg. 21-24; Ch.3.2-3.3 Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes Lecture Overview; HW: Science Notebook pg. 25 – 30 EC; Review Biomes; Ch. 4 Population Ecology Lecture Overview; Science Notebook pg. 32-37; Ch. 5 Biodiversity Overview Lecture; Science Notebook pg. 39-48; Complete Study Guide and Vocabulary. Review Crossword Puzzles

September 17 – 19: Ecology Exam (Tues 9/16); Review; Portfolio Preparation; Grizzly Bear Case Study. News Article.

Portfolio Contents

All assignments including quizzes, homework (diagrams), class work (notes and study guide) and labs will be organized in a folder that is able to bind your papers. Having the assignments all together makes it easier to study for your quizzes and exams. Since we have quizzes every week, taking the time to organize your assignments will be very helpful to study for the unit exam. In the front of the portfolio after the cover sheet have a page that is your Table of Contents as shown in the example below. After the Table of Contents page include a 1 page minimum Portfolio Summary which is a short descriptive essay explaining how you approached this unit (did you know anything about ecology), how you studied, what you’d do differently, what you learned and whether or not you met the standards for the unit. Portfolio Table of Contents

I Portfolio Summary (1 page essay)

II Portfolio Self-Evaluation (form signed by you and a parent/guardian)

III Learning Skills Reflection (form completed by you)

IV Diagrams (unit assignments)

V Homework (unit assignments)

VI Weekly Agendas

VII Quizzes

VII Study Guides (unit assignments)

Ecology Unit Study Guide Name:_________________________

Exam Week of 9/17/07 Date:______________ Period:_____

1. List several examples of a habitat.

2. A living plant, animal or microbe is what?

3. Define biodiversity. ___________

4. Define ecosystem.

5. With regards to the carbon cycle, what would be the results of the burning and clearing of a tropical rain forest. ______

______________________________________________________________________

6. What is the ideal pH for freshwater biomes?

7. What activities would have a negative impact on a habitat?

______________________________________________________________________

8. How is the number of organisms in both lakes and ocean ecosystems determined. _________________________________________________________________

9. Explain how a top predator may increase the diversity of species lower on the food chain.

The next two items refer to the economically valuable forest of the Pacific Northwest. Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock are the principal trees of the region. Characteristics of each are as follows.

|Douglas Fir |Cedar and Hemlock |

|Seedlings die in shade |Seedlings grow in the shade |

|Seedlings grow on ashes |Seedlings do not grow on ashes |

|Seeds have wings |Seeds are not winged |

10. Young cedar trees require what?

11. Which trees would have a survival advantage following a fire?

12. Define nonnative species.

13. Define biological magnification.

14. What is the most common explanation for population growth by a non-native species?

Study the graph below and answer the questions that follow.

[pic]

15. What does the graph show about the earth’s atmosphere?

16. Most scientists are concerned that global warming is a result of ______________________________________________________________

17. Which environmental factors are looked at when monitoring human pollution?

______________________________________________________________________

18. The maintenance of a self-sustaining ecosystem requires what? ___

19. Why does each successive feeding level in a pyramid of energy have less biomass? ____ _______________________________________________________________

20. What are examples of plant life at each level of succession starting from new rock?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

[pic]

21. According to the graph which one is a carnivore?

22. According to the food web, which of these describes the relationship between the snake and the chipmunk?

23. Which combination of organisms shows a single food chain in this web?

24. The transition from a tropical rain forest to a grassland is marked by fewer and fewer trees. This is most likely caused by a decrease in ?

25. Sea otters eat sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp, a type of brown algae. What might be the short-term effect on the ecosystem if great numbers of sea otters were removed from this environment?

26. What is the ultimate source of energy for the majority of life on Earth? __

27. Many more species of plants and animals live in a tropical forest than live in a desert. This difference is most likely due to the fact that, compared to a tropical forest, a desert ______________________________________________________________

28. What part of the ecosystem is not recycled through the Earth’s ecosystems? ______

29. What action by humans has had the most positive ecological impact on the environment?

30. According to the graph, the human population has __________________________

___________________________

31. List several examples of a mutalistic relationship.

32. Natural populations numbers increase and decrease around the carrying capacity when they reach

33. A group of similar-looking organisms that breed with each other and produce fertile offspring make up a

34. Rabbits introduced into Australia over 100 years ago have become a serious pest to farmers. Rabbit populations increased so much that they displaced many native species of plant eaters. What is the most logical explanation for their increased numbers? _________________________________________________________

35. What does A stand for in the chart above?

36. Give an example of B in the chart above?

37. What does C stand for in the chart above?

38. If a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of the environment, the _______________________________________________________________

39. Nutrients move through the biosphere in nutrient or cycles.

40. As water cycles through the ecosystem, which process returns it to the atmosphere?

41. Local and federal legislation have placed limits on the amount of nitrogen containing fertilizers to be tolerated in field run-off into a lake. The reason for this legislation is that run-off of the fertilizers would most likely produce

[pic]

42. What does each of the letters on the chart represent?

43. Probably the most important factors affecting the distribution of biomes are ____________________________________________________________________

44. Complete burning of plant material returns carbon primarily to what?

45. The action of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle most directly aids in the_____________________________________

46. What is the role of NO3 in the cycle?

[pic]

47. In the material cycle above, which processes are represented by letters A and B?

__________________________________________________________

[pic]

48. Which level of the pyramid represents the largest percentage of available energy?

49. According to the chart, which organisms are the top carnivores in the river ecosystem?

________________________________________

50. According to the chart, if the trout were overfished, which population of organisms would most likely increase as a direct result?

____________________________________________________________________

[pic]

51. A small, cold creek flows through a dense forest. The trees that line the banks of the creek provide shade for most of the day. Algae grow well only in the few areas of the creek that receive direct sunlight for several hours each day. Most of the food energy enters the creek ecosystem in the form of dead leaves that fall from the trees.

A fire swept through the forest, burning all the leaves but leaving the trees standing. This greatly increased the amount of direct sunlight reaching the creek, but did not produce more than the usual amount of erosion. As a result of the fire, which of these most likely increased in the creek?

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