science 10 sustainability of ecosystems
TRANSCRIPT
Science 10 Sustainability of Ecosystems
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What is sustainability?
What is an ecosystem?
Sustainability
• Although there are many advantages of new
technology and advancements to
humankind, we have also created many
problems such as pollution and degradation
of ecosystems.
• Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs
of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their needs.
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The UN (an international organization
founded in 1945 after the Second World
War by 51 countries committed to
maintain international peace and
security, developing friendly relations
among nations and promoting social
progress, better living standards and
human rights.
The United Nations (UN) states that sustainable development depends on three aspects with must work together in balance:
1. Economic development2. Social development3. Environmental development
Economic developmentweighs us down.
Sustainable development must take into
account the economy, social aspects as
well as the environment.
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Some see the concept of growth as problematic since the Earth’s resources are finite (limited).
Others acknowledge that conserving biodiversity is vital to sustainable development and reducing poverty.
The objective of the 2005 UK Sustainable Development Strategy is to: enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their BASIC needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations.
Plastic Oceans
The Lorax Answer the questions given on your worksheet while
you are watching the movie.
Tonlé- zero-waste, fair fashion
15The Story of Stuff
Discuss: Sustainable Development
20Ecosystems The relationships between populations of species and
between populations and the non-living factors in their environments
Biotic: all living or once living parts of the environment.
Abiotic: all non-living parts of the environment (sunlight, air, water, rock).
What Is Ecology?
• Ecology is the study of living
and non-living parts of the
environment.
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Populations
All of the members of the same species, living in the
same habitat at the same time are referred to as a
population.
Three criteria required for a population:
1. Same species
2. Same habitat
3. Same time
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Community
On the other hand, the collections of all the
populations of all the species in a particular
area is called a community.
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26Definitions
• Food Chain – the transfer of food from one feeding level to another, beginning with producers.
eg.
• Food chains show the flow of energy from
one organism to the other. We always draw
arrows pointing to the organism that is receiving the energy.
Classifying Organisms In An
Ecosystem
When we look at organisms in an
ecosystem we can classify them on the
basis of what they eat (how they get
energy)
Generally we classify organisms into 2
groups:
1) producers and
2) consumers.
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Producer: any organism that produces its own food.
Consumer: any organism that feeds on other organisms or their wastes.
There are 3 types of consumers:
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1) Herbivore: a plant eating consumer
2) Carnivore: any organism that eats animals; meat eater.
3) Omnivore: any organism that consumes both plants and animals.
Other types of organisms…..
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Parasite: an organism that lives and feeds on a host organism, usually without killing it.
Scavenger: a consumer that feeds on the dead carcasses of other consumers that it did not kill.
Decomposer: organisms that live on decaying organic matter thereby returning the minerals nutrients to the soil.
Assignment: Animal Feeding Strategies
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Trophic level: a way of categorizing living things according to how they gain their energy; the first trophic level contains autotrophs, and each higher level contains heterotrophs
Organisms that obtain energy from similar sources belong to the same trophic level
44ProducersRecall: Producers are the only organisms
in an ecosystem that can make or
produce its own food
Also known as autotrophs (auto – means
self and –troph mean food/eat).
They use abiotic factors to produce food.
For example, plants use the sun’s energy
to make food by the process of
photosynthesis.
Autotroph: an organism that is able to make and store its own food, using sunlight or another non-living energy source-usually plants.
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Consumers• Recall: Consumers are organisms in an
ecosystem that feed on other organisms to
get their energy.
• Also referred to as heterotrophs (hetero –
means other). For example, a deer eats
grass to get its energy because it cannot
make its own food.
Heterotroph: an organism that obtains all of its energy from others; they are called consumers.
Consumers also come in varying degrees:
A primary consumer feeds on producers (it is 1st to
eat/consume)
A secondary consumer feeds on primary consumers (2nd to
eat/consume)
A tertiary consumer feeds on secondary consumers (3rd to eat/consume)
A quaternary consumer feeds on tertiary consumers (4th to
eat/consume)
Usually there is nothing higher than a quaternary consumer
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Example Trophic Level Diagram
Category of Organism Example of Organism
Producer Grass
Primary Consumer; Herbivore Grasshopper
Secondary Consumer;
CarnivoreSnake
Tertiary Consumer; Carnivore Hawk
Autotroph
H
e
t
e
r
o
t
r
o
p
h
s
In a food chain, energy is passed from one link to
another.
When a herbivore eats, only a
fraction of the energy (that it
gets from the plant food)
becomes new body mass;
the rest of the energy is
lost as waste or used up
(by the herbivore as
it moves).
- What do you notice
about the number of
organisms at each level?
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As energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic
level some of the energy is "lost".
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1. Because organisms do not
consume all of the food that is
theoretically available nor do they
use all of the food they consume -
some is eliminated as feces.
2. Because organisms also use
energy for their own metabolic
life processes and that energy
is ultimately released as heat
and cannot be passed to the
next trophic level.
THEREFORE... because of the large amount of
energy that is lost at each link...
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The further along the
food chain you go, the
less food (and hence
energy) remains
available.
Most food chains have no more than four or five
links.
There cannot be too many links in a single food chain
because the animals at the end of the chain would
not get enough food (and hence energy) to stay
alive.
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A change in the size of one population in a
food chain will affect other populations.
This interdependence of the populations
within a food chain helps to maintain the
balance of plant and animal populations
within a community.
For example, when there are too many
giraffes; there will be insufficient trees and
shrubs for all of them to eat. Many giraffes will
starve and die.
Fewer giraffes mean more time for the trees
and shrubs to grow to maturity and multiply.
Fewer giraffes also mean less food is
available for the lions to eat and some lions
will starve to death. When there are fewer
lions, the giraffe population will increase.
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Food Webs• In reality most organisms do not eat just one thing.
Each organism in an ecosystem is involved in many
food chains.
• Food chains linked with each other to form a
feeding relationship is called a food web.
• In a basic food chain, we only show producers,
herbivores and carnivores. In a food web we can
show omnivores because we can show that an
organism eats plants and animals!
The bird can be a ________ or a __________ consumer so classify
it as a _______ consumer. Always show organisms in their
highest trophic level.
What would happen to the bird population if the ladybug population increased?
What would happen if the worm population were removed
from the web?
x
Assignment: Food Chains
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Pyramid of Numbers
A pyramid of numbers is a graphical
model that shows the numbers of
organisms that exist at trophic levels in an
ecosystem.
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Pyramid of Energy
A pyramid of energy is a graphical model that
shows the amount of energy available at each
trophic level of an ecosystem.
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• The “10% Law of Energy” states that only 10% of energy is passed on to the consumer at the next trophic level. That means that 90% of energy is lost as you go up each level!
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How much land would you need in order to produce 800 kJ of
energy?
- beef
- you need 1.45 m2 of land
- wheat
- you need 0.24 m2 of land
You need an area that is six times the size to produce the
same amount of energy from meat versus from a plant.
Pyramid of Biomass
A pyramid of biomass is a graphical
model that shows the dry mass of
organisms at each trophic level of an
ecosystem.
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• Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Class
Assignment
• Food Webs and Energy Pyramids
Assignment
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Part Two: Biodiversity in Ecosystems
74Biodiversity
The number of species in an ecosystem is described as the biological diversity or biodiversity of an ecosystem
Biodiversity in Ecosystems
The most stable ecosystems are those with the
greatest biodiversity , because they have such
complex food webs. The reduction in numbers or
even removal of an organism may only have a
small effect on the overall web.
For example, if one type of plant gets eaten by an
insect, the other organisms that normally eat that
plant can switch to something else.
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Biodiversity in Ecosystems
The most stable ecosystems are those with the
greatest biodiversity , because they have such
complex food webs. The reduction in numbers or
even removal of an organism may only have a
small effect on the overall web.
For example, if one type of plant gets eaten by an
insect, the other organisms that normally eat that
plant can switch to something else.
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However, where abiotic factors limit the number
of organisms, the webs begin to look more like
food chains. For example, in the Arctic, there are
few producers because of less sun energy and
cold temperatures. There are limited numbers of
organisms and the loss of any one number will
have a profound effect on all the remaining
organisms.
The lower the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the
simpler the food web and the more vulnerableeach organism is. This is why we NEED
sustainability if we want to meet the needs of
future generations!
Ecological Niche: the place or role of a species within an ecosystem; everything an organism does to survive and reproduce, including its place in the food web, its habitat, its breeding area, and the time of day that it is most active.
Roles in Ecosystems
Hawks Owls
- hawks have
broad
wings
- hunt in
grasslands and
open fields
- hunt during the
day
- owls have short,
broad wings
- hunt in the forest
- hunt at night
(eyes are adapted)
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Each organism has its own role (niche) in an
ecosystem. This helps to reduce competition
between species for the same territory and
resources.
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Niches and Threats to
Biodiversity
Competition for Niches: When a new species enters an ecosystem it
creates a disturbance because it will
compete with other organisms already in
the ecosystem
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Humans and Exotic Species/Introduced
Species
Introduced (Exotic)Species: an organism
that is not native to the place or area where
it is considered introduced and instead has
been accidentally or deliberately
transported to the new location by human
activity.
― Introduction of new species (exotic species) can happen naturally when:
Animals are mobile and move from one ecosystem to another (search for food and mates)
Plant seeds can be carried by the wind and take root in new areas
A new route can open to an area allowing organisms to mix (ice bridges, dried rivers, extensive flooding)
OR
―Humans bring ecosystems into contact with
each other when they take organisms with
them when they travel (foreign flora and
fauna) often with serious consequences
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Invasive Species: when a non-native species disrupts and replaces (takes over) a native species.
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Examples of Invasive species
Killer Bees(1957): Honey producers introduced wild
African bees to increase honey production but these
“killer bees” displaced native species swarmed and
attacked humans and grew in population because
they have no natural predators
Video: Topics and Issues in Environmental Science:
Non-Native Invasion (20 min.)
Non-Native Invasion
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Why can the introduction of new
species cause problems?
may compete for organisms that native species
feeds on
may compete for the same ‘niche’
may change the balance of the ecosystem
may not have natural predators (overpopulation)
we cannot predict what effects the introduction of
new species can have
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Extinction In The Modern World• Humans and the rate of extinction
– As the human population increases, extinction increases
– Some of the reasons are:
- Deforestation - Pollution - Foreign Species
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History of Extinction
By examining rocks and fossils, it has been revealed that several large-scale disasters on Earth have resulted in the extinction of many species.
The largest extinction occurred nearly 245 million years ago in which approximately 80% of species went extinct.
Scientists believe mass extinctions like that one were caused by asteroids crashing into Earth creating dust that blocked the light from the Sun, set off volcanic eruptions and changed Earth’s environmental conditions.
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Other Causes of Extinction• Climate change
– Plant & animal species that grow in northern Canada
are used to harsh conditions. Warming may cause
conditions that may wipe out certain species.
• Pressure of competition
– If a new species enters into an area and eats the
same food as another species, the two must compete
for the same food source. The species that is better at
this will survive.
Ex: Banff Longnose Dace lost the
competition with exotic fish
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Special Concern or Vulnerable: Any native wild species that may become threatened or extirpated because of low or declining numbers due to human activities or natural events.
Smooth Goosefoot
Threatened: Any native wild species that is likely to become endangered if the factors leading to its endangerment are not reversed.
Great White Pelican
Extirpated: Any species that no longer exists in the wild in Saskatchewan (or Canada), but still exists in the wild outside of Sask (or Can.).
Small White Lady’s Slipper
Swift Fox
Endangered: Any native wild species that is threatened with imminent extirpation or extinction.
Burrowing Owl
Extinct: A species that has died out; thus no longer exists.
Sea Mink
Eelgrass Limpet
Labrador Duck
We’re about to cause a Mass Extinction
Health of Ecosystems and Species at Risk In Canada, there are more than 250 species of
plants and animals at various degrees of risk. Some reasons species are becoming at risk are because of climate change, pressure of competition from other species, poor reproductive success, changes in population of organisms, hunting by humans, pollution and habitat destruction.
One way we can see how pollution is putting organisms at risk is to look at toxins (poisons) that humans are putting into the ecosystem. We can do this by looking at the health of top carnivores in a food chain/web because they depend directly or indirectly on all of the members of their food chain.
Bioaccumulation: is the increase in
concentration of a pollutant from the
environment to the last organism in a food
chain. In essence, it is the build up
(accumulation) of pollutants. Some
examples of pollutants are pesticides
(chemicals to kill pests), herbicides
(chemicals to kill plants), and many
human-produced wastes (ex)
microbeads in soaps) that we don’t even
realize are a pollutant.
Even if the amount of toxins entering a food chain is low, it is still a serious problem because:
Each organism in the next step of the food chain usually eats many prey.
The more prey an organism eats, the more toxins it takes into its body.
When a secondary consumer is eaten by a top carnivore, the higher-level predator gets all of its toxins, PLUS those of all the other prey it eats.
Therefore, at each stage of the food chain, the concentration of toxins becomes greater.
This is what we call Bioamplification or biomagnification: the process that results in increasing concentrations of a toxin in the bodies of consumers at each succeeding trophic level.
One solution to this problem: In the past, some pesticides such as DDT, were very harmful because they are soluble in fat but not in water. As a result, they cannot be released in urine or sweat and therefore accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and get passed on. Some modern chemical pesticides are not stored in fat tissue and are soluble in water so they can be removed from animal bodies as waste and break down within the soil.
More problems with toxins:
Many “pests” have developed a resistance to pesticides and eventually the pesticide becomes useless. Then scientists try to develop more harmful pesticides.
Many toxins develop out of seemingly harmless products that humans use. Ex) Microbeads in facial scrubs are tiny plastic microbeads that get washed down the drain, are too small to be filtered out by wastewater facilities and are now accumulating in many waterways such as the Great Lakes. These tiny particles coat the floors of lakes, choke out plant life and are getting eaten by other organisms who mistake them for fish eggs. These particles can fill the gut of an organism causing it to starve to death. However, these plastic particles can also act like a sponge for pollutants like motor oils and pesticides and accumulate all the way up the food chain eventually reaching humans.
Page 52 – 57
Questions b - j, l, o - r
PestsA pest
• is an organism that people consider harmful or
inconvenient in a particular situation.
– weeds,
– insects,
– rodents, etc.
Explore an Issue: What is the Value of Wolves (page
20)
– In point form, list how and why the decrease in one
organism in an ecosystem can affect the whole
ecosystem. Use the wolf as an example.
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Video: How Wolves Change Rivers112
Restoring Balance
How can we restore balance to affected ecosystems?
Reintroduction of species to an area
Place bans on hunting/trapping
Place bans on pesticides
Awi Usdi, the Little Deer
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Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
By: Susan Jeffers
• This is a short story that quotes a speech given by Chief Seattle in 1854.
• Susan Jeffers created the book and illustrated it.
• Chief Seattle (more correctly known as Seathl) was a Susquamish chief who lived on the islands of the Puget Sound. As a young warrier, Chief Seattle was known for his courage, daring and leadership. He gained control of six of the local tribes and continued the friendly relations with the local whites that had been established by his father. His now famous speech was believed to have been given in December, 1854.
• The President of the USA asked Chief Seattle if he could buy their land.
• And this was his response. Given in the form of a speech to his people.
• YouTube Narrative:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=milJHghIdII
• Hard Copy:
http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/seattle.htm
Brother
Eagle,
Sister
Sky
• Note: Presumably, the generally accepted version of the above speech was published in the The Irish Times on June 4th, 1976. However, many people now believe that the speech was actually written by a Hollywood screen writer in the 1970's for the movie Home - Four Wagons West. It is thought that the script was based on the original statement by Chief Seattle in 1854. There is a lot of controversy about the origin of the speech, however, and many people hold strong opinions.
Populations
Recall that a population is____________________________
_____________________________________________________
Over time, a number of factors can change the population
of species within an ecosystem:
1. _______________________ or the birth rate. This is the
number of offspring that is born in one year (of that
particular species).
2. _______________________ or the death rate. This is the
number of individuals that die in one year (of that
particular species).
3. _______________________ is the number of individuals of
a particular species that move into an existing
population.
4. _______________________ is the number of individuals of
a particular species that move out of an existing
population.
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Which of the above factors would cause an
increase in population?
______________________________________
Which of the above factors would cause a
decrease in population?
______________________________________
State the formula for population growth:
Population growth =
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There are two different types of populations:
1._____________ population: where species are free to enter or leave. These populations are affected by all four of the above factors. Ex. Forest, meadow
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2. _____________ population: where species are
not free to enter or leave. These populations
are only affected by natality and mortality. Ex.
Zoo, lab, island.
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Limits on Populations
_________________________: this refers to the
maximum amount of offspring that a
species can produce, if resources were
unlimited. Four factors have an influence
on biotic potential
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______________________________:
environmental factors that may prevent a
population from reaching its biotic potential.
They can be either biotic or abiotic. Fill out
the following chart of limiting factors
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THINKING QUESTION:
A scientist studying wolves near Kirkland Lake notices a steady decline in the population of wolves for four consecutive years.
(a) Make a prediction about how the population of wolves will affect the population of moose.
(b) Assuming that humans are not the cause of the wolf population decline, would it be reasonable to conclude that the wolf population will continue to decline until there are no more wolves left in the area? Give your reasons.
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(c)What might cause the wolf
population to begin increasing again?
(d)Explain how changes in the wolf
population would affect the plant
community surrounding Kirkland Lake.
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______________________________: the
maximum number of individuals of a
species that can be supported
indefinitely by an ecosystem. This is
determined by the availability of
food, presence of predators, disease
and other resources. If a population
exceeds (goes past) the carrying
capacity, there will be a decline in
number until the population re-
stabilizes.
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• If numbers increase beyond the c.c., the ecosystem
will soon re-establish equilibrium (steady state).
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• For example,
if there were
too many
deer, some
would get
sick, therefore
would be easy
prey
In an attempt to increase the local food supply for
people, humans introduced 26 reindeer (24 females
and 2 males) to an island off the coast of Alaska in
1910. The following graph shows how the reindeer
population changed after the introduction.
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a) Speculate as to why more females
were introduced than males.
b) By 1937 the reindeer population had
soared to 2000. What evidence
supports the hypothesis that the
carrying capacity for reindeer had
been exceeded?
c) Reindeer feed on slow-growing
lichens and moss. Would you expect
to find more food for reindeer on the
island in 1931, 1935 or 1950? Explain your answer.
d) The introduction of a new species
can cause major changes in an
ecosystem. Should the reindeer
have been put on the island?
Explain your position.
e) Was this an open or closed
population?
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______________________________:
these factors affect members of
a population regardless of
population density (the size of the
population).
______________________________:
these factors affect members of
a population because of their
population density (the size of the
population).
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Density-
Independent
Factors
Density-Dependent
Factors
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Texas Mosquito Mystery
Sustainability
Find out
Approximate square footage
of your house
Approximate gas mileage of
your car
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Population Graphs
• The graph shows the growth curve from an experiment with yeast populations.
1. Describe the growth pattern of the yeast in words.
2. Explain why it is shaped this way.
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• This graph illustrates the growth curve of a population of mice in a closed system.
1. What happens to the number of mice after the first 32 weeks?
2. Account for the population growth pattern.
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• This graph shows the
growth curve for the
global human
population.
1. What paths might
the curve take
after 2010?
2. Which path do you
think is most likely?
Explain your
answer.
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Page 80 #1; page 76 #2, 6 a - c
Video: Populations (25 min)
http://www.worldometers.i
nfo/world-population/
Canada’s Population Density (2011)
3.7 people/1 km2
China’s Population Density (2010)
142.5 people/1 km2
India’s Population Density (2011)
382 people/1 km2
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
Monitoring Changes in Population
Charts
David Suzuki compares the planet to
a test tube and human population to
bacteria population.
The population on Earth is
exponentially growing like the
bacteria in the test tube.
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David Suzuki – Over-Population
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Worksheet:
Predator-Prey
Relationships
145
Extremely fast growth of a population is called a
population explosion.
It may be caused by:
_____________________ species (a new species
is introduced to the ecosystem)
A plentiful _____________________ supply
A lack of _____________________
Abundant _____________________ available
Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems
Matter is recycled in an ecosystem. No new matter
is ever created or destroyed.
Energy must constantly enter an ecosystem (from
the sun).
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- All atoms on earth are recycled
between living (biotic) organisms
and the non-living (abiotic) Earth.
Even though it sounds crazy, this
could mean that the carbon atoms
in your body right now could have
come from a T-rex that lived million
of years ago!
To understand how matter cycles through
ecosystems, we must also understand the cycling of
organic substances within living things.
Organic substances always contain atoms of
carbon and hydrogen, and often contain oxygen
and nitrogen atoms. Proteins, sugars and fats, the
important chemicals that make up your body, are
all organic.
Matter that doesn’t contain a combination of
carbon and hydrogen atoms is called inorganic.
Ex: water (H2O) and ammonia (NH3).
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The materials used in building the bodies of
living organisms are limited to the atoms and
molecules that make up the planet. There is
NO alternative source of matter. Therefore, to maintain life on Earth, matter must be
recycled.
Food is organic matter. Every time you eat,
through the process of digestion, the
complex organic molecules from your food
are broken down into simpler molecules.
Your cells used these simple molecules to
build complex molecules, which become
part of your own structure.
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The process of moving these molecules
from your living body to the abiotic
environment is through decomposition.
After death, decomposers break down
the organic matter in dead bodies and
feces into small, inorganic molecules (like
individual molecules of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen). These
small molecules pass into the soil or
water, where they can become part of
the biotic world again at some future
time (when plants take up these nutrients
in their roots!).
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– Using a diagram, show how a carbon atom that was
once in a cell in a blade of grass could become part
of a cell in your ear.
A cow eats grass and digests it
you eat steak (or drink milk) and digest it
turns into ear tissue
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The cycling of different nutrients between the
living and non-living environment is called a
biogeochemical cycle.
Small-Scale Decomposition:
Composting
The Perfect Composting Recipe
The Water Cycle
Amoeba Sisters: Carbon
and Nitrogen Cycles
Nitrogen Cycle
The Dangers of Nitrogen Rich Pollutants
CARBON is an atom, or
element, that is essential to life
on Earth.
Carbon can form a wide
variety of molecules and
substances from gases like
carbon dioxide and methane
(natural gas) to liquids like
gasoline and vegetable oil to solids like wood or coal.
The movement of carbon, in its
many forms, between the
biosphere, atmosphere,
oceans, and geosphere is
described by the carbon cycle.
The Carbon Cycle
Carbon can be found in things such as:
Soda
Vegetable Oil
Gasoline
Two of the major ways that carbon
is transferred through the carbon
cycle are:• Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and
other producers use energy from the sun, and carbon dioxide and water to produce sugars and oxygen.
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light sugar (C6H12O) + 6 O2
• Cellular respiration is the process by which most living things generate useful energy by combining oxygen and sugars to produce carbon dioxide and water.
sugar (C6H12O) + 6 O2 6 CO2 + 6 H2O
• Photosynthesis and respiration are complimentary processes (carbon is cycled through both processes as they are opposites of each other). These two processes are a major part of the carbon cycle.
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CO₂ is part of the Carbon
Cycle. What is CO₂? CO₂ is natural in the atmosphere, and we
need it in small amounts to keep our
planet warm. BUT when people cut down
trees, mine for metals and minerals, and burn fossil fuels; it adds too much CO₂ to
the atmosphere.
=+ +
Scientists have found that the biggest cause of CO₂increase is the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are things that we burn made from old plants and animals like gas and coal.
This releases CO₂ into the air which goes up into the atmosphere.
The CO₂ gets stuck in the atmosphere, and it keeps some heat from escaping the Earth. This is how the Earth heats up.
The carbon cycle is a natural process on Earth, but all the extra pollution is disrupting the cycle.
What’s the carbon cycle?
http://www.realtrees4kids.org/sixeight/cycles.htm
Is CO2 All Bad? Our Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere. It is
made up of gases: mostly water vapour, some CO₂, methane, and nitrous oxide.
The atmosphere acts like a blanket. It traps some
heat, and lets some out. This keeps the Earth at a
steady temperature of 15°C. This is known as “The
Greenhouse Effect”
If it weren’t for these gases, no heat
would be trapped on Earth and we would
expect average surface temperature to
be -18oC. This would effectively freeze all
water on earth, including the oceans, and
life as we know it would not exist.
On the other hand, if a large quantity of
these gases were present, they would
trap in too much heat and it would
extremely hot on Earth. For example,
Venus has a temperature of 462oC.
If we need these gases in order to survive,
why have we heard negativity
surrounded greenhouse gases and the
greenhouse effect? Currently,
____________________are contributing too
many greenhouse gases, therefore
intensifying the results and destroying this
delicate balance. This is causing an
“Enhanced Greenhouse Effect” and is
contributing to global warming.
human activities
Why worry about global warming?
We need to do something about global
warming because an increased
temperature in the world can have the
following effects:
More extreme weather like tornadoes and
hurricanes
Worsened smog causing higher rates of
asthma
Increased spread of disease
Droughts
What is the difference between
weather and climate? ____________________ is the change in
atmospheric events that occur each day.
These events include ___________________ highs
and lows, ____________________, wind,
precipitation, etc. The weather is what
forecasters on the news report to the public
every day or what is brought up on your
“Weather Network” app. Weather is _________
the same everywhere and can change from
area to area, day to day and even hour to
hour!
Weather
temperature
humidity
NOT
____________________ is the _________________
weather in a certain place over many years.
Climate ___________________ change daily and
takes hundreds, even thousands of years to
change drastically.
Climate and climate _______________ can
determine what kinds of plants and animals can
live in a particular area. There are different ways
to represent the average temperatures for
particular areas. You can use these to predict
climate zones and determine what types of
animals and plants would thrive or deteriorate
there.
Climate average
DOES NOT
zones
Here is a representation of the average
temperatures across the globe in January
and July. Watch the full video at
http://www.ducksters.com/science/clima
te_monthly_temps.gif
Now that we can differentiate between
weather and climate, what causes
climate? Why are there different climate
zones around the world?
Climate is caused by a number of factors
including, but not limited to: Earth’s tilt,
rotation and revolution; and the
exchange of thermal energy between the
sun, ice sheets, oceans, solid earth and
the biosphere. There are many other
things that contribute to climate but we
will not be discussing these.
Ocean Currents – A Major
Factor in Regulating ClimateCauses of Ocean Currents
Solar energy hits oceans intensely at equator
Warm water travels North & South (to the poles)
Cool water replaces it toward the equator (like a
conveyer belt) – think back to convection
currents
Effects of Ocean Currents
Warm currents can transport heat from warmer
parts of the world to colder parts and vice versa
Warmer air holds more moisture so precipitation
is also affected
Coastal regions are cooler in summer and
warmer in winter (Vancouver vs. Regina)
Ocean currents can be “messed up” by
melting ice caps/glaciers because:
The addition of more cold water changes the
convection currents
Fresh water is less dense (so it rises) while salt
water is denser so it sinks. When glaciers/ice caps
melt, the fresh water dilutes the salt water,
changing the density of the water and thereby
changing the convection currents that balance
global climate/weather systems.
Scientists believe that changing the convection
currents in the ocean may have contributed to
past ice ages.
Ocean Conveyer Belt
Video: Bill Nye – Climate
(26 min)
Global Warming – the
temperature of the earth is rising Explain how Global Warming can affect our climate:
Stronger winds and more precipitation affect
agriculture and severity of storms
(tornadoes/hurricanes)
Dry areas become more dry
Forests, crops & plant life move farther North and
higher up mountains
Frozen soils of North start to thaw
Glaciers/polar ice melts therefore ocean
levels rise/coastlines disappear
Over 25% of the world’s coral reefs have died due
to warming oceans. The warmer temperatures
cause algae living within the coral to leave. Once
they leave the coral is “bleached” and is not strong
without the algae.
Parts of Canada/the world could become
inhospitable
Winter longer/more severe
Precipitation changes from snow to rain
Lakes, rivers, streams freeze
Ice may cover large areas of the country
If global warming becomes extreme, it could
be followed by global cooling.
Since Global Warming could cause “Climate
Change” this will also have an effect on the
weather.
Our world is warming up, and
scientists say that people are
polluting the Earth by burning
fossil fuels. What can we do
about it?
The Carbon cycle consists of different places and
organisms which act as both sinks and sources.
Sinks are places or organisms which take in and
store carbon.
Sources are places or organisms which release
carbon.
How do we use fossil fuels? Using a computer
Driving a car
Heating homes
Turning on lights
How much do we use fossil
fuels?
65% of Saskatchewan’s electricity
comes from coal.
Saskpower says that there are over 300
years of coal reserves in Saskatchewan.
How much CO₂ do we make?
Canada
What does that look like? In 2010, Canada produced 692 000 000
tonnes of CO₂.
1tonne of CO₂ takes up 556.2 m³.
Canada’s surface area is 9 984 670 km²
So…..
In 2010, Canadians produced a blanket of CO₂ that was 3.86 cm thick over all of
Canada!!!
What about Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan produced 72 100 000 tons
of CO₂ in 2010.
This is enough to build a skyscraper of CO₂ with a base the size of Taylor Field. That skyscraper would be over 4000km high!
The tallest building in Regina is the Delta Hotel, and it’s only 83.8 m high!
That’s a lot of CO₂!!!
Different sinks and sources include:
- The ocean
- Organic soil matter
- The atmosphere
- Marine sediments
- Sedimentary rocks
- Terrestrial plants
- Fossil fuel deposits
The Ocean as a
Carbon Sink
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/
689-the-ocean-and-the-carbon-cycle
A Natural Carbon Sink
• Through the process of
photosynthesis plants take
up carbon dioxide gas
and store the carbon it
their tissues which is nearly
50% carbon by weight.
• Plants grow by taking
carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and
converting it into
carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrates are then
used as energy and
material to build the
cellulose and lignin which
are the main constituents
of plant tissue.
• This is called carbon
sequestration.
10 % of the world’s forest are found
in Canada
Canada’s Boreal Forest covers 53%
of Canada and 75% of all forests in
Canada are boreal forests
There are 993.63 million acres of
forest and other wood land in
Canada
Fast Facts
Env. Canada
Canadian Boreal Forest
Boreal forests can store approximately
100 tonnes of carbon/ha (Australian National University).
There are 500 million hectares of Boreal
forest in Canada
Therefore, the Canadian Boreal forest
could potentially store 50 billion tons of
carbon.
But…
Carbon Storage
Forests-sinks and sources
Canada produces nearly
700 000 000 tons of carbon
dioxide equivalents per
year (2010 data)
The burning of fossil fuels is
producing far too much
carbon for our boreal forests to sequester
Forests are not only
carbon sinks but
sources as well.
Carbon is lost to the
atmosphere through
cellular respiration,
decomposition, and
forest fires.
Atmospheric CO2
Carbon Overload
CO2
Cellular Respiration
Decomposition
Forest Fires
Carbon Exchanges- Examining the Numbers
Approximately 120 billion tons of carbon are
sequestered each year in forests.
There are also releases of approximately119-
120 billion tons of carbon in the same time
period.
We see that the end result is that by terrestrial
exchanges trees sequester about 0-1 billion
tons of carbon each year.
Source California PDF
We must do more to stop the accumulation of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere
How Can We Help the Plants?
One way that people can help the plants keep the air clean is by using Carbon Capture and Storage technology.
This is a process that captures the CO₂ that comes out when we burn coal. It takes the CO₂and pipes it deep underground so that it doesn’t pollute the air.
We can also help the plants by turning off lights and appliances that we’re not using. When lights are on, there is coal burning somewhere, letting pollution into our air. So we should always turn things off when we’re not using them to save electricity and minimize pollution.
Now that we know how
that plants can’t sequester
all of the CO2 produced by
burning fossil fuels, the real
question is…
It must be a waste..
All of that CO₂ used to go up into our
atmosphere and pollute our air…
Boundary Dam
www.agefotostock.com
Coop Refinery
http://ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/node/11295
How could it be a resource?
Using CCS, we can take all that pollution, and turn it into something useful!
Once the CO₂ is captured and liquefied, it can be sold to oil and gas companies.
$$$ They inject the CO₂ into a well that still has
oil or gas, but not enough pressure to pump it out.
The CO₂ pushes out the last bits of oil and gas from the well.
What is CCS?
CCS or Carbon Capture and Storage is when the CO₂ is captured after it is
released when coal is burned.
It is pressurized into liquid form.
Then it gets piped deep underground.
CCS to the rescue!!! Many scientists say that Carbon Capture
and Storage technology will be the best way to reduce large amounts of CO₂emissions in the next 40 years.
How much can CCS help? The SaskPower Boundary Dam is being
rebuilt with Carbon Capture and Storage
technology.
It will reduce emissions for that section of
the facility by 90%. That’s the same as
taking 250 000 cars off the road!!!
CO2 Capture Visual - http://www.ipac-co2.com/about-co2-storage/how-ccs-works
Where does the CO₂ go?
It needs to go deep underground into a
stable formation.
It can’t be stored near the edges of plate
tectonics.
It sometimes get stored in old oil fields.
It needs to be deep enough and sealed properly so that the CO₂ doesn’t escape.
Where do they use CCS? There are over 100 facilities worldwide that
use CCS.
Where Tonnes of carbon stored
per year
Snohvit, Norway 700 000
Sleipner, Norway 1 000 000
Salah, Nigeria 1 200 000
Oklahoma, United States 680 000
= 100 000 tonnes of Carbon
Do we use CCS in Canada?Where? Tonnes of carbon
that will be stored
per year
When?
Weyburn, Sask. 2 000 000 2010
Boundary Dam in
Southern Sask.
1 000 000 2014
Quest in Central Alberta 1 200 000 2015
Swan Hills in Central
Alberta
1 400 000 2015
Agrium and Enhance in
Central Alberta
580 000 2014
Lloydminster, Alberta 100 000 2012
Quest Carbon Capture and
Storage project at Boundary Dam
CCS is an important part of
the solution
The IEA (International Energy Association) estimates that a 50% decrease in CO₂emissions will still cause an increase of 2 - 3°C
in global temperatures.
If we used CCS, the amount of CO₂ avoided would equal:
Planting 62 000 000 trees and waiting 10
years for them to grow
Cutting electricity emissions from 300 000
homes Environmental Protection Agency
Let’s take care of the Earth…
“We don’t inherit the Earth from our
ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”David Brower
An ecological footprint is a
measure of human demand
on the Earth’s ecosystems.
It represents the amount of biologically
productive land and sea area necessary to
supply the resources a human population
consumes and to absorb associated waste.
lgmacweb.env.uea.ac.uk
Ecological Footprint
What does your Ecological
Footprint tell you?
It is possible to estimate how much of the Earth
(or how many planet Earths) it would take to
support humanity if everybody followed a
particular lifestyle.
alexscolloquiumjournal.
blogspot.com
Knowing your ecological footprint can
help you learn how to conserve more and
help protect ecosystems
What can I do?
Marshall McLuhan
“There are no passengers on
spaceship earth we are all crew.”
Waste Solution
Why are the frogs disappearing?Frogs are good ecological indicators because
• need clean water to breed & lay eggs
• need a forest or field to catch insects need trees to shelter from predators
• need a way to get between the two habitats (forest and field)
• need good air because they breathe through their skin (air quality)
- acid rain
- pollution
• susceptible to UV radiation
- human activities
• global warming (climate change)
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Dear Future Generations
