THE SILENCE OF THE FROGS



THE SILENCE OF THE FROGS

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?

A term used to describe the ______________ among the many __________ living in an _______________ and the ______________ among those _______________ and the ______________ components of the environment

WHAT IS AN AMPHIBIAN?

Amphi is Greek for “on both sides” and bios is Greek for “life”

Amphibians refers to animals that have _______________

Frogs begin as ___________ and grow to ____________ in __________

Enter their lives as _________ in ____________ and ______________ areas

EXAMPLE

______________

WHY ARE SCIENTISTS CONCERNED?

Many scientists believe the health of amphibians is a clue to the _______________ of our ecosystems

Exposure to ____________ is possible in both types of ecosystems these types of animals inhabit

( they are __________________________

FROGS IN THEIR ECOSYSTEMS

Frogs are part of two different __________________

WHAT ARE FOOD CHAINS?

Food chains are _________________ sequence linking ______________ that _______________ each other

EXAMPLE

____________ ( _____________ ( _________ ( _____________

All food chains start with a ________________ such as _________ (the producers) and continue with ___________ and other ________________ that _________ on the plants and on each other (the consumers)

There are three different types of consumers:

Herbivores

Animals that eat _________

Carnivores

Animals that __________________________

“________ eaters”

Omnivores

Animals that eat both _________ and ______________

In both food chains, above and below, if the _____________, the frog (or tadpole) are affected by their ecosystem which in turn, will have effects on ____________________ in that food chain

EXAMPLE

In ______________, a ____________ in frogs leads to _____________ in ________________ which in turn _____________ the cases of _____________ in humans

WHAT ARE DETRITUS FOOD CHAINS?

Detritus food chains are important in the _______________________ in the ecosystem

DETRITUS

__________ from ___________ and ____________, including their ____________________

DECOMPOSERS

Organisms that ______________ detritus to get _____________ for their own use but in the process also ___________ nutrients to the ________ and ___________

WHY ARE FROGS DISAPPEARING?

Scientists have come up with some probably causes

(a) Loss of Habitat

Frogs need ______________ and _________ with clean water so they can _________ and ______________

As adults, they need __________ and _________ where they can catch ____________

___________________ and __________ takes away these places

The ______________________, _______________________ (leads to predator exposure) and __________________ between ponds and roads

(b) Air and Water Quality

_______________ is the ___________ major cause for decline in frog population

Frog skin is _________ and ________ and _____________ can _____________________ (acid rain is an example)

Water acidity reduces the mobility of frog sperm cells

Even if mating is successful, acid affects the frog’s development

( slower growth or deformation of embryos

( drying up of ponds leads to death of tadpoles

(c) Ultraviolet radiation

Frogs at higher altitudes are the ones most endangered

Many highland species have adapted to the higher UV radiation

( laying black eggs

( development of black covering that lines the internal organs

Scientists believe that adaptations cannot keep pace with changes in the ozone layer

(d) Climate change

___________________ due to use of __________________ such as coal, oil and gasoline

If climate is _________, frogs will _____________

( no frog can stay in the sun for too long or completely separate itself from fresh water

UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS

1. A decline in the number of frogs would affect other species. Using the term food chain, explain how the decline would affect

(a) insects

(b) algae

2. View the 2 illustrations in the Food Chains section of the note. Classify each organism as an herbivore, carnivore or omnivore

3. Explain the difference between the two food chains to which the frog belongs. Explain the role of the frog in each chain.

4. (a) Why is the life cycle and skin of the frog make the frog a good animal indicator of the health of ecosystems?

5. Make a list of things you could to help frogs survive.

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