Predator Prey

Enduring Understandings   Populations may be limited by a myriad of factors. Populations increase or decrease relative to the availability of resources and conditions of the environment. Adaptations are characteristics which allow organisms to survive and reproduce in their environment.

Essential Questions What are the limiting factors that determine if an organism can survive in an environment? Which adaptations allow individual organisms to survive in this ecosystem?

Questions to get you thinking…. What is a simulation? What do all organisms need to survive? Name a few native animals that could be found in this area. What are basic requirements for survival?

Vocabulary Adaptations Food Web Population Camouflage Energy Pyramid Predator Carnivore Habitat Prey Disease Herbivore Mammal Ecosystem Omnivore Simulation Food Chain Limiting Factors

Check your life rings so you can survive!! Pinney Color Role Ring How to survive? Green Herbivore 4 green, 1 blue, 1 pink 1 green, 2 water, 2 berries Blue Omnivore 3 blue, 1 blue, 1 pink 1 blue, 1 green, 2 water, 1 berry Red Carnivore 2 red, 1 blue 1 red, 1 blue, 1 green, 2 water White Vet 20 + of each color Be available for mammals and avoid disease Black Disease Empty Ring Infect all!!!

Native Animals and their energy roles Herbivores: white tailed deer, rabbit, beaver, menhaden, goose Omnivores: gray fox, red fox, raccoon, black bear, chipmunk, coyote, opossum, skunk, Baltimore oriole, blue jay, downy woodpecker Carnivores: hawk, eagle, bobcat, red fox, gray fox, great blue heron Which one will you be?

Safety during the simulation: What the teacher location will be in case of an emergency during the simulation Boundaries – USE MAPS - paths large enough to drive a tractor on; never cross those large boundaries Never cross a stream, bridge, or road If you’re lost, stay where you are and staff will be looking for you. Listen for ending signal and return immediately to designated area Pitfalls – watch out for holes, branches, briars, barbed wire, poison ivy Do not climb trees. No participant in this simulation is arboreal, a tree climber. This is a park and people may be on the trails. “Keep an eye out” for each other.

Smith Center

Skycroft

Summit Lake

Now that you are done….. What strategies did you use? What happened as various predators entered the simulation? What would happen if there were more carnivores? herbivores? omnivores? How does this activity help explain the deer population problems in our area? How do human’s activities influence animal populations in our area? Discuss adaptations of each group, the physical characteristics which allowed them to be successful.

Journal: