Environmental Changes EQ: What are short/long term environmental changes and how are organisms affected by them?

Environmental Changes Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species.

Short-term Changes Change that occurs quickly and affects organism immediately. Short-term environmental changes, like floods, don’t give populations time to adapt to change and force them to move or die. Can recover in a short time Can cause the behavior of an organism to change “move or die”

Long-term Changes Environmental change that occurs slowly over time and affects organisms over generations. Long-term environmental changes, like climate change, can permanently alter an ecosystem, but over time the change may cause some genetic variations to become more favorable or less favorable in the new environment. If gene variations to the new environment are not present or do not develop, populations can become extinct. Can cause the genes/behavior of an entire population to change Can cause permanent change to ecosystem Can cause extinction “Adapt or Die!”

Peppered Moth Example http://peppermoths.weebly.com/

Natural Selection Natural selection - individuals better adapted to the environment are able to survive & reproduce. A.K.A. “Survival of the fittest”

Vs. Selective Breeding Domestic animals: Food Crops: Dogs Cats Cattle Pigs Food Crops: Corn Wheat Soybeans Humans breed specific plants or animals for desired traits NOT NATURAL

Double Bubble map Time! Create a double bubble map for short-term and long term environmental change Use the following terms and phrases in your bubbles.

Climate Change Drought Hurricane Can cause extinction Can recover from change in a short time Floods Can cause permanent change to ecosystem Ice Age Volcanic eruptions Can cause the behavior of an organism to change Can cause the behavior of an entire population to change Seasons Oil Spill Forest Fire

Do you remember this? What happens after a short term change disaster? http://www.sciencebook.dkonline.com/65.html

Primary Succession Begins in a place without any soil Sides of volcanoes Soil starts to form as lichens and the forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces Called PIONEER SPECIES

Primary Succession

Secondary Succession Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession Example: after forest fires and floods

Secondary Succession

Questions 1. List 3 examples of long-term environmental changes 2. List 3 examples of short-term environmental changes 3. Which type of environmental change will most likely change the ecosystem permanently? Explain. 4. How can long-term & short-term changes CHANGE the genetic make-up of a population? 5. How can a population survive a long-term environmental change? Explain why this is helpful.