Ecology-Matter & Energy in the Ecosystem, Interdependence & Human Impact
The students should be able to:
- determine the roles of various organisms in a particular food web, including: producers, consumers, decomposers
- determine the path of energy transfer through successive trophic levels of a food web or energy pyramid in terms of: Primary consumer, Secondary consumer, Tertiary consumer
- explain why the amount of available energy is reduced in successive trophic levels, such as: the metabolism in each of the lower trophic levels releases some as heat (10% Rule)
- diagram the movement of matter and energy through the water and carbon (biogeochemical cycles)
- describe a population’s size in terms of births, deaths, emigration, and immigration
- explain how limiting factors determine carrying capacity and influences a population’s size
- predict the impact a change to the abiotic and/or biotic limiting factors will have on a population’s size or dynamic (births, deaths, etc.), limiting factors include: carrying capacity, symbiotic relationships, available resources, etc.
- predict potential changes or responses in an ecosystem resulting from: seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
- describe the impact to an ecosystem’s biodiversity in terms of: catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity and the introduction of invasive and nonnative species
- predict both the positive and negative consequences a reduction in biodiversity will have on a population or ecosystem
- explain why the type of organism found within a specific aquatic system depends on various abiotic factors, including: depth, latitude, temperature, underwater topography (caves and corals), light, proximity to land, pH, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorous
- predict the impact a change in one or more abiotic factors will have on an aquatic population and/or ecosystem
- describe the evaluation of a scientific claim in terms of: scientific argumentation, critical and logical thinking, and consideration of alternative explanations
- discuss the validity of various scientific claims, including those focusing on: renewable and nonrenewable resources, sustainability, and human impact
- evaluate the possible environmental costs and benefits resulting from the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as: water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests
- discuss why there is a need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policy decisions, such as: indicator species, pollution levels, urbanization, etc.
- predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems
- explain how human lifestyles affect sustainability
Ecology Packet
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