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A Forest Ecosystem Education Guide Activities and Lesson Plans for Teachers and Resource Educators

This forest ecosystem education guide focuses on climate change impacts, including the greenhouse effect, global warming, and climatic cycles. Explore lessons, activities, and discussions on the implications of climate change for Ontario's forest regions. Learn about the role of forests in climate change and the potential environmental and social impacts. Discover how forests can act as carbon sinks and adapt to changing climates, with a focus on Ontario's unique ecosystems. Engage in interactive activities to predict and understand the effects of a 2.5˚C temperature increase on forest regions.

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A Forest Ecosystem Education Guide Activities and Lesson Plans for Teachers and Resource Educators

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  1. A Forest Ecosystem Education Guide Activities and Lesson Plans for Teachers and Resource Educators www.focusonforests.on.ca

  2. The Heat is On! Lesson Summary Students will predict the impacts of climate change on a local forested environment. SENIOR FOF35

  3. Objectives • To introduce the greenhouse effect and climate change • To discuss the implications of climate change to different forest regions in Ontario • To introduce Future Wheels

  4. Discussion • What is the difference between weather and climate? • What is global warming? • What is the greenhouse effect?

  5. Climatic Cycle • Composed of both warming and cooling trends • Historically: natural fluctuations between colder and warmer conditions • Ice age

  6. Greenhouse effect • Greenhouse effect • Heat trapping quality of the atmosphere created by greenhouse gases

  7. Greenhouse effect • Human induced greenhouse gas effect • Large amounts of GHG produced by humans • Mostly through burning of fossil fuels • These gases trap heat in the atmosphere • Expected to raise global temperatures and change planet’s climate • “Global warming” or “Climate Change”

  8. Climate Change • “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity, that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is, in addition to natural climate variability, observed over comparable time periods” • UNFCCC

  9. Discussion • What are some of the potential impacts of climate change? • Social and cultural implications? • Environmental impacts? • Will these impacts be the same regionally or globally?

  10. Timmins Peterborough Kingston London Toronto

  11. Impacts to Forests • Increased CO2 may increase photosynthetic rates CO2 + 2 H2O  sugar + H2O + O2 • This may increase the productivity of Ontario’s forests • However… not all species can adapt to the changes • Shift in forest species composition • Increased stress • Drought, storms, fires, insect pests

  12. Futures Wheel • Examines the effect that a single decision/ situation can have on inter-relationships • Illustrates direct and indirect effects How would an increase of 2.5 ˚C impact your forest region? The temperature increases by 2.5 ˚C

  13. Extension • What is the role of forests in climate change? • Carbon sink vs. carbon source • Carbon storage in wood products

  14. Review • Human caused greenhouse effect is increasing global temperatures • Changes in global climate will influence forest ecosystems • Not all forest ecosystems will respond in the same way to changes in climate

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