ECOSYSTEMS & CHANGE

How are we impacting our environment? Create a KWL chart What do you KNOW? What do you WANT to Know? What have you LEARNED? List/describe changes that have occurred in our environment…environmental problems we are faced with…causes for these problems What do you want/need to know about our environmental problems…or causes for these problems? This column will be completed later in our unit

Read the introduction What is ECOLOGY? What is an ECOSYSTEM? What type of changes could affect an ecosystem? In what ways? Is ecological change good or bad – or neither?

Ecosystems and Sustainability A community of various organisms interacting with each other within a particular physical environment is known as an ecosystem. An ecosystem is sustainable if it can support diversity and ecological process over time

biodiversity Variety & variability of life on Earth… w/i species; b/w species; b/w ecosystems

Levels of Organization: Ecology: the study of organisms and their environment Biotic factors: Living parts of the environment Ex. Plants, animals, predators Abiotic factors: Nonliving parts of the environment Ex. Sunlight, water, temperature, nitrogen Levels of Organization: 1. Population- 2 or more groups of organisms of same species Ex. Beavers at Jordan Lake State Park 2. Community – populations of multiple species living in the same area Ex. Beavers and Deer at Jordan Lake 3. Ecosystem – a community of organisms interacting with each other (biotic factors) within the environment (abiotic factors) Ex. Beavers, deer, fish, water, and sunlight at Jordan Lake 4. Biomes - Group of ecosystems that have the same climate Ex. decidious forest or tundra Biosphere - Can support life (Bio = life Sphere = circle) Ex. The earth

Where an organism lives HABITATS VS NICHES HABITAT NICHE Where an organism lives NICHE The role an organism plays in its habitat What it eats; is it predator or prey; how does it find mating partners

HABITATS might describe: The NAME of the place where the creature lives. g Arctic Canada is the habitat of the polar bear Ursa maritima.

HABITATS might describe: The DOMINANT VEGETATION of the place where the creature lives. eg Heather moorland is the habitat of the grouse.

HABITATS might describe: The TYPE of place where the creature lives. eg species of fish like Pike (Esox lucius) are found in freshwater lakes and ponds.

Watch the grand canyon video clip Note the following… GRADUAL changes in the ecosystem SUDDEN changes in the ecosystem GOOD changes BAD changes Watch the grand canyon video clip

ACTIVITY: Comparing case studies Form groups of 4 Each member of the group should choose one of the following case studies to read The Crab Jubilee The March of the Toads The Bleaching of the Reefs The Yellowstone Fires of 1988 As you read your assigned case study…take notes.

Use the read, think, take note method

Now regroup based on case study With your case-study partner(s)… compare & discuss your notes…thoughts/questions Discuss causes of the ecosystem changes in your study Fill in the “Case Study Comparison” table for your case study Complete a CAUSE/EFFECT diagram for your case study View NASA & the Chesapeake Bay Model how to complete a CAUSE/EFFECT diagram

Rejoin your original group Summarize your case study for your group helping them complete the CASE STUDY comparison chart Share your CAUSE/EFFECT chart If time…watch video segment on CANE TOADS

ANALYSIS Discuss predictions of what might happen in 50 years if nothing is done to further influence the situation described. Write a prediction for YOUR CASE STUDY…provide reasoning for your prediction For each case study, write 1-3 sentences that summarize the changes that occurred in each ecosystem How would you expect the “biodiversity” of the ecosystem to change in 50 years in each of the locations described in the case studies Group the causes of the changes you listed in previous question as “NATURALLY OCCURRING” or “HUMAN CAUSED”