Ecology and Conservation
Essential ideas:
- Community structure is an emergent property of an ecosystem.
- Changes in community structure affect and are affected by organisms.
- Human activities impact on ecosystem function.
- Entire communities need to be conserved in order to preserve biodiversity
- Use models as representations of the real world—zones of stress and limits of tolerance graphs are models of the real world that have predictive power and explain community structure.
- Use models as representations of the real world—pyramids of energy model the energy flow through ecosystems.
- Assessing risks and benefits associated with scientific research—the use of biological control has associated risk and requires verification by tightly controlled experiments before it is approved.
- Scientists collaborate with other agencies—the preservation of species involves international cooperation through intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
- Random samples are taken in studies involving large geographical areas or if limited time is available. Is random sampling a useful tool for scientists despite the potential for sampling bias?
- Do the entities in scientists’ models, for example trophic levels or Gersmehl diagrams, actually exist, or are they primarily useful inventions for predicting and explaining the natural world?
- Over 100 countries across the globe have agreed to ban the production of CFCs to reduce the depletion of the ozone layer.
Factors affecting distribution of plant and animal species |
Introduction - Using the ppt make notes on factors affecting distribution of species 1. Species and communities pt 1 1a. Keystone species 2. Limiting factors activity Using logger pro and some images from a rocky shore you will learn how to calculate and compare population density quickly and easily 3. Analysing photos with logger pro guidance sheetView the remainder of the ppt and complete the worksheet: 4. Monitoring ecosystems notes blank |
Web links:Use this site to run some practice simulations of factors affecting species distribution Video: |
Interactions between species in a community |
This lesson you will watch a number of species interactions within the ppt and complete the worksheet details as you view. 5. Species and communities pt 2 6. Notes worksheet blank Watch this video about Paramecium and complete the worksheet 7. Paramecium Niche Try this Virtual lab of paramecium competition |
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Biomes and nutrient flow |
Review the major biomes of the world using the ppt 8. Biomes ppt Complete the climograph question to determine the biomes of areas based on the precipitation and temperature of different areas 9. Biomes of the world climograph worksheet 10. Gersmehl diagrams ppt Make notes from the ppt about nutrient cycling and gersmehl diagrams and complete the 2 worksheets. 10. Gersmehl diagram worksheet 11. An Interactive Gersmehl Diagram 12. Communities and ecosystems pt 1 |
Web links: |
Productivity of ecosystems and energy flow |
Make notes from the following ppt and complete the worksheet on GPP and NPP. 13. Communities and ecosystems pt 2 After watching the video about eating insects answer the following question on this sheet: 14. Modelling energy flow 15. Productivity GPP and NPP worksheet 16. Energy flow in grasshoppers 17. Energy flow in ecosystems Exam style question |
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Ecological succession |
Video:
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Impacts of humans on ecosystems |
19. Human impacts on ecosystems 20. Local invasive species 21. Biomagnification and bioaccumulation Homework - Video night 'The 11th hour' Complete Kognity C3 assigned reading and Quiz Watch the following video and complete the worksheet:
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Insitu and ex situ |
Introduction video and article to look at ex situ breeding and insitu conservation: Research an endangered species local to Thailand, and find the conservation status of your species using the IUCN red list: Use the following template to complete an infographic about captive breeding 23. Captive breeding infographic |
Weblink:
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Conservation of biodiversity |
Introductory video:24. Species richness and biodiversity questions 24a. Simpson index example Make notes from the following ppt 25. Conservation of biodiversity Using the worksheet compare the biodiversity of two areas: 26. Index of diversity worksheet 27. Conservation methods practice question |
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Biotic Index and indicator species |
Video TED Ed lesson : Mayfly larvae - a river indicator species Use this chart to complete the river study: 28. Macro-invertebrate identification 29. Biotic index - River study |
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Population Ecology |
Go to the following animation to investigate population growth:30. Worksheet - yeast 31. Population ecology ppt Try this question of population growth using experimental data: 32. Lemna growth |
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Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles |
25. Nitrogen and phosphorus |