1. Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University Ecosystems Unit Activity 3.1 Carbon Dice Game

2. Tracing Carbon Atoms Remember the carbon pool patterns from the Sunny Meadows Game? They showed the consistent pattern of large producer pools, medium herbivore pools, and small carnivore pools in stable ecosystems. 2 Now that we know what the pattern is, the next thing we want to know is WHY it looks that way… Producers Herbivores Carnivores

3. Why does the organic matter pyramid have the shape that it does? To answer this question, we need to think about the Three Questions at the large scale: The Carbon Fluxes Question: How are carbon atoms moving among pools? The Energy Question: How does energy flow through environmental systems? 3

4. Why does the organic matter pyramid have the shape that it does? 4 To answer the Carbon Fluxes question and the Energy question, you will play the Carbon Dice Game and pretend to be carbon atoms cycling through an ecosystem with 5 carbon pools.

5. The Carbon Dice Game How to play: 1.Everyone starts at the atmosphere pool as part of a carbon dioxide molecule, which is a form of inorganic carbon. 2.Roll the dice and follow the instructions on the atmosphere pool poster to find out where you go and what happens to you along the way. 5 Atmosphere

6. The Carbon Dice Game 6 Atmosphere

7. The Carbon Dice Game 4.Also, if you rolled a 4-6 in the atmosphere pool, you move to the Producer pool. Here, if you roll a 1-2, you convert chemical energy stored in an organic bond into heat energy via cellular respiration. You must leave your twist tie in the heat basket. If you do NOT do cellular respiration (a roll of 3-6), keep the twist tie and move to the next location. This process repeats at each pool. 7 Producers

8. The Carbon Dice Game 5. Keep a record! Each pool has a Tally Card. Be sure to make a tally mark each time you arrive at a pool (or if you stay in a pool after a dice roll). | 8

9. The Carbon Dice Game: Results 6. When you’re done, collect all the Tally Cards from each station. Count the tallies and enter them into the spreadsheet to produce a “visitation” graph. 9

10. Compare to Mr. Terry’s class sample data 10 The Carbon Dice Game: Results

11. 7. Write down the class results on your own worksheet for the number of times carbon atoms visited certain pools. Draw arrows to connect the pools that exchanged carbon atoms. What were the processes that moved carbon atoms from one pool to another? Label the arrows with these processes. 11

12. Atmosphere CO 2 Carnivores organic carbon Herbivores organic carbon Producers organic carbon Soil Organic Carbon 99 1970 32 2 Compare to Mr. Terry’s class sample data 12

13. The Carbon Dice Game: Results Use your worksheet to answer the following questions: 1.How do carbon-transforming processes move carbon atoms among pools? 2.Why do carbon atoms visit the Producer pool so frequently? 3.What is the pattern of carbon atom visitations in different pools? Where have you seen this pattern before? 13

14. 14 Atmosphere Producers Herbivores Carnivores Soil Carbon Photosynthesis: brings in “new” carbon atoms to the ecosystem Digestion: transfers carbon atoms through organisms Death/defecation: transfers carbon atoms to the soil Cellular respiration: removes carbon atoms from the organisms back into the air 1.How do carbon-transforming processes move carbon atoms among pools?

15. 2. Why do carbon atoms visit the Producer pool so frequently? 15 Producers Atmosphere The Producer pool has so many carbon atom visits because it is the ONLY pool that can bring “new” carbon atoms into the ecosystem. This happens during photosynthesis when inorganic carbon (CO 2 ) is converted into organic carbon. All other organic carbon pools rely on the carbon that producers bring in. Photosynthesis

16. 3. What is the pattern of carbon atom visitations in different pools? Where have you seen this pattern before? 16 Producers Herbivores Carnivores The pattern of carbon atom visits to different pools showed the most visits to the Producer pool, fewer visits to the Herbivore pool, and the least number of visits to the Carnivore pool. This is the same pattern found in the organic matter pyramid that you observed in the Sunny Meadows Game.

17. Was the Carbon Dice Game supposed to be real? The game you just played is a model of a real ecosystem, which means that it represents some parts of an ecosystem, but with limitations. This means what happened in the game is not exactly how things happen in a real ecosystem. With a partner, brainstorm about ways you noticed that this ecosystem is different from real ecosystems. When you are done, share your ideas with the class. 17

18. Here are at least 4 ways that the game differs from real ecosystems. How many of these did your class mention? Are there any ways you thought of that are not on this list? 1.Rabbits don’t only eat grass, and foxes don’t only eat rabbits. 2.If you go to the soil pool, there is a chance that you will not get digested for a long time. Some organic material is tough to digest even for a decomposer. This is why soil is such a large carbon sink! 3.In rabbits and foxes, carbon atoms are sometimes biosynthesized into fat. In this case, the fat may be used in cellular respiration and the carbon atoms will return to the atmosphere after a period of time. This is not represented in the game. 4.In a pregnant animal it is possible that a carbon atom is biosynthesized into a growing fetus in the mother. In this case, the carbon atom would travel from the parent to the body of the offspring. Very few carbon atoms get to do this! 18