name: period: biology 6-1:...

Name: _________________________________________________ Period: _________

Biology 6-1: Ecology

Assignments:

Description Page(s) Due Date

1

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY April 6 7 8 9 10

Test - Botany Begin Ecology

April 13 14 15 16 17 Ecology Quiz 1 –

Intro, Biomes, Succession & Interactions

Early Release End of 5th 6

weeks

April 20 21 22 23 24 Beginning of 6th

6 weeks

Ecology Quiz 2 Food Chain &

Nutrient Cycles

Review

April 27 28 29 30 May 1 Ecology Test

EOC Review EOC Review EOC Review EOC Review

May 4 5 6 7 8 Biology EOC Algebra EOC

Biology – 5th-6th Six Weeks 2014-15

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Ecology

Objectives:

• Analyze the flow of matter and energy through trophic levels using various models, including food chains, food webs, and ecological pyramids

• Interpret relationships, including predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, and competition among organisms.

• Compare variations and adaptations of organisms in different ecosystems. • Describe the flow of matter through the carbon and nitrogen cycles and explain the consequences

of disrupting these cycles. • Recognize that long-term survival of species is dependent on changing resource bases that are

limited. • Describe how environmental change can impact ecosystem stability. • Investigate and analyze how organisms, populations, and communities respond to external factors. • Describe how events and processes that occur during ecological succession can change

populations and species diversity

Vocabulary:

Population Succession Niche Biome Energy flow Commensalism Ecosystem Abiotic Mutualism Biotic Consumer Trophic Level Producer Detritivore Autotroph Heterotroph Decomposer Omnivore Carnivore Herbivore

Extended Thinking: Describe the cycles of carbon and nitrogen in the environment. Trace these elements from the point of their release from a decaying animal to their incorporation into a living animal.

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Introduction to Ecology Notes ____________________: the study of interactions of organisms with one another & their environment.

Every organism has a:

• ____________________: where an organism lives

• ____________________: its role or job in the ecosystem.

BIOTIC ABIOTIC

definition

examples

___ 1. Organism a. all of the different populations living in a given area and time.

___ 2. Population b. all of the areas on earth where organisms live.

___ 3. Community c. the number of individuals of the same species in the same

place at the same time ___ 4. Ecosystem d. a single living thing

___ 5. Biosphere e. all of the communities (biotic) and all of the physical factors

(abiotic) in an area

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BIOMES NOTES: Key concept- Biomes are _________________, global communities of organisms.

Earth has six major biomes.

A biome is a major community of ________________.

1. Tropical rain forest biomes produce lush forests.

– _____________ temperature

– Abundant __________________ all year

2. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass.

– Temperate grasslands are ______ and _________ during the summer; most precipitation falls as snow.

– ____________________________ are warm through the year, with definite dry and rainy seasons

3. Desert biomes are characterized by a very arid climate.

– Very _________ amount of precipitation

– ___________ types: hot, semi-arid, coastal, and cold 4. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain

forests.

– The temperate rain forests have a ___________________________ and relatively dry _____________________.

– _____________ trees are the dominant plant species.

– The temperate rain forests have a long ________ season and relatively dry summer.

– Ferns and moss cover the forest floor

5. The taiga biome is located in cooler northern climates.

– Boreal forest

– Long winters and _______ summers

– Small __________________ of precipitation 6. The tundra biome is found in the far northern latitudes with long winters.

– Winter last __________ months

– Limited ______________________

– Permafrost

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Section 3: Biomes

Study Guide B KEY CONCEPT Biomes are land-based, global communities of organisms.

VOCABULARY

MAIN IDEA: Earth has six major biomes. Fill in the chart with details about the six major biomes found on Earth.

7.What is the difference between tropical and temperate grasslands?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ 8. What are the four different types of deserts?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

canopy grassland desert deciduous coniferous taiga tundra chaparral

Biome Description

1. tropical rain forest

2. grassland

3. desert

4. temperate

5. taiga

6. tundra

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Study Guide B continued

9. How does precipitation differ in a temperate deciduous forest and a temperate rain forest?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ 10. Why do few plants grow in the tundra?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ 11. Describe the main characteristics of chaparral.

_______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

MAIN IDEA: Polar ice caps and mountains are not considered biomes. 12. Why aren’t polar ice caps and mountains considered biomes?

_______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

13. Where are the polar ice caps located?

_______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

14. What is a mountain life zone?

_______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary Check 15. I lose my leaves in the autumn. I am a ______________________.

16. I retain my needles all year long. I am a ______________________.

17. I am the uppermost branches of a tree. I am called the ______________________.

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Ecological Succession Engage

Use the clues on the back of each picture to place the Succession Cards in order on your desk.

In the space provided below, record the correct order and description of each Succession Card.

1. What is ecological succession?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. How can ecological succession change population and species diversity?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

3. What affects the populations and density in an ecological succession?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the events of ecological succession?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

5. What is biodiversity?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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Ecological Succession Notes

• Natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary

• The gradual replacement of one community by another through natural processes over time.

Primary Succession:

- Begins in a place _____________________ any __________________.

- Like _________________________________, ___________________________,

___________________________

- Starts with living things that don’t need soil, like ________________________.

These are called _______________________________________________

New soil is formed:

- Erosion breaks down rock into _________________________________

- Decomposed _______________________ add to the soil

• Simple plants like ______________________ and _______________________ can grow in the new soil

• The soil layer _____________________, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over

• These plants _________, and they add more _________________________ to the soil

• Shrubs and __________________can survive now

• ____________________, small birds, and ______________________ begin to move in

• What was once bare rock now supports a _____________________ of life

Secondary Succession:

• Begins in a place that already has _____________ and was once the ______________ of living organisms

• A ___________________________ of some kind changes an __________________________community

• Occurs _____________________ and has different _______________________ species than primary

succession

• Example: after forest fires

Climax Community:

• A __________________ group of plants and animals that

is the end __________________ of the succession process

• Does not always mean big trees

– ___________________ in prairies

– __________________in deserts

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Biology Worksheet Examining the Stages in Ecological Succession Name: _______________________________

Succession, a series of environmental changes, occurs in all ecosystems. The stages that any ecosystem passes through are predictable. In this activity, you will describe changes in an ecosystem and make predictions about changes that will take place from one stage of succession to another.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________________

Your answers should incorporate the following terms:

Climax community

Grasses & wildflowers

Mosses & ferns

Pioneer species

Gymnosperms

Angiosperms

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Notes: Interactions Predation

• The capturing of _____________ as a means of maintaining life – One organism benefits – One organism is _____________________

Competition

• Competition – A ____________________ between organisms for the same ________________________; The fitness of one of the organisms is __________________________ by the presence of another.

– Limited supply of at least one ________________________ used by both organisms is required

• Example: Animals compete for food, mating, or ______________________ and plants can compete for water, food, minerals, ___________________________.

Symbiotic Relationships

• Symbiotic Relationships – Interactions between two or more organisms; Two different species __________________ a relationship (interact) in order to ensure ___________________________

– Symbiotic relationships ____________________: 1. Mutualism 2. Parasitism 3. Commensalism

Parasitism • Parasitism - One organism (the parasite) benefits and the

other (the host) is _____________________, but is still _________________ – Parasites ________________, but give no benefit back to

their hosts. – Examples – ________________ and a dog, mosquitos and

humans, __________________________ infections such as a sore throat, amoebic dysentery (protist infection), ______________________ (flu), lampreys

– Can be considered a special case of ________________________ • Because the parasite needs the _______________ to remain alive, it is typically

advantageous for the parasite NOT to ____________ its host

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Mutualism • Mutualism - Any relationship between two _______________

of organisms that benefits ________________ species. – Examples of Mutualism

1. _________________________ 2. Seed Dispersal 3. _____________________

Commensalism • Commensalism - Relationship between ___________

species where one species benefits from the relationship and the second species is ______________________.

– Examples of Commensalism • Barnacles and ________________________

Interactions Summary

Type of

Interaction Organism 1 Organism 2

Predation

Competition

Parasitism

Mutualism

Commensalism

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Practice with Symbiotic Relationships

1. The Monarch butterfly feeds as a larva on species of milkweeds. The milkweeds contain a group of chemicals called cardiac glycosides. Cardiac glycosides are poisonous to vertebrates. The larvae store these cardiac glycosides and the later adult Monarch butterfly contains them as well. If a bird (or other vertebrate such as a mouse or frog) eats a Monarch it finds them distasteful to begin with and is later sick.

2. Hookworms attach t the intestinal walls of humans and get nutrients from the host’s blood and tissue juices. Infected human experience digestive disorders and anemia.

3. Fungal hyphae live on the roots of plants. The fungal hyphae improve the nutrient uptake of the roots, protect the plants from pathogens, and produce plant growth hormone. The fungi get carbohydrates from the plant.

4. A lamprey eel fastens itself to a host fish, such as lake perch, and feeds on it. When the fish dies, the lamprey finds another host.

5. Burdocks, common weeds found along roadsides and in empty lots and fields have seed heads (burs) of burdocks long spines with hooked tips. The hooked tips catch onto the hair of passing vertebrates (cows, deer, dogs, humans) and the burs are carried elsewhere until they finally drop off or are pulled off by the carriers. The seeds are then dispersed to new locations.

6. Yucca moths lay their eggs in the seed pods of yucca plants. Larvae that hatch from the yucca moths’ eggs feed on some, but not all, the seeds. The plant is pollinated by the moth by carrying pollen from one yucca plant to another.

7. Orchid vines grow up the trunks of trees. The areas at the tops of the trees have more light than the areas underneath the trees. The orchid does not interfere with the sunlight received by the tree.

8. Ticks are arachnids which attach themselves to mammals, such as deer, dogs, and rabbits. They suck the blood of these mammals as a food source and can transmit diseases to the host.

9. Fire ants live with aphids, a type of plant lice. The fire ants eat a substance the aphids secrete and the aphids are protected by the fire ants from predators.

Organism

Affect of Relationship

(Benefits, Harmed, Not Affected)

Type of Symbiosis (Commensalism,

Mutualism, Parasitism)

1 Monarch Butterfly

Milkweed Plant

2 Human

Hookworm

3 Fungal Hyphae

Plant Roots

4 Lamprey Eel

Fish

5 Burdock Plant

Vertebrate

6 Yucca Moth

Yucca Plant

7 Orchid

Tree

8 Ticks

Mammal

9 Fire Ants

Aphid

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Ecological Relationships What symbiotic relationships are seen in ecosystems?

____________________________________________________________________________________ All living organisms need each other in some way to survive. This can include the interactions between predators and their prey, the close associations between and among living things (symbiosis), or the competitive relationships between and among species. All of these relationships may be equally advantageous to the parties involved, or they may be more beneficial to one organism over the other. ____________________________________________________________________________________

1. What was the approximate population of snowshoe hares and of lynx in 1865?

2. Propose an explanation for the apparent cause and effect relationship between the population of lynx and hares.

3. What does this information tell you about the effect of size of prey populations on the number of predators?

4. What does this information tell you about the effect of predators on the populations of their prey?

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5. Read the description of the relationship between the two organisms, identify the correct symbiotic relationship, and fill in the “Symbiotic Relationship” column with mutualism, parasitism, or commensalism.

6. Pick one of the organism pairs and justify why you categorized the relationship as you did.

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7. Which graph shows competition between two different species?

8. Which graph shows population growth for only one species?

9. Compare graphs A and B: a. Which population of species of Paramecium is more affected when the two species are grown

together?

b. Considering that P. caudatum is 50% larger in size than P. aurelia, develop a hypothesis with your group to explain why interspecific competition has an effect on the relative population size of P. caudatum.

10. The tadpoles represented in graph C are confined to a limited environment. What are they all

competing for in that environment?

11. What is different about the type of competition shown in graph C compared to the type of competition seen in graph B?

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The Carbon Cycle Carbon

• All _________________ things are made of carbon!!!

- Plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and

sunlight to make their own ______________. The

carbon becomes part of the plant.

- Animals get carbon by eating _____________,

algae, or other animals that have eaten plants.

Carbon Does Not Stay Still – It Is On the Move!

1. In the atmosphere, carbon in _______________.

2. Plants use CO2 and sunlight to

make their own food.

3. Animals consume plants

4. Plants that die may turn into fossil fuels

made of carbon, like ___________ and oil, over

millions of years.

5. When humans _______________ fossil fuels,

most of the carbon quickly enters the

atmosphere as ______________.

Photosynthesis

● Using light energy, plants combine CO2 from the atmosphere and H20 to form ____________________ and ________________________ in the process of photosynthesis. sunlight

Carbon Dioxide + Water → Sugar + Oxygen Respiration

● In respiration, the compounds containing carbon are

________________________________, and CO2 is ________________.

● Plants, _________________________, and microorganisms all

carry out respiration!

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Combustion • Most of the CO2 is produced

during the process of

________________________ called

combustion.

• When compounds containing

carbon (wood, coal, or oil) are

burned, ___________ is released.

• The use of CO2 by plants during

photosynthesis is a much

____________________ process.

• As a result of the imbalance between these two processes, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is

___________________.

Decomposers

• When organisms die, decomposers break

down the _____________________ compounds in

their bodies, and CO2 is ____________________ to

the atmosphere.

• During decomposition (decay), other

chemicals are also ____________________ to the

soil or released into the air. One of these

chemicals is ____________________.

Review Questions

1. What process uses CO2 and produces oxygen? _________________________________________

2. What two processes produce carbon dioxide? ___________________________________________

3. What process produces most of the CO2 in the atmosphere? ___________________________

4. By what process do decomposers return CO2to the atmosphere? ______________________

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The Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen

• Plants and animals need nitrogen to make ______________________.

• The air is about 78% nitrogen, but plants and animals cannot use

nitrogen ______________________ from the ______________.

• How Do Plants Get Nitrogen?

– Special _________________________, in the soil and water, must change or “fix” nitrogen gas (N2)

into a form that that plants can ___________.

– These bacteria are ________________________ nitrogen-fixers.

• Nitrogen Fixers have a mutualistic relationship with the plants

• The plants provide food and __________________for the bacteria, and the

bacteria convert nitrogen gas into _______________________ for the plant.

• How Do Animals Get Nitrogen?

– Animals get nitrogen from plants or from other plant- eating

animals, in the _________________ of protein.

– Animals must ____________ protein to get their nitrogen

requirements! We can’t _____________________ in nitrogen!

How is Nitrogen Recycled?

● Nitrogen is recycled by special ______________________ that break down the nitrogen compounds

(proteins) in _________________ plants and animals, and in animal wastes.

● If plants do ________ use the nitrogen compounds as fertilizer, special forms of bacteria may

____________________ it.

● These bacteria convert

the unused fertilizer

into nitrogen ___________

and

release it into the

atmosphere.

● All natural ecosystems

_______________ upon

bacteria to keep the

nitrogen cycle ____________!

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What Affect Nutrient Cycles? • __________________________________________

volcanic eruptions forest fires landslides and earthquakes living organisms

• Disruptions caused by ___________________________ poor farming practices burning fossil fuels

Review Questions

1. What kinds of organisms are essential for the nitrogen cycle? _____________________________________________________________________

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Nutrient Cycles Practice - POGIL 1. Model 1 illustrates how nature recycles what natural resource?

2. Name two ways that carbon (usually in the form of CO2) enters the atmosphere.

3. Wastes and dead organisms must be broken down in order for their components to be used again.

a. What organisms in the cycle carry out this process?

4. Instead of being immediately recycled, the carbon from some organisms is kept in a type of long-term

storage, or carbon sink. Using Model 2, answer the questions below about this long-term storage.

a. How do humans use the materials in the carbon sink?

b. What is the scientific name for the process listed in part c?

5. List five examples of combustion in your everyday life.

6. How does our use of these carbon stores affect the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere?

Model 1

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7. Model 3 illustrates how nature recycles what natural resource?

READ THIS! Nitrification is a process by which specific bacteria convert different forms of N-containing compounds (like

ammonia, NH3) in the soil to nitrites (NO2) and nitrates (NO3). This process is important since the only forms

of nitrogen that are usable by plants to build their proteins are the nitrates.

8. In what ways is N2 gas removed from the atmosphere?

9. By what process are animal wastes and dead organisms converted to other nitrogen-containing

compounds?

10. What is the only form of nitrogen that non-legume plants can take in and use?

11. If the number of nitrifying bacteria decreased, what effect would this have on the nitrogen cycle and what

type of compounds would accumulate as a result?

Model 2

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Name ______________________________________________ Date ___________________ Per ______

Traveling Nitrogen Game!

Trip #1: Where I’m Going: How I’m getting there: __Surface Water_____ Fertilizer washed into

stream. Stamp above

Trip #1: Where I’m Going: How I’m getting there: ______________________ Stamp above

1. Fill out your start location in the space below. 2. Roll the die at your start location to find out

where to go next. Write the “Where I’m going” and “How I’m getting there” information in Trip#1 box (as in the example at the right).

3. Head to that location and stamp the Trip#1 box. Then, roll the die at that location to find out where to go next.

Starting Location:










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Answer the following questions after completing the game.

1. What would happen if a farmer used too much fertilizer?

2. What would happen if we burned too many fossil fuels?

3. Livestock farming creates a large amount of animal waste. How would this affect the nitrogen cycle?

4. Draw and color a diagram to show your path through the nitrogen cycle. Then, write a paragraph describing your journey, make sure to include information about (1) where you went, and (2) what form of nitrogen did you take to your destination. (You may use another sheet of paper to answer this question.)

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Energy in Ecosystems Notes

• Life in an ecosystem requires a source of _______________.

• Producers provide ________________ for other organisms in an ecosystem.

• _______________- type of organisms that get their energy from non-living resources.

o Also called _________________ because they make their own food.

• _______________- type of organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources.

o Also called __________________ because they feed off of different things.

• Almost all producers obtain energy from _________________ Food chains and Food Webs

~Food chains and food webs model the ___________ of energy in an ecosystem.

• A ___________________ is a model that shows a sequence of feeding relationships.

o Follows the ________________ between one producer and a single chain of consumers within an

ecosystem.

Consumers are not all alike.

• _________________________ - the nourishment levels in a food chain

o _________________ consumers = herbivores that eat producers

o _________________ consumers = carnivores that eat herbivores

o _________________ consumers = carnivores that eat secondary consumers

o _________________ consumers = consumers that eat both plants and animals

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Ecological Pyramids

___________________________ _________________________ _____________________

Instead of representing trophic levels in a food web, an _________________________ can be used.

• Pyramids of ________________ show the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level.

o As you go up the trophic levels of a pyramid of energy: the energy __________________ as it is lost as

heat energy or used in metabolic processes.

Only about _________ percent of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

• _______________________- rule that states that only 10% of energy passes on to next

level, meaning that there is a 90% loss of energy at each trophic level

• Pyramids of _________________ show the relative amount of living organic matter available at each trophic

level.

• Pyramids of _________________ show the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level.

** Using the space under each pyramid, correctly label each pyramid above. **

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Asian Carp in the Great Lakes? This Means War! By BRYAN WALSH Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010

There are illegal immigrants on the loose in the Midwest. Originally hailing from Asia, they're about 3 ft. (90 cm) long and weigh up to 100 lb. (45 kg), and are known to resist capture. Once they establish residency, they can eat you out of house and home.

They're called Asian carp, and they emigrated to the lower reaches of the Mississippi River in the 1970s. Now they're knocking on the door of the Great Lakes, threatening to destroy one of the most valuable aquatic regions in the U.S., unless the often fractious Great Lakes states manage to pull together and keep them out. The situation is so serious that the White House convened an "Asian carp summit" on Monday to work out a defense plan. "If the carp invade the Great Lakes, it will change them forever," says Jennifer Nalbone, director of invasive species and navigation for the NGO Great Lakes United.

Asian carp — a collection of related fish, including bighead carp and silver carp — are what's known as an invasive species, an animal or plant that moves into a new environment, often badly disrupting it. Invasive species are becoming more common because of international trade, which turns the planet into a giant pinball machine, transplanting wildlife from one corner of the world to another, and because of climate change, which prompts species to migrate to more hospitable environments, often at the expense of those that already live there.

In the U.S., invasive species like the Rocky Mountain pine beetle, which has ravaged trees from Colorado to Montana, cause an estimated $120 billion worth of damage annually. "Invasives take over the habitat that native species need to survive and persist," says Frank Lowenstein, director of the Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Forest Health program and an expert on invasive species. "Eventually invasives just start replacing natives."

Asian carp are particularly dangerous. Native to China and parts of Southeast Asia, the freshwater fish have been cultivated for aquaculture for more than 1,000 years, often raised in submerged rice paddies. Catfish farmers in the U.S. imported Asian carp decades ago to eat up the algae in their ponds; the fish slowly escaped into the wild and have been making their way up the Mississippi River. They are eating machines; bighead carp can grow incredibly quickly and reproduce rapidly as well. "They just eat so much," says David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. "They're like the locusts of the river."

That's what makes them so dangerous to the lakes. Asian carp aren't direct predators, but they eat plankton, which knocks out the bottom layers of the food chain. If they were to successfully establish themselves in the Great Lakes and start breeding, they could utterly disrupt the existing ecosystem, potentially starving out the trout and other native fish that make the Great Lakes a tourism hot spot.

And if their voracious eating habits weren't enough, silver carp pose a direct threat to boaters. When startled, the fish launch themselves out of the water, turning into 40-lb. (18 kg) projectiles that could easily smash an unwary fisherman's nose. It's enough to turn a fishing trip into something worthy of the X Games, which may be fine for the extreme-angling participants of the wild Redneck Fishing Tournament in Illinois, where silver carp are the target and black eyes sustained from flying fish are a badge of honor. But your average day-

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http://www.time.com/time/letters/email_letter.html

tripping sportsman on Lake Michigan might not appreciate an airborne carp smacking him in the kisser. "They are living missiles, and that's not trivial," says David Lodge, director of Notre Dame's Center for Aquatic Conservation.

It's not yet certain that Asian carp have made it into the Great Lakes. The Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes are connected only through the man-made Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which leads from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River. (It's not uncommon for invasions to occur when humans connect ecosystems that have naturally been kept separate.) The Army Corps of Engineers put an electric barrier in the canal to prevent the carp from infiltrating Lake Michigan, but it may not have been enough — although no live fish have been found yet, last month a team of scientists discovered Asian carp DNA in Lake Michigan. "That's enough to show that they're likely making their way into the lakes," says Lindsay Chadderton, director of TNC's Great Lakes Aquatic Invasive Species program.

Scientists don't know how large the Asian carp population would need to get before it becomes self-sustaining and morphs from nuisance into true threat. And some doubt the fish will ever make it into the lakes, given their need to spawn in long, fast-flowing rivers like the Illinois. "It might be 20 to 25 years before they really establish themselves," says Duane Chapman, a research fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "We don't know for sure that we'll have any problems to speak of."

Maybe, but that's not how the governors of Michigan and Wisconsin are treating the problem. They want the locks of the Chicago canal to be shut down immediately, to prevent the carp from ever gaining a finhold in the Great Lakes. But Illinois lawmakers argue that closing the canal would disrupt hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of shipping. A coalition of six Great Lakes states and the Canadian province of Ontario even sought an injunction last month from the Supreme Court to force an immediate shutdown of the canal; the court declined to issue the ruling but will hear briefs on the subject later this month.

The White House has taken action as well. On Monday, federal officials announced $78.5 million in funding to prevent the spread of Asian carp; plans include building new barriers between the Chicago canal and the Des Plaines River. (The carp may be able to bypass the existing electric barrier in the canal when water levels are high and the two waterways mix.) "We see the threat and potential impact of the Asian carp establishing themselves in the Great Lakes," says Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "We believe we have the chance to work together to prevent economic and environmental damage before it occurs."

That's an ideal plan, since it's much easier to prevent invasive species from infiltrating a new home than it is to eradicate them after the fact. And any plague of foreign species will likely become harder to quash because of global warming, as nonnative plants and animals are often better able to adjust to changing climates than indigenous species, according to a study published last week in the journal PLoS ONE. "We have to recognize that we are the ones changing the natural world, and we have an obligation to do it responsibly," says TNC's Lowenstein. "Not just for the planet, but for our own sake."

If the preventive efforts don't work, you might want to put on a helmet the next time you go waterskiing on Lake Michigan.

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Asian Carp in the Great Lakes! - Article questions 1. Asian Carp are currently making their way up what river system? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What bodies of water are the Asian carp in danger of destroying? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. A species that moves into a new environment and disrupts it is called _________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What are two reasons given for the increase in invasive species? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Why did US farmers import Asian carp originally? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Asian carp eat what part of the food chain? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Why are fishermen in physical danger from Asian carp? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. How are the Great Lakes and the Mississippi river system connected? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. What kind of barrier has the Army Corps of Engineers put up to protect Lake Michigan? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. What is the drastic solution proposed by the governors of Michigan and Wisconsin? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

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Ecology Test Review What is Ecology?

Ecology is the study of

All living factors are called ________ factors. All nonliving factors are called ___________ factors. Ex. Ex.

Levels of Organization in the Biosphere

Species → ___________________ → Community → ___________________ → Biome → Biosphere

1. Species –

2. Populations –

3. Communities --

4. Ecosystems –

• Habitat- 5. Biome --

6. Biosphere --

PRACTICE: Use the terms above in the levels of organization section from above to fill in the following:

ENERGY FLOW THROUGH AN ECOSYSTEM The flow of energy through an ecosystem begins with the_____, and is passed on through various organisms:

sun producers consumers decomposers

• Producers – __________________ organisms that are able to make their own food from inorganic

substances. Examples:

• Consumers – ___________________organisms that get energy by eating producers or other

consumers. Examples:

Types of Consumers: 1. Herbivores– eats___________________ Ex. _____________ ________________

2. Carnivores– Eats___________________ Ex._______________ _________________

3. Omnivores- Eats__________________ Ex.__________ _____________

What term is used to refer to each of the following? ____________________1. Lake Houston (location)

____________________2. Mississippi river and all of the forms of life that are sustained by it

____________________3. A flock of ducks

____________________4. The Sahara desert

____________________5. All livable areas on Earth

____________________6. The deer, ducks, shore birds, fish and rabbits living in and around Lake Houston

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Level of Consumers: Use the three types of consumers from above to fill in the following blanks: Primary consumer Secondary consumer Tertiary consumer 4th ….. ________________ __________________

(________________ can be a 1st, 2nd or higher level consumer)

• Decomposers – obtain energy from the__________________________________________.

Examples:

FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS Each step in a food chain or web is called a___________________, or a feeding relationship between organisms.

FOOD CHAIN ____________________________ FOOD WEB ______________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ (Label each trophic level below)

ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS Ecological pyramids ______________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

in a food chain or web.

Pyramid of Energy

A pyramid of energy is used to illustrate the amount of usable energy at each ____________ level. • Only ________ is passed on to the next trophic level • The other 90% is ___________________________.

Pyramid of Numbers As you go further down a food chain, the numbers of ____________________ decrease because there is less ______________ available! *Compare the pyramid of energy to the pyramid of numbers. Why must there be so many more individuals at lower trophic levels?

1. What would happen to this food web is the plants were removed?____________________________

2. Which organism is most vulnerable to changes in populations?______________________________

3. What happens to the owl population if the foxes we killed off by humans?________________________

Arrows show the ________ of energy

and ________

2n

1s

3rd

4th

5th

3rd

Secondary

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Ecological Pyramids:

1. Which trophic level contains autotrophic organisms? _____________ 2. Which trophic level contains herbivores? ______________________ 3. Which trophic level contains carnivores? ______________________ 4. Which trophic level contains the most available energy? ___________ 5. Which trophic level contains the least available energy? ___________ 6. How much energy is transferred to the next trophic level?__________

Symbiotic Relationships 3 Types of Symbiosis: 1. Parasitism: one organism (parasite) ___________________ and the other is _________________ (host). EX: _____________, _______________, and body _____________. 2. Commensalism: One organism ________________, and the other organism is neither ____________ or ______________.EX: _______________________________ or birds building nests in trees. 3. Mutualism Both organisms _____________ from the relationship. EX: _____________________________________________________ Predator-Prey Relationships

• Predation: interaction in which one organism _______________ and ______________ on another organism. • Predator: organism that does the __________________ and ____________________.

Prey: Organism that is _________________ (food). NUTRIENT CYCLES:

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NUTRIENTS WHEN ORGANISMS DIE? • Energy cannot be __________________________ or used again. • However, nutrients/elements in an ecosystem can be _____________________.

The Carbon Cycle

Level 1 Level 2

Level 3

Decomposers

Directions: Use the diagrams above, and the diagrams and text to answer the following: 1. Name and discuss the process that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name and discuss the processes in which carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere?_________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Facts

Air is 78% nitrogen

Nitrogen is one of the elements found in plant

fertilizers

Protein contains nitrogen

Directions: Use the diagrams above and text to answer the following: 1. Bacteria living in the roots of the plant help the plant by ____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Bacteria living in the soil help plants by ______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What process transforms nitrogen into usable forms that plants can use?_____________________

4. Where do animals ultimately get their proteins from?____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. How has farming affected the nitrogen cycle?____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. How has industry affected the nitrogen cycle?__________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

by bacteria and/or

lightning

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name: period: biology 6-1:...

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