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PART 2:   SPECIES INTERACTIONS IN AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

 

Lesson 1  Biodiversity  Thursday Sept 20

 

Notes on Biodiversity:   Biodiversity.pdf

Class Activity:  Analysis Biodiversity and Species at risk in the Ausable River

 

Use the following document to answer the questions below

Species at Risk in the Ausable Bayfield watershed:  http://www.abca.on.ca/page.php?page=species-at-risk

 

1. What is COSEWIC? What is it’s role?

2. Define the following terms and give examples of species in this watershed that have this designation

Extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern

3. A) Identify the reptiles at risk in the watershed.

B) Why are reptile populations at risk?

4. A) Identified how greatly the populations of mussels have declined.

B) Why has there been such a decline in mussel populations?

5. How are species being protected in the Ausable Watershed?

 

Importance of Biodiversity  Read 3.3 p 83-86  Questions 1-8 p 86. 

 

Success Criteria:   Students should be able to.....

 

1-  define and give examples of native species in local ecosystems

2-  Use terminology such as extripated, endangered, special concern, and threatened

3-  identify species at risk in the Ausable river

3-  describe how humans have positively and negatively affected aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

 

 

Lesson 2  Food Chain Dynamics  (Sept 21)

 

How wolves change rivers:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q

 

1.  What is a "tropic cascade"?  Explain using the examples given in the video

2.  What effect did introducing wolves had on vegetation

3.  How is the role of beavers in the ecosystem similar to the role of wolves in the yellow stone ecosystem?

4.  How did the introduction of wolves effect the river?  Explain in detail.

 

Text book Read 2.7 p 52-55  Q 3,6,7

 

Success Criteria:  Students will be able to

1- Describe the benefits of the predator-prey interaction.  

2.  Describe how populations at various levels of the food chain affect each other..

3- Define carrying capacity, density dependent and density independent factors

4-  Describe the issues related to the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park

  

Lesson 3  Populations and Predator-Prey Relationships  (Mon Sept 24)

 

Notes on factors affecting populations:  populations and carrying capacity.pdf

 

Investigations:  Lynx and Hare  

 

Success Criteria:  Students will be able to

1- Describe the pyramid of numbers, energy and biomass associated with the food chain.

2- Construct and analyze population graphs for various species

2- Describe the benefits of the predator-prey interaction.  

3.  Describe how populations at various levels of the food chain affect each other..

 

 

 

LESSON 4  Integrated Pest Management  (Tues-Wed Sept 25-26)

Note: Integrated Pest Management.pdf

 

Field trip follow up Suntastic Worksheet.pdf

 

 

LESSON 5  Introduction to Biomagnification 

 

Success Criteria:   Students should be able to.....   1 -describe bioaccumulation/biomagnification and how it occurs 2 -identify chemicals that bioaccumulate 3- describe issues associated with the bio magnification of mercury

 

Class Activity: Modelling Biomagnification

 

Notes:bioaccumulation.pdf

 

Other Videos on mercury

Video explaining biomagnification:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53_PNR9231g

Mercury Bioaccumulation:  http://www.ck12.org/earth-science/Mercury-Pollution/lesson/Mercury-Pollution/

 Mercury Video    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRqAS4Eow-c

 

 

Biomagnification Case Study   Mon Oct 1

 

1. Hand out the following Reading and Questions.

Have students read DDT in the food Chain p 30-31 

Answer Questions1-11 p 32

 

 

For Interest

Class Case Study Activity:  Mercury in the Arctic:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilnU1OcWNG4

 

1.  How does mercury end up in the Arctic?

2.  a) Sketch a food chain for the Arctic, including humans.

b) How does the concentration of mercury change through this food chain?

3.  Why is mercury in the environment significant?  Give 3 reasons.

 

 

 

Lesson 6  Invasive Species  (Tues Oct 2)

 

Note:  Invasive Species.pdf

 

Worksheet on Zebra Muscles

 

Read Text 3.5 p 91-94  Q 1-9 p94

 

Videos:

Zebra Mussels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abImqGDzXBo

 

Invasive Species: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDOwTXobJ3k&list=PL5E8C6E771DF18370&index=2

 

Ontario's Invasive Species Awareness Program:  http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/  

 

 

Lesson 7   Lake Erie Case Study  (Wed Oct 3)

 

Read A Late Great Lake.pdf

 

Complete the following Comprehension and Analysis Questions

1. How have human's impacted Lake Erie? (Describe 4)

2.  Describe the thermal stratification of the lake.  Why is this significant?

3.  What baterium has become a problem in the lake?

4.  What factors contributed to the Eutrophication of the lake?

5.  Construct a time line to identify key aspects of how the lake has changed and what efforts have been made to help the lake.

6.   What invasive species are found in Lake Erie?  Name them and describe their impacts.

7.   What were some of the steps that the government took to improve the quality of the lake? What is the International Joint Commission?  Why is it significant?

8.  What can be done to improve the health of Lake Erie?

 

 

Success Criteria:   Students should be able to.....

1- define and give examples of exotic and invasive species 

2- describe how zebra mussels have affected the great Lakes ecosystem

3-  describe how invasive species affect local ecosystems

 

 

 

 

HOW DO I REVIEW FOR THE UNIT TEST? 

1.  Use the success criteria above as a study guide.

 

2.  Construct a definition list of terminology and why it is significant. 

extripated,   extinct, endangered, threatened, invasive, native, exotic, COSEWIC, genetic diversity, biodiversity, species diversity,

carrying capacity,  intraspecific competition, interspecific competion, density dependent factors, density independent factors, trophic cascade, ecosystem engineers, trophic levels (primary, secondary, tertiary), scavenger

watershed, predator, prey,  integrated pest management, sustainability, watershed, independent variable, dependent variable

 

Make sure you can interpret the graphs associated with the moose, lynx and hare populations

 

3.  Expect long answer questions on the following topics

a)  Describe the factors that limit the ability to construct a sustainable ecosystem in the Biosphere II project.

b)  Be able to describe both the eutrophication and invasive species issues associated with Lake Erie

c)  Describe the tropic cascade that occurred in Yellowstone national park

d)  Identify and discuss issues that affect local species at risk in the ABCA watershed

e)  Describe why the Suntastic Green house is a sustainable operation of the facility.

f)  Describe the process of bioaccumulation and how DDT affected Bald Eagles

 

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Additional Biology Resources

4  Invasive Species Poster Project 

 

Click on this link to see a breakdown of the Biology Unit Expectations