Ecology

1. Ecology

2. What is Ecology?

3. What is Ecology? • Ecology = The study of the interaction of living and non-living things in their environment. • Biotic = Living things Abiotic = non-living • Ex: plants/animals Ex: Water/sunlight

4. Fathers of Ecology: • Alexander von Humboldt: • "the unity of nature” • interrelation of biology, meteorology, geology etc. • Charles Darwin: • “organisms adapt to their environment”

5. Organization of Ecology: Organism Population Community Ecosystem • Biome

6. Terms to know: • Organism: a single living thing. • Population: a group of organisms of the same species. • Community: all of the different organisms and populations in an ecosystem. • Ecosystem: all of the living and non-living things in an areas and their interactions. • Biome: Huge ecosystems defined by the plant life found there. • Ex: Tundra, rainforest, deciduous forest etc.

7. Paradigm shifts: • Rare and significant changes in the way that humans view the world. • Major changes which are controversial at first but come to be accepted as major advancements in scientific knowledge and understanding.

8. Examples of Paradigm shifts: • Old World View:New World View: • Earth is flat Earth is round • Earth centered universe Sun centered solar system • Creationism Evolution • Spontaneous generation Biogenesis • Right now…. • Resources are limitless Sustainability • Green Technology • Still in progress?

9. Paradigm Shifts: • Discuss & Answer: • 1. How is it possible that people believe(d) that • resources are limitless? • 2. Do we still have people thinking this way today? • 3. Why have we shifted to this new paradigm? • 4. Is this paradigm still in the process of shifting? • 5. What controversy is there regarding this new • paradigm? • What would it look like?

10. Paradigm Shifts: Easter Island • End of Easter Island (3 mins) • Discovered by Dutch explorer on Easter Sunday, 1722. • Desolate, treeless, 64 square mile island. • Deforestation/extinction of palm tree had lead to collapse of the native civilization who lived there. • Trees were used to build boats, monuments etc. • In a span of about 400 years, the seemingly limitless resource had been used up. • This is seen as a small-scale example and warning of what we are doing to Earth today.

11. The Silence of the Frogs: • 1. Why is it so surprising and unusual that frog species worldwide are disappearing? • 2. Why are scientists so concerned about the disappearance of frogs? (What’s the big deal?) • 3. Describe each of the four reasons why scientists think they are disappearing. • Malaria: The winged scourge

12. The Silence of the Frogs: • Answer questions 1, 2, and 3 on page 13.

13. Diversity in Ecosystems (Pgs 8 and 9): • 1. What is meant by the term ‘spaceship Earth’? • 2. What is the difference between a man-made spaceship and the planet Earth? • 3. What factors determine the diversity of life on our planet? • 4. Where on Earth do we find the most biodiversity? • (Explain why) • 5. Where on Earth do we find the least biodiversity? • (Explain why?)

14. Endangered Species Assignment: • Science 10 Assignment: Unit: Ecosystems Topic: Endangered Species • -Choose an endangered species from the website below and begin researching information: • http://www.earthsendangered.com/index_s.asp • -For the species you have been given, you will be graded on your ability to answer the following questions: • a) What is/are its habitat(s)? (Where exactly in the world is it found, and describe the particular habitat) • b) What is its place in the food chain? Is it a herbivore, carnivore, omnivore? What are its natural predators (if any), what are its prey (if any)? • c) What are the factors that have made it an endangered species? (What has caused it to become endangered?) • d) What (if anything) is being done to try and save the species? (How are people trying to protect this organism from extinction?) • e) Why we should be concerned about their disappearance (What would we lose? Why are they important?) • *You will also create a 3-D model of your organism from materials of your choice. • *You will present your information to the class as a short presentation. • *Be sure to provide me with your sources of information as well (web addresses, book title etc). • *Value: 2 points for each question (10 total) and 10 points for your model. Total value of 20 points. • Due date:_____________________________ My species is: _________________________________

15. At Risk Classifications • Extinct: A species that no longer exists anywhere on Earth. (Ex: dinosaurs) • Endangered: A species that is close to becoming extinct in a large area (such as a country). • Extirpated: Any species that no longer exists in one part of Canada (or country) but exists in others. • Ex: Grizzly bears no longer in Manitoba, but in Alberta. • Threatened: Any species that is likely to become endangered if factors that are harming it are not reversed. Ex: Wood Bison is threatened by tuberculosis. • Vulnerable: A species that is at risk due to low or declining numbers. Ex: grey fox

16. Mass Extinctions • Mass Extinctions (Nova Science Now) • 208 mya, 80% of all species died and dinosaurs began their rule of Earth

17. End of the dinosaurs: • 65 mya, age of dinosaurs ended • Asteroid collision evidence in Mexico (Yucatan peninsula) • High amount of Iridium, in underwater crater

18. How do asteroid collisions cause mass extinctions? • -Smoke and debris in atmosphere blocks out sunlight, plants die and food chain collapses. • -Tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires etc.

19. Vocabulary for chapter 1: • Threatened • Trophic level • Producer • Extirpated • Autotroph • Vulnerable • Albedo • Ecotone • Heterotroph • Artificial ecosystem • Biotic • Endangered • Primary consumer • Herbivore • Biodiversity • Carnivore • Natural ecosystem • Biomass • Omnivore • Secondary consumer • Abiotic • Photosynthesis • Habitat • Extinct • Pest • Decomposer • Thermodynamics • Detritus • Community • Ecology • Ecosystem

20. Other Causes of Extinction • Gradual climate change (temp, moisture etc). • Species’ being outcompeted (food, territory etc). • Species must adapt or die out.

21. Extinction in the Modern World • 8000 BCE – 1600 CE (about 1 species extinction every 1000 years) • 1600 – 1900 (1 species every 4 years) • Since then, 1 species every 30 mins? • How are humans causing mass extinctions today? • Habitat destruction • Pollution • Overhunting • Global warming

22. The Zebra Mussel: • Create a placemat to answer the following questions (pages 42-44). • 1. a) What does the term “exotic species” mean? B) Where did the zebra mussel come from? • 2. How did the zebra mussel get into the Great Lakes? • 3. Create a list of positive effectsof its introduction to the Great Lakes. • 4. List of negative effects.

23. Humans and Exotic Species Killer Bees introduced into Brazil from Africa. Idea was to increase honey production. • Imported bees outcompeted other species of bees. • Overall honey production in Brazil dropped. • African bees have killed animals and humans. • Continue to spread further north toward Canada.

24. Chapter 2 Vocabulary: Divide a plain white page into 12 equal squares. Put one of the words below into each square then draw a colored picture to explain what it means. No words allowed in your explanation! • Bioamplification • Biotic potential • Closed population • Combustion • Emigration • Glucose • Mortality • Natality • Open population • Pesticide • Photsynthesis • Immigration

25. Bill Nye: Biodiversity • “Bill Nye: Biodiversity” Video Worksheet Name _____________________________ • 1. For a(n) ____________________ to be healthy, it has to have lots of different kinds of plants and animals. • 2. Name four types of ecosystems from those listed in the video. • a. b. c. d. • 3. All living things depend on _______________________________________________. • 4. Name four extinct species. • a. b. c. d. • 5. The best way to wipe out a species is to ______________________________________. • 6. The largest ecosystem in the world is the ______________________________. • 7. ______% of the world is covered by water. 8.________ of all the species in the world live in the ocean. • 9. List five things you can do to increase biodiversity. • A. b. c. d. e. • 10. Approximately how many species are we losing per hour? _________

26. Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems • Complete the worksheet for pages 50 and 51, as well as 62-64. • This worksheet covers information for: • A) nutrient cycling • B) The carbon cycle

27. Chapter 2 Vocabulary Bingo: • Bioamplification • Biotic potential • Closed population • Combustion • Emigration • Glucose • Mortality • Natality • Open population • Pesticide • Photosynthesis • Immigration • Carbon cycle • Carrying capacity • Cellular respiration • Denitrification • Density-dependent factor • Denisty-independent factor • Fertilizer • Inorganic • Law of the minimum • Law of tolerance • Nitrogen cycle • Nitrogen fixation • Nutrient • Organic • Peat • Pest

28. The Nitrogen Cycle: • Nitrogen atoms are: • A) Needed for cells to make proteins and DNA • B) 79% of our atmosphere (N2 gas) • Changed from N2 to NO3-a form living things can use- by some soil bacteria (Process called nitrogen fixation) • Converted back to N2 gas in a process called denitrification, done by another kind of bacteria.

29. The Phosphorous cycle: Phosphorous atoms are: A key element in things like: a) cell membranes, b) DNA, c) bones Found in rocks, then dissolved by erosion, then algae and other plants absorb it (enters food chain). Animals use it to make bones and shells which become bedrock over a long periods of time. Once brought to surface, process of erosion starts again

30. Nutrient Cycling Diagrams: • Use your textbook as a guide to fill out the diagrams for the Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorous cycles. • Carbon cycle: Page 62 • Nitrogen cycle: Page 66 • Phosphorous cycle: Page 68

31. Food Chain Game: "Chain Reaction"

32. Pesticides: • Purposes: • 1) Save crops from weeds, moulds, insects etc. • 2) Fight infectious diseases such as malaria by killing their insect vectors (carriers)

33. 1st Generation Pesticides: • 500 BCE-1900’s: • Things like sulfur, arsenic, lead, mercury etc • Found to be poisonous to humans! • 1900’s: -People stop using these things. -But sometimes still found in soil/plants.

34. 2nd Generation Pesticides: • Made in labs • 1930’s: DDT introduced • WW2: DDT popular to protect troops from insects in jungles • Thousands of lab-made pesticides today, used mostly for agriculture

35. Why was DDT banned? (see pg 54) • Bioamplification: • Toxin (pesticide) levels increase in concentration as it moves up the food chain. Top predators = highest concentration DDT found in humans; banned in Canada-1971

36. 4 Categories of Pesticides: • 1) Herbicides: kill weeds • 2) Fungicides: kill moulds and other fungi • 3) Insecticides: kill insects • 4) Bactericides: kill bacteria

37. Review questions: • Page 51: 1, 4, 5 • Page 65: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 6 • Page 69: 1, 7 • Page 84: 1

38. Modern Chemical Pesticides: • Safer because: • Broken down quickly by the liver, or in soil • But: • More dangerous because: • 1) Applied (sprayed) more often • 2) Not selective (kill/affect all kinds of organisms) • 3) Risk of bioamplification

39. Pesticide Resistance (see pg 55): -First application doesn’t kill all pests because some are “stronger” and have some resistance. • -This resistance is passed onto future generations (“kids”) and the resistance grows until it is essentially useless in killing the pest.

40. Spruce Budworm (see page 56, 57): • Canada: A People’s History • “In an Uncertain World” • Scene 10: “From the Ground Up” • (about 8 minutes)

41. Chapter 2 Assessment: • Use any of your notes or textbook to complete the crossword puzzle. • Hand it in to me when finished. • (Include your name!!!)

42. Nature of Things Video: “To Bee or not to Bee” • While watching the video, try to answer the following questions: • 1. Why are bees so important to humans? • 2. What are the reasons for their decline in numbers? • 3. What are scientists/farmers doing to try to help? • 4. What kinds of issues will bees, humans, and the Earth in general face in the future?