Environmental Changes

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

Short-term Changes Environmental 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 become extinct.

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 adaptations to the new environment are not present or do not develop, populations can become extinct.

Peppered Moth Example http://www.techapps.net/interactives/pepperMoths.swf

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 genes of an organism to change Can cause the genes of an entire population to change Seasons Oil Spill Forest Fire

Double bubble Map Climate Change-LT Drought- Both Hurricane-ST Can cause extinction-LT Can recover from change in a short time-ST Floods-ST Can cause permanent change to ecosystem-LT Ice Age-LT Volcanic eruptions-LT Can cause the genes/behavior of an organism to change-ST Can cause the genes/behavior of an entire population to change-LT Seasons-ST Oil spill-ST Forest Fire- Both

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

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

Questions List 5 examples of long-term environmental changes List 5 examples of short-term environmental changes Which type of environmental change will most likely change the ecosystem permanently? Explain. Long-term because whole populations had to adapt (change) or they died, which also changed the ecosystem's food chains. How can long-term & short-term changes CHANGE the genetic make-up of a population? LT-only species best adapted to the environment survive, they pass on the genes. ST- the organism that has a trait that helps it survive RIGHT NOW lives. How can a population survive a long-term environmental change? Explain why this is helpful. Natural selection! Only the strong (best adapted) survive so the genes are passed on making the species even better for the environment.