Patterns of Growth
Part 1
1. Looking at the Graph below: Deer Population over
Time, would this be considered exponential or
linear growth?
2. According to the graph, what is the carrying
capacity for the deer? (a number)
3. Between which years were the deer in exponential
growth?
4. What might be some biotic factors that caused the
deer population to level off?
5. Draw a simple sketch of an exponential graph
Part 2:
6. Human Population Growth
a)
Create a graph using the Statistics on
Human Population data Table. The
instructions are below the chart.
b)
Answer the analysis questions.
Part 2: Human Population Growth Graph and Questions
Objectives:
You will create a graph of human population growth and use it to predict future growth.
You will identify factors that affect population growth.
Statistics on Human Population
Year A.D.
Number of People (in
billions)
1650
.50
1750
.70
1850
1.0
1925
2.0
1956
2.5
1966
3.3
1970
3.6
1974
3.9
1976
4.0
1980
4.4
1991
5.5
2000
6.0
2004
6.4
Instructions for creating your graph:
Place time on the horizontal access. Values should range from 1650 to 2020.
Place number of people on the vertical access. Values should range from 0 to 20 billion.
Make sure that your graph is a full page in size and you have the correct labels for the X
and Y access and a title for your graph.
Analysis
1. It took 1649 years for the world population to double, going from 0.25 billion people to 0.50
billion people. How long did it take for the population to double once again? _______
2. Based on your graph, in what year will the population reach 8 billion? _____________
3. Based on your graph, how many years will it take for the population of 2004 to double?
4. What type of growth does the graph show? ___________. Was carrying capacity reached?
Why or Why not?
Global Warming Station
1)
2)
3)
Examine the carbon cycle in your text book (pages 56-57) and page
32 in the “Living Things and Their Environment” book.
a)
Describe the relationship between photosynthesis and
respiration and how they relate to the carbon cycle? Hint: does
one increase carbon or decrease it?
b)
What are three ways humans can impact the carbon cycle?
Case Study #1: Atmospheric Ozone
a)
Intro paragraph: How does the earth benefit from the Ozone
Layer?
b)
Read sections 1-3: Why is this considered an ecological success
story?
Case Study #3: Climate Change
Recognizing a Problem: Global Warming
a) What is global warming?
b)
Physical Evidence: List two types of physical evidence that
indicates Global Warming is happening.
Researching the Cause: Models and Questions:
c) What has happened to the amount of carbon dioxide?
d)
What has caused this change?
e)
What is a major result of this change?
f)
Possible Effects of Climate Change
List three possible effects of climate change.
Analyze Figure 6-32
a) Pie Chart: What are the three top producers of greenhouse
gases?
b)
Graph: Describe what is happening over time.
Biomagnification Station (Page 1)
1. Complete the first box “Get
Started”. Make the three
observations as well.
2. Using the page provided, what is
biomagnification?
3. Explain how the information in
the chart shows the process of
biomagnification.
4. Which organism in the chart is
most affected by DDT?
Biomagnification Station (Page 2)
5. Read the following article
a. What did DDT do to the shell of the Eagle eggs?
6. In your own words, describe how a pesticide that killed mosquitos can
end up affecting an Eagle through biomagnification.
“Starting in the 1940's, the chlorinated hydrocarbon DDT was
used in vast quantities all over the world for killing insects. It was
cheaper and much more effective than other insecticides against
nearly all insects. It saved millions of lives by killing the
mosquitoes that spread malaria and saved millions from
starvation by killing crop pests. Paul Müller of Switzerland won
the Nobel Prize for discovering it.
But: in the 1950's and 1960's there was an alarming decline in the
populations of several predatory birds, particularly fish-eaters
such as bald eagles, cormorants, ospreys and brown pelicans but
also including the Peregrine Falcon, which is a predator on other
birds. The Brown Pelican, bald eagle and osprey almost went extinct. The DDT caused
the eggs shells to be weakened and they cracked easily.
In the case of DDT, it results from the following factors:
1. DDT is not metabolized, and does not break down in the body.
2. It is much more soluble in fat than in water. So it accumulates in body fat and is not
excreted.
3. The transfer of energy from lower trophic levels to higher ones is inefficient -so
herbivores eat large quantities of plant material, and carnivores eat many times their
body weight of prey during their lifetime. Since DDT is not excreted, the carnivore
accumulates most of the DDT that was present in all of the prey organisms.
The DDT episode led to the publication of a famous book, Silent Spring by Rachel
Carson in 1963. It led to a great increase in environmental awareness. DDT was banned
in this country in 1972 by the U.S. government, which found that it 'had an adverse
impact on wildlife' and 'should be considered a potential carcinogen'. However, DDT
released before that time is still present in the environment and in various organisms in
the process of bioaccumulation."
Invasive Species Stations
1) Read the “solve the chapter mystery” called A Plague of Rabbits.
Answer the 2 questions at the end of the passage.
2) What is an invasive/exotic species? (look in text book)
3) Read the Article on Asian carp
a) How do the imported Asian Carp affect the ecosystem?
4) What is another example of an invasive species that you have heard
about?
5) How can an invasive species affect the local food chain?
6) a) Graph the following data on the paper provided. It shows the
invasion of a non-native (invasive) frog species. The frogs were
accidently released into a pond by a local pet shop.
Year
1
2
3
4
5
population count
3
6
20
55
160
b) What type of population growth does the line on the graph
indicate?
c) Why is carrying capacity not reached for an invasive species like
this frog?
7) Place the maps of the United States in order to show the spread of an
invasive species. Record the letters of the maps in the correct order.
A
C
B
D
Ecological Pyramids Station
1)
Read Pyramids of Energy
a) What are some ways that organisms expend energy?
b) What does a pyramid of energy show?
c) What percentage of energy is transferred up each trophic
level in an energy pyramid?
2)
Examine figure 3-11
a) Primary producers have ____% of the energy.
Primary consumers have ____% of the energy
Secondary consumers have ____% of the energy.
3)
Under Analyzing data (right side of paper)……
a)
b)
Answer question # 2: both parts a) and b)
Answer question # 3
Predator-Prey Station Lab
Read the “Solve the chapter Mystery” entitled
THE WOLF EFFECT. Answer the questions at
the end of the passage.
1. Predict
2. Form an opinion
3. Connect to the Big Idea
4. Use figure 3 on the next page (predatorprey relationship graph) to match the letter
with the numbers.
Predator Prey Station Continued
Predation is not necessarily harmful to the prey population. Predation might act as an
important means of keeping the prey population within the limits of its food supply.
The graph shown in Figure 3 represents a theoretical cycle that evolves in a predatorprey relationship.
1
2 Match the # to the letter
3
4
5
4. Read the following lettered descriptions. Use the letters to label the graph in order
to show what is happening to the populations of predators and prey at each point
marked on the curve.
a. Prey population rises due to decline in predator population.
b. Predator population rises due to increase in prey population.
c. Prey population falls due to increase in predation.
d. Predator population falls due to decline in prey population.
e. Prey population rises.
Symbiosis Station
Identify the type of SYMBIOSIS in each relationship:
(Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism)
SKUNKCABBAGE PLANT/FLY
Does the Skunk cabbage plant benefit from the fly’s actions? YES NO
Does the fly benefit from the Skunk cabbage plant’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
CUCKOO BIRD/ ROBIN
Does the cuckoo bird benefit from the robin’s actions? YES NO
Does the robin benefit from the cuckoo’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI/TREE or other PLANT
Does the Mycorrhizal fungi benefit from the tree’s actions? YES NO
Does the tree benefit from the fungi’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
REMORA/SHARK
Does the Remora benefit from the shark’s actions? YES NO
Does the shark benefit from the Remora’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
ATHLETE’S FOOT FUNGI/HUMAN
Does the Athlete’s foot fungi benefit from the human’s actions? YES NO
Does the human benefit from the Athlete’s foot fungi’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
SNAPPING SHRIMP/GOBY FISH
Does the Snapping shrimp benefit from the Goby’s actions? YES NO
Does the Goby benefit from the Snapping shrimp’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
SNAIL/HERMIT CRAB
Does the hermit crab benefit from the snail’s actions? YES NO
Does the snail benefit from the hermit crab’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
HONEYGUIDE BIRD/HONEY BADGER
Does the Honeyguide bird benefit from the badger’s actions? YES NO
Does the badger benefit from the Honeyguide bird’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
ALGAE/FUNGI FORM A LICHEN
Does the algae benefit from the fungi’s actions? YES NO
Does the fungi benefit from the algae’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
KUDZU/TREE
Does the Kudzu benefit from the tree’s actions? YES NO
Does the tree benefit from the Kudzu’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
BACTERIA/HUMAN INTESTINE
Does the bacteria benefit from the human’s actions? YES NO
Does the human benefit from the bacteria’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
GALL INSECT/OAK TREE
Does the Gall insect benefit from the Oak tree’s actions? YES NO
Does the Oak tree benefit from the Gall insect’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
HUMMINGBIRD/FLOWER
Does the hummingbird benefit from the flower’s actions? YES NO
Does the flower benefit from the hummingbird’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
TICK/DOG
Does the tick benefit from the dog’s actions? YES NO
Does the dog benefit from the tick’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
SKUNK/WOODCHUCK
Does the skunk benefit from the woodchuck’s actions? YES NO
Does the woodchuck benefit from the skunk’s actions? YES NO
Is either organism harmed? YES NO
What kind of symbiosis? ____________________________
Biodiversity Station
GRAB A Text Book
1) Page 117 -118
a) Why is biodiversity important to nature (provide 2
reasons).
b) Why is biodiversity important to people (provide 2
reasons)
2) Page 120 and 122-123
a) What are 5 major threats to biodiversity?
3) Page 125 -129
a) What are we doing to protect biodiversity? (Give at
least 3 things)
USE THE TEXT: Living Things and Their Environments
4) Page 12: How does a weasel fit into its niche?
5) Page 18: List three decomposers and what they eat.
Be specific.
6) Page 37: How many types of insects are there?
7) Page 42: What is biosphere 2?
Food Web Station
Arrange 4-6 cut outs into a food chain. You must begin
with a producer.
1)
Write the names of the organisms in your food chain.
Follow the correct format by using arrows to show
the direction that energy is flowing.
Ex: grass  goose  fox  hawk
2)
Label each as a producer or consumer.
3)
List a predator/prey relationship (be sure to label
which is which)
4)
Consider the food chain in the Question 1 example.
a)
b)
5)
What would happen to the goose population if
the fox was hunted to extinction?
How would this affect the amount of grass?
Choose an organism to remove from your food chain,
record your selection. Describe how this will
affect each organism in your food chain. Record
your answer.
Example
Hummingbirds feed on nectar from
flowers.
Flowers are then pollinated by the
hummingbirds as they move from flower
to flower.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
SNAPPING SHRIMP have poor vision and
depend on their goby fish roommate to give
the danger signal when predators come and
guide them back home if they wander too
far.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
Example
Dog gets skin irritation and can pick up
diseases carried by tick.
Tick lives on dog and feeds on the dog’s
blood and tissues.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Red-chested cuckoo birds find an
unattended robin nest, push out
the robin eggs, and lay their eggs
in the robin’s nest, and leave.
Robin babies die and robin
parents feed and take care of the
cuckoo babies.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Mycorrhizal fungi invade and live in or
among roots cells of many plants.
The plant provides nutrients to the fungi.
The Mycorrhizal fungi then help the host
plant absorb inorganic nitrogen and
phosphorus from the soil. Some
mycorrhizal fungi also secrete antibiotics
which may help protect their host from
invasion by parasitic fungi and bacteria.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Athlete’s Foot fungus lives on the skin of humans and
feeds on keratin, a protein.
Humans with athlete’s foot will be subject to itchy,
cracked skin which can become infected.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Remora
Shark
REMORA use suckers to attach temporarily to
large marine animals such as sharks, manta rays,
whales, turtles, or large fish.
The SHARK provides free transportation,
protection, and dropped food and feces which the
remora feeds on. The host is not injured.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
FUNGI form lichens by living in a close
relationship with an algae. The fungus provides
a protective home for the algae, and gathers
mineral nutrients from rainwater and from
dissolving the rock underneath.
The ALGAE gathers energy from the sun using
photosynthesis. Both organisms share their
nutrients with each other.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Honeyguide birds find a bee hive, then
chatter loudly to attract the Honey badger.
They fly toward the hive making sure the
badger is following.
Upon arrival at the bee hive, the badger
tears open the hive and feasts on the
honey. Then the Honeyguide bird feeds on
the remaining wax and larvae.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
SKUNKCABBAGE
plants attract flies in
cool weather by
making heat and
provide food to the
flies that come.
FLIES move from one Skunk cabbage plant to the
next feeding and transferring pollen as they go.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
HUMAN intestines provide food
for bacteria that live inside
digestive system.
Beneficial BACTERIA live in the
intestine of humans and help
digest cellulose from plants
which humans don’t have the
enzymes to break down.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Kudzu vines grow
by climbing, and
wrapping around
trees.
KUDZU COVERED
TREES die as they
are smothered and
break under the weight of the growing Kudzu vines.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Snails die from natural
reasons (old age, etc.) and
leave behind their shells.
Hermit crabs then find shells left by snails that have
died and move in.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
GALL INSECTS lay their eggs in
the leaves or branches of Oak
trees causing a lump to form.
OAK TREES provide shelter and
food to the insect larvae, but are not
harmed.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example
Woodchucks abandon holes
which are later used by skunks
Skunks often live in burrows
that have been dug and
abandoned by woodchucks.
WHAT TYPE OF SYMBIOSIS IS REPRESENTED IN THIS EXAMPLE?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Symbiosis Station
1) Define each type of symbiosis (pages 17-19 in Interactions of
Living Things book)
a) mutualism
b) commensalism
c) parasitism
2) Make a chart modeled after the example. Complete the chart
using the pictures and information. The first two have been
done for you.
Picture
Organism
#1
Skunk Cabbage
Flies
#2
Cuckoo
Robin
benefits
is harmed
not affected type of symbiosis
mutualism
parasitism