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Biodiversity Activities Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem, they refer to it as biodiversity. A biologically diverse ecosystem, such as an old growth forest or a tropical rain forest, is healthy, complex, and stable. Nature tends to increase diversity through the process of succession. The opposite of biodiversity is referred to as monoculture, or the growing of one species of organisms, such as a lawn, a wheat or corn field. Because all of the species are identical, there are few complex food webs and disease can spread quickly. Monoculture is like a banquet table for disease organisms who are adapted to feed on that particular species. Monoculture often requires extensive use of pesticides and herbicides (to fight nature's tendency to diversify communities) and is very labor and energy intensive (fighting nature is tough). Humans often try to reduce diversity because it is easier to harvest a crop (whether it is wheat, corn, a lawn, or a secondary forest) if it all contains the same species, but this obviously creates serious problems. When a habitat is very diverse with a variety of different species, it is much healthier and more stable. One of the reasons for this is that disease doesn't spread as easily in a diverse community. If one species gets a disease, others of its kind are far enough away (due to the variety of other organisms) that disease is often stopped at the one or two individuals. Simulation #1: 1) Each student receives a card marked with D to represent Douglas Firs. 2) Each person is to meet 5 other people and write their names on the card. 3) All are to remain standing after they write down the names. 4) Your teacher symbolizes the disease and will tell one of the students to sit down because he or she has been given the disease and the student will read the names on his/her card. As the names are read, those students sit as well because they have been "touched" by the disease. 5) Ask another one of those sitting (dead) to read the names on their card, and all those students will sit. Continue until all those sitting have read the names on their cards. 6) Number of students left standing: _ Simulation #2: 1) Each student will receive a card that is marked with a letter that represents a particular species of tree: 2 wI D for Douglas Firs, the rest with other letters - N for Noble Fir, C for Western Red Cedar, M for Vine Maples. H for Western Hemlocks, W for White Fir, L for Lodge Pole Pine, WP for Western White Pine, B for Bigleaf Maple, WD for Western Dogwood. 2) Repeat steps 2-6 as for Simulation 1. This time, only those students that are the same variety as the diseased tree that touched them will sit. Different variety trees don't sit (don't die) even if they were touched by a diseased tree. 3) Number of students left standing: _ Follow-up questions: 1) What does biological diversity mean? 2) Why didn't all the different trees get the disease? 3) Why didn't the disease spread as fast among the Douglas Firs in Simulation 2 as it did in Simulation 1?

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Page 1: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Biodiversity Activities

Biodiversity: Why is it important?

When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem, they refer to it as biodiversity. A biologically diverse ecosystem, such as an old growth forest or a tropical rain forest, is healthy, complex, and stable. Nature tends to increase diversity through the process of succession.

The opposite of biodiversity is referred to as monoculture, or the growing of one species of organisms, such as a lawn, a wheat or corn field. Because all of the species are identical, there are few complex food webs and disease can spread quickly. Monoculture is like a banquet table for disease organisms who are adapted to feed on that particular species. Monoculture often requires extensive use of pesticides and herbicides (to fight nature's tendency to diversify communities) and is very labor and energy intensive (fighting nature is tough). Humans often try to reduce diversity because it is easier to harvest a crop (whether it is wheat, corn, a lawn, or a secondary forest) if it all contains the same species, but this obviously creates serious problems.

When a habitat is very diverse with a variety of different species, it is much healthier and more stable. One of the reasons for this is that disease doesn't spread as easily in a diverse community. If one species gets a disease, others of its kind are far enough away (due to the variety of other organisms) that disease is often stopped at the one or two individuals.

Simulation #1: 1) Each student receives a card marked with D to represent Douglas Firs. 2) Each person is to meet 5 other people and write their names on the card. 3) All are to remain standing after they write down the names. 4) Your teacher symbolizes the disease and will tell one of the students to sit down because

he or she has been given the disease and the student will read the names on his/her card. As the names are read, those students sit as well because they have been "touched" by the disease.

5) Ask another one of those sitting (dead) to read the names on their card, and all those students will sit. Continue until all those sitting have read the names on their cards.

6) Number of students left standing: _

Simulation #2: 1) Each student will receive a card that is marked with a letter that represents a particular

species of tree: 2 wI D for Douglas Firs, the rest with other letters ­N for Noble Fir, C for Western Red Cedar, M for Vine Maples. H for Western Hemlocks, W for White Fir, L for Lodge Pole Pine, WP for Western White Pine, B for Bigleaf Maple, WD for Western Dogwood.

2) Repeat steps 2-6 as for Simulation 1. This time, only those students that are the same variety as the diseased tree that touched them will sit. Different variety trees don't sit (don't die) even if they were touched by a diseased tree.

3) Number of students left standing: _

Follow-up questions: 1) What does biological diversity mean?

2) Why didn't all the different trees get the disease?

3) Why didn't the disease spread as fast among the Douglas Firs in Simulation 2 as it did in Simulation 1?

Page 2: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

4) In which forest would you need to use more chemicals to control disease: the Douglas Fir forest or the more diversified, old growth forest? Why?

5) Summarize what this simulation symbolized.

6) Which forest would have more diversity of wildlife? Why?

7) a) If you cut down the variety in a piece of forest you owned and replanted with 1 type of tree, what will happen to much of the wildlife that was adapted to the forest? (Hint: they cannot jUst move elsewhere. If other habitats are good, they will probably be near carrying capacity already.) b) Will this fate happen to all the wildlife? Explain.

8) Many species can only live/reproduce in 1 type of forest. The spotted owl is an example - it can only live and successfully reproduce in old growth forests (big, old cedars, hemlocks, etc.). If these old growth forests are cut down, it's unlikely this owl will survive. Environmentalists call it an "indicator species'. What does this mean? Why be concerned about 1 species?

9) Growing one plant, as in the case of growing only Douglas Fir, is called monoculture. Give examples of monocultures a) in you home and b) in agriculture.

10) Why would you need to use more insecticides in monoculture? Is this good or bad? Why? .

11) If you wanted to help wildlife, what would you do with regards to the landscaping of your own home?

Page 3: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Name

Film—Amazon: The Flooded Forest

1. How are the native people like scientists?

2. Why is malaria so common?

3. What are some types of marine animals that have adapted to freshwater life?

4. Name three adaptations of plants or animals in the flooded forest.

5. Why are trees most productive during high water?

6. How do some fish and trees exhibit symbiosis?

7. What discovery about fish occurred and what does it indicate about fish

populations?

8. Why is the Amazon being destroyed?

9. How does mercury contamination occur in the Amazon?

Page 4: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Name

Film—America’s Endangered Species: Don’t Say Good-Bye

“Everything depends on everything else…”

1. Throughout the film, on the back, please list the endangered species featured in this film.

Include their habitat and the reason they are endangered.

2. How is the focus on individual species instead of habitat destruction „missing the boat‟?

3. Why did humans not think it was possible for a species to become extinct?

4. As of 1997, there were one thousand species on the endangered species list. What are the

main points of the Endangered Species Act of 1973?

5. It is estimated that the present „biological catastrophe‟ is 100 to 1000 times worse than the

mass extinction 65 million years ago. Why?

6. How will making endangered species „a vivid presence‟ help?

7. Why are the seemingly useless „bugs and weeds‟ so important to an ecosystem? What

fraction of endangered species are plants?

8. What did the scientist compare to „burning all the books in a library‟? What does this

mean?

9. What is chemical prospecting? How can a spider help with this?

10. Toward the end of the film, someone said, “We let so many [endangered species] go

extinct…now we know better.” In your opinion, DO we know better?

11. Who was the narrator of the documentary?

Page 5: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Habitat and Endangered Species Name ___________________________

Please number and define the following terms, if the term has an *, please illustrate.

Biodiversity Hot Spots HIPPO Invasive Species*

Endangered species* Threatened species Vulnerable species Extinction*

Overharvesting Closed canopy Open canopy Old-growth forests

Industrial timber* Fuelwood Forest management Monoculture*

Debt-for-nature swaps Clear-cutting* Selective cutting* Desertification

Pasture Rangeland Endemic species* Biome

Chapter 11

A. Biodiversity and the Species Concept

1. Biodiversity

a. ____________________-measure of the variety of different versions of the same genes

within individual species

b. ___________________-describes the number of different kinds of organisms within

ecosystems

c. __________________- assesses the richness and complexity of a biological community

2. How many species are there?

a. 1.5 million presently known, probably represent only a fraction of total number of species

that exist

3. Hot spots have exceptionally high biodiversity

a. Only ________ of identified species live in North America or Europe

b. Most species are found in the tropics and coral reefs, if an ecosystem has at least 1500

________________________ and have lost 70% of their habitat, considered biodiversity hot

spot

c. Examples: Madagascar, Indonesia, Philippines

B. How do we benefit from biodiversity?

1. All our food comes from organisms, up to 80,000 _________________ could be utilized by humans

2. Living organisms provide us with many useful drugs and medicines

a. Examples: ______________, morphine, and many antibiotics come from natural organisms

3. Biodiversity provides ecological benefits

a. Soil formation, air and water purification, _________________, etc

4. Biodiversity also brings many aesthetic and cultural benefits

a. Millions enjoy fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, wildlife watching, etc.

b. Nature appreciation is very economically important, Americans spend

$___________________ annually on wildlife-related recreation, compared to $81 billion

spent in the auto industry

C. What threatens biodiversity?

1. ________________- the elimination of a species, a normal process of the natural world, in an

undisturbed ecosystem one species goes extinct every decade, humans have accelerated this rate

Page 6: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

2. Extinction is a natural process- ____________________ who have existed are extinct, mass

extinctions such as at the end of the Cretaceous period wiped out 50% of existing genera on land

and 15% of marine mammal families

3. We are accelerating extinction rates, considered the 6th major mass extinction

a. ___________- Habitat destruction, Invasive Species, Pollution, Population and Overharvesting

1) Habitat destruction is the most important threat for terrestrial organisms, forest cover less

than half the area they once did

2) Invasive Species- a threat to native biodiversity due to accidentally or deliberately

introduced species that thrive in new territory where they are free of natural predators

3) Pollution- declining populations of marine mammals, alligators, fish and other wildlife alerts

us to pollution and health

4) Population- if our consumption patterns remain the same, will need more resources that

will impact wild species

5) Overharvesting- depletion of many species such as the passenger pigeon and the American

bison

D. Endangered Species management and biodiversity protection

1. Endangered species act- first established in 1973, aim to protect all biodiversity

a. __________________- those considered in imminent danger of extinction

b. ____________________- those likely to become endangered (bald eagles, grizzly bears, sea

otters, considered threatened locally though they remain abundant ion other parts of their

former range

c. _____________________- candidates for future listings because they are naturally rare or have

been locally depleted

2. The __________________________ is responsible for an endangered species’ recovery plan ,

species that get the most funding are usually charismatic species such as the California Condor,

Florida panther, and grizzly bear, less funding goes to endangered invertebrate species

a. Some endangered species merit special attention:

1) __________________- this species’ elimination would have profound effects on other

species (i.e. prairie dogs or bison)

2) __________________- species set to specific environmental conditions (i.e. brook trout)

3) ___________________- species that need a large undisturbed range that also benefits

other species (i.e. elephants)

4) ____________________- people react emotionally to these species (i.e. giant panda)

3. Habitat protection is essential

a. By focusing on specific species that are popular may not save them but rather a focus on

continent-wide preservation of ecosystems

b. International wildlife treaties- ________(1975 Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species) is a significant step toward worldwide protection of endangered flora and

fauna

E. Captive Breeding and Species survival plans

1. Breeding programs and zoos and botanical gardens are essential, some have programs where they

introduce endangered species back to the wild (________________)

Page 7: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

2. Ultimate problem with captive breeding- natural habitat _______________________ while we are

busy conserving the species itself

Chapter 12

Land Use: Forests and Grasslands

A. World Land Uses: 29% of Earth is land, 2/3 of this is forests, grasslands, and agriculture, land use and

changed dramatically due to increasing population

B. World Forests: play a key role in regulating climate, controlling water runoff and purifying the air

1. __________________- greatest concern, remnants of ancient forests that contain much of world’s

biodiversity

2. ______________is part of more economic activity than any other commodity – exceeds the use of

steel and plastics combined

a. U.S., Russia and Canada are largest producers of industrial timber and paper pulp, Japan is the

largest importer of wood

b. At least 1/3 of population depends on wood as ___________________(heating and cooking)

accounting for ½ of all wood harvested worldwide

3. Preserving forests protects watersheds and wildlife habitats

a. Provide food, habitat , recreational opportunities, produce oxygen, and sequester carbon

(reducing carbon dioxide), _____________________________

b. Forest management involves planning for sustainable harvests with attention to forest

regeneration

1) Many reforestation projects are more short cited such as monoculture forestry- single

species intensive cropping producing high profits but encourages pest and disease

infestations

C. Tropical Forests

1. Tropical forests are the richest and most __________________________ ecosystems cover only

10% of the Earth but contain ½ of all plant, animal and microbial species

2. From 1990-2000 lost __________________ hectares a year were lost to deforestation

3. _____________(milpa) agriculture (sometimes referred to as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture)- farmers

clear a new plot of land of about a hectare (2.5 acres), large trees are killed by cutting away of the

bark so that sunlight can penetrate through to the ground, after a few weeks branches, leaf litter

and fallen trunks are burned, the ashes used as fertilizer, fast growing crops such as bananas and

papayas control _________________

4. What can be done to protect forests:

a. _________________________- banks, governments, now hold nearly $1 trillion in loans to

developing countries as long as the debtor country agrees to protect or restore an area of

biological importance

1) Leaders of this movement: Conservational International, Nature Conservancy, World

Wildlife Fund

D. Temperate Forests

1. The most destructive harvest in the world is in eastern Russia (Siberia), larger than the

_____________ and contains ¼ of world’s timber

Page 8: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

2. ____________________________ contain more biomass than any other biome on Earth (standing

vegetation per unit area)

3. Provide wildlife habitat, industry (forest products industry employs 150,000 people and $7 billion

annually)

4. Harvest methods

a. _________________- every tree in a given area is cut regardless of size most disruptive

b. __________________- least disruptive method, only a small percentage of mature trees are

taken in 10-20 year rotations

E. U.S. Forest Management

1. U.S. Forest Service’s primary mission is to provide cheap timber for home builders, subsidies make

industry profitable

2. In 1930’s U.S. Forest Service, adapted a new policy of _______________________ after large

destructive forest fires (who was the spoke person?)

a. Fires have not been regarded as a positive force which is the main problem, they promote

healthy forests

F. Grasslands

1. Occur where rainfall for drought-tolerant grasses and flowering plants is sufficient but not enough

for forests to grow

a. ________________- enclosed or managed grasslands, ___________________- unfenced

natural prairie and open woodlands

2. Current management practices are causing overgrazing and land degradation

a. Hungry animals strip the ground bare and their hooves pulverize the soil, hastening erosion-

leading to desertification

b. Solution-_____________________- confining animals to a small area for a short time before

shifting to a new location, stimulates the effects of wild herds

Page 9: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

9 Week Environmental Science: Chapter 11 Biodiversity and Endangered Species Text Qs

Begin at page 231 and read the case study regarding biodiversity:

1) Over the years, biological scientists have debated whether communities with high diversity are

more resilient to environmental stress than those with fewer species. What was the stance of

scientists including Charles Darwin, Robert McArthur and Eugene Odum?

2) A study was conducted at the University of Minnesota by a team led by David Tilman to test if

biodiversity does increase resilience against environmental stress. Explain what Tilman’s

experiment concluded.

3) What is resilience?

Turn to page 232 and begin at the section titled “What is biodiversity”:

4) Describe the three kinds of biodiversity.

Turn to page 233 and begin at the section titled “How many species are there?”:

5) Use table 11.1 on page 233 as a reference. What type of organisms are there vastly more of in

regards to number of species? What are some of the functions of these species? Why is it

important to have a tremendously high number of these species?

6) Compare table 11.1 on page 233 with table 11.4 on page 245. What type of species is most

commonly endangered? What is the function of the group of species most commonly

endangered? Why is the endangerment of this group of species of such concern?

Turn to page 234 and begin reading the section titled “Hot spots have exceptionally high

biodiversity”:

7) What are biodiversity hot spots and where are they typically found?

8) What causes biodiversity hot spots and why are they important?

9) How do we benefit from biodiversity in general?

10) Describe the human benefit from the following:

a) vinblastine and vincristine from the Madagascar periwinkle:

b) How has Merck Pharmaceutical company utilized Costa Rica’s biodiversity?

Page 10: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

9 Week Environmental Science Chapter 11 part 2 Invasive Species

Turn to page 237 and begin reading the section titled “What threatens biodiversity”:

1) What is extinction and what do the fossil records suggest regarding the number of

species currently extinct?

2) Using table 11.3, how many mass extinctions have been estimated to have occurred?

Have humans caused these mass extinctions?

3) How are we humans currently accelerating the extinction rates of other species?

4) What does Edward O. Wilson specifically say about the impact of cutting down forests

and the consequential effect on species survival?

5) What is the most important extinction threat for most species? What are some major

ways that we contribute to this problem?

6) What are invasive species? How do they get to a new habitat that is different from

their own?

7) Give a brief description of the following invasive species and what the problems it

causes are:

a) Eurasian milfoil:

b) European green crab:

c) Kudzu vine:

d) Purple loosestrife:

e) Zebra mussels:

8) What happened to the American chestnut tree as a result of a shipment of nursery stock

form China?

Page 11: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

9 Week Environmental Science Chapter 11 3rd Part Endangered Species:

1) Domestic and feral house cats are estimated to kill 1 billion birds and small mammals

in the U.S. annually. In 2005, a bill was introduced in the Wisconsin legislature to

declare an open hunting season year-round on cats that roam out of their owner’s yard.

Do you agree or disagree with this legislature? Explain why or why not.

Turn to page 241 and begin reading at the section titled “pollution”:

2) Explain the specific cause and eventual method of death of thousands of seals on both

sides of the Atlantic Ocean in recent years.

3) Explain the process and cause of lead poisoning in birds.

4) Describe three or more specific ways in which human population growth threatens

biodiversity.

5) What caused the extinction of the passenger pigeon and why was it so shocking that

this bird became extinct?

6) What has been happening to decrease fish populations?

7) Use the yellow box on page 243 to list fish species that are more environmentally

sound to purchase to eat. Distinguish this list with a second list including 4 fish that are

not more environmentally damaging to eat and explain why they are damaging.

8) Why do people in developing countries illegally sell and smuggled endangered animal

parts to foreign buyers?

Page 12: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Week Environmental Science Chapter 12 Land Forestry Questions:

Turn to page 254 and begin reading at the section titled “World Forests”:

1) Name four environmental roles Forests provide.

2) Name several economic roles played by forests.

3) What is the United Nations’ estimate on the amount of the world’s forests that have been

changed into cropland, pasture, settlements, or wasteland.

4) Explain what it means for a forest to be considered old growth.

5) Where are the largest remaining old growth forests found in the world?

6) Industrial use of wood has huge economic and environmental impacts. Discuss the economic

uses of wood and environmental effect in the following areas:

a) Industrial timber:

b) Wood use in North America:

c) Wood use and logging in China:

d) Fuelwood:

Turn to page 258 and begin reading at the section titled “Tropical Forests”:

7) Describe the level of biodiversity and relative abundance of tropical forests around the world.

8) Where is the Atlantic forest and what are the concerns regarding this forest? Why are there so

many concerns about it?

Page 13: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

9 week environmental science chapter 12 second half Forests and Grasslands

Turn to page 262 and begin at the section titled “Temperate Forests”:

1) What is the concern with the newly proposed dam in China?

2) In the United States and Canada, what are the two main issues in timber management?

3) How large are the redwood trees in the northwest U.S. and what is their environmental

importance?

4) In Oregon, logging is a major industry. What is number of people employed and

annual money made through logging in Oregon?

5) How do the number of jobs projected for recreation compare with logging jobs in

Oregon? What do you think Oregon should do in regards to their old growth forests and

why?

Turn to page 266 and begin reading at the section titled “Grasslands”:

6) What are pasture and rangelands? What are they used for?

7) What causes grasslands to deteriorate?

8) Describe 5 simple things you can do to lower our forest impact (Hint: use the yellow

box on page 267).

Turn to page 371 and read the case study on China’s South-to-North Water diversion

project:

9) What is China proposing to do about Beijing’s water shortage and describe how it will

work.

10) What is the concern of Chinese environmentalists regarding the project?

11) In the United States, where do we have similar projects currently happening?

12) How does changing water’s natural flow of direction impact forests and grasslands?

Page 14: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Invasive Species “Wanted Poster”

http://whyfiles.org/160invasive_spec/index.htmlCourtesy of M. Littleton, Carver H.S., Carver, Mass.

Also known as: Nonindigenous Species, Non-native Species, Introduced Species Background Information: Go to the Environmental Literacy Council’s web page and read their information on Non-native Species: http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/40.html Choose a Species: Visit one of the following web sites (or the links at the bottom of the above web page). The only requirement for choosing a species is that it must be a species that is invasive in the U.S. 1. A good place to find out about invasive species in California is

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profiles/main.shtml

2. Species profile page of Invasivespecies.gov: http://invasivespecies.gov/profiles/main.shtml

3. Biodiversity and Conservation: A Hypertext Book by Peter J. Bryant

http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/bio65/lec09/b65lec09.htm Research: Obtain more information on your species by doing a web search. Be sure to document your sources. (Title and address of all web pages used – put these on back of your poster) The product: 1. A “Wanted” poster for your species. You must include:

NAME / ALSO KNOWN AS (latin name / common name / “criminal” name) PICTURE – a drawing or photograph (color would be nice) IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS – key features to look for when

identifying the criminal LAST SEEN – where did the species originally come from? include a map. SUSPECTED HIDEOUTS - include a map of the U.S. with its current

distribution shaded; description of preferred habitat CRIMES COMMITTED by your species (crimes must be specific to your species

and not general to all invasive species) REWARD for elimination of your species (think ecologically, economically,

socially, politically – again, be specific for your species) Color, neatness, and creativity

2. Bibliography -- list of internet sites /web addresses OR appropriate bibliographic information on the back of the poster

Page 15: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Name _____________________

Video: Vanishing Forests

1. List and explain the uses of common forest resources.

2. List the causes and effects of forest destruction.

3. What is an old growth forest and why are they important?

4. How does deforestation impact a student’s life?

5. What are personal solutions to the problem of forest destruction?

Page 16: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Name _____________________

Species Diversity Lab

The diversity of species present in an ecosystem can be used as one gauge of the health of an ecosystem. Species

richness is a measure of the number of different species present in an ecosystem, while species evenness measures the

relative abundance of the various populations present in an ecosystem. In an ecological survey designed to measure

species diversity, a wildlife biologist might determine the number of individuals of each species present in an area, then

calculate a "diversity index" for the area. Comparison of the diversity index with that of other areas provides insights

into the species diversity and the health of the ecosystem.

In this activity your "ecosystem" will be the school parking lot, and the "species" will be the different car makes and

model. As a class, we will be comparing the species diversity of the student parking lots. The diversity index used by

ecologists is called the Shannon Diversity Index. After determining the number of each species (car), in each parking lot,

we will analyze the data. A rich ecosystem with high species diversity has a large value for the Shannon Diversity Index

(H'), while an ecosystem with little diversity has a low H'.

Materials 1 parking lot full of cars Clipboards Pencil Procedure 1. Prepare a data table. There must be enough space for each "species" (See other side). 2. Visit the school's parking lot and collect data as directed in class. 3. Leave space to write in either <car model or color>. This will be determined on the day the lab is performed.

Pre-lab

The _______________________ will be the most common species/model in the CB South parking lot because ________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once data collection is complete enter your data into Excel and drop into the “O” drive of the network, under “Walsh”

and STU_DROP_FOLDER, please title based on what group you were

Post-lab Questions –

1. What was the most common species, how does that compare to your hypothesis, if wrong why?

2. Identify the parking lot section that was the most diverse (need other groups’ data).

3. If you conducted this lab in a shopping mall parking lot, predict whether the Shannon Diversity Index would be

high or low, and how it would compare to the school parking lots.

4. If you conducted this lab at a new car dealership, predict whether the Shannon Diversity Index would be high or

low, and how it would compare to the school parking lots.

5. How does this lab compare to a natural ecosystem biodiversity lab?

Page 17: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

“Species” of cars Frequency

Page 18: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

AP Environmental Science Chapter 6 Biomes Activity:

Go to http://www.mbgnet.netf

Click on Deserts: Go through each of the desert plants. 1) Choose 5 of the plants and list their name and one adaptation they have to deal with desert life.

2) Look through each of the desert animals. Choose 3 animals and list their name and an adaptation they have to deal with desert life.

3) Go to the deserts of the world, what are the deserts in the United States called and what types of organisms would be found there?

4) Go to types of deserts and distinguish between hot and cold deserts.

Click on Rainforests: 5) Compare and contrast a tropical rainforest with a temperate rainforest.

6) Where are tropical rainforests predominantly located? Where are temperate rainforests located?

7) Click on Exploring the Tropical Rainforest and identify the various layers of the rainforest as well as distinguishing factors of those layers.

8) Click on Tropical Rainforest plants and record some adaptations that tropical rain forest plants have. What are epiphytes and bromeliads? What are mangroves?

9) Explore some of the rainforest animals and identify one that you have never heard of before and any interesting characteristics about it.

Click on Grasslands: 10) Click on "What are grasslands like" and record how quantity of precipitation in grasslands compares with other biomes. What is special about soil in the grasslands?

11) Click on "Grasslands of the world": what are grasslands called in the United States, Europe, South America, and Africa?

12) Click on "grassland plants": how are grasslands maintained by nature and mankind?

13) Describe the symbiotic relationship between the monarch butterfly and milkweed.

14) Click on "grassland animals" and list 6 animals found on grasslands thoughout the world.

Page 19: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Name _________________________

What is Your Campus Worth? Calculating the Dollar Value of a Tree’s Services

Background:

If an area of a city is not developed, does it have value? Do the trees in someone’s front yard have value to the rest of the neighborhood? Environmental scientists, city planners, developers and other professionals need to consider the value of the services that plants provide in order to make sustainable choices for their community. A shopping center’s dollar value can be measured in how many jobs it will create and how many tax dollars can be generated from the selling of the merchandise. It is much harder to assign a dollar value to an undeveloped tract of land. What services does an empty lot provide to a community? How can we assign dollar values to those services? Finding the answer to those questions is important. If we can determine the dollar value to services that plants provide such as the oxygen they produce and the carbon dioxide they remove, then we can determine the true value of an undeveloped tract of land. Then decision makers can make more informed choices as to what types of development should take place in their community. Environmental Economics is a relatively new field that looks to quantify the monetary value of our natural services. Not just in the products they can be turned in to, but in the services they provide while living in our environment. Ethnobotany is the scientific study of plants and their role in different cultures. This lesson is designed to help students understand that to have a sustainable society, the way people in the United States value plants needs to change. We need to assign a dollar value to plants for the services they provide while growing in our local environment. The City of Houston recently valued their urban forest to be worth over $200 billion dollars. The trees that make up the urban forest of Houston are worth so much due to the services they provide while they are alive. The value is not assigned to turning a living tree into lumber, paper, furniture or any other manufactured product. Please visit: http://www.treebenefits.com/calculator/ Procedure

1. In groups of 3-4 you will be assigned to certain areas of campus. 2. You goal is to identify 5 different trees, at least one of them will be artificially planted by the CB South builders,

the others will be from the neighboring riparian zones. 3. Try to accurately count all trees that are of the same ‘species’ in your area. 4. Measure a tree’s diameter at approximately 4.5 feet in height and record in the data table. 5. Take a sample of the leaves of each tree to take back to class and identify. 6. Take a digital picture of your tree and email it to you or one of your partners that can access their email to

reference to the online tree guide. 7. Return to class 8. Upload your pictures from the email and use it plus the sample leaves to correctly identify your tree with the

online tree guides. (please see my website) 9. Sketch both the leaf shape and the tree shape from your leaves and pictures. 10. Look up the value of each tree and multiply it by the number of trees that your group counted.

After completing the table, please answer the following questions.

1. What services do trees provide us?

2. How can we assign dollar values to the services that trees provide?

3. What type of monetary value would a 25 inch apple tree have on a single residential property? Why, explain

each variable?

4. Do you feel their data is accurate? What could have caused some errors?

5. Has your perception on the value of trees changed as a result of this experiment? What did you learn?

Page 20: Biodiversity Activities - Quia · Biodiversity Activities . Biodiversity: Why is it important? When scientists speak of the variety of organisms (and their genes) in an ecosystem,

Common Tree

Name +

Latin Name +

Location

Diameter Sketch Leaf shape Sketch Tree Shape Tree Value x (# of trees

in given area)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Total Value of your area ___________________

Total Value of CB South Trees_______________