Natural Resource Systems AG2
Essential Questions:
1. What are the interrelationships between natural resources and humans necessary to conduct management activities in natural
environments?
2. How do scientific principles affect natural resource management activities?
3. What techniques can be used to protect natural resource systems?
Essential Vocabulary: adaptation , agrobiodiversity , air quality engineers, artificial selection, atmospheric scientists , Back siphoning,
biodiversity, biogeochemical , biological control, bucking, biologists, carrying capacity, chemical control, Chemical drift, clearcutting, climatologists
conservation, crown fires, cycles carbon, debris, Deforestation, denitrification, density-dependent factors, density-independent factors, ecosphere,
ecosystem diversity, energy flow, environmental systems, exponential growth, felling, fire behavior, fire season, fire triangle, fisheries, Forest
climax, foresters, gene banks, General-use pesticides, genetic diversity, geoscientists, germplasm, ground fires, hazardous, materials coordinators,
hydroelectric, hydrogeologists, hydrologists, ignition temperature, inbreeding, incendiary fires , legumes , limbing, logging, mechanical control,
mineralization, monoculture, natural resources park naturalists, natural selection, nitrification, nitrogen cycle, nitrogen fixation, oriented strand
board, park rangers, pest, pesticide, Pioneer species, plywood, population, population density, population ecology, prescribed fire, public relations
specialists, random dispersion, range, range managers, Reforestation, removal cuttings, Restricted-use pesticides, rhizobia, scientists ecologists,
seeding, seed-tree cutting, Seral communities, shelterwood cutting, Signal words, silviculture, skidding, soil scientists, stud, Succession, surface
fires, timber cruise, trophic level, updrafts, veneer, wildfire, wildlife biologists
Essential Understanding
The student will demonstrate competence in the application of scientific principles and techniques to the management of natural resources.
Range Management/ RM, Obtaining a Job Vs Holding a Career/ OJHC, Alternative Energy/AE, Forestry/FO, Pest Management/PM
NRS.01. Explain interrelationships between natural resources and humans necessary to conduct management activities in natural
environments. (NA) Hits AG1
NRS.02: Apply scientific principles to natural resource management activities.
Students will know…
Students will understand that …
Students will be able to…
Prior Background Knowledge
Required:
 how to develop a safety
 steps can be taken to ensure
 recognize biohazards
plan for work with natural
that agricultural chemicals
associated with natural
 computer experience
resources.
are used properly without
resources. (OJHC)
 basic Math and ELA skills
creating
a
risk
to
human
 how to demonstrate
 describe the value of
 basic speaking and
health or the environment.
cartographic skills to aid in
resource inventories and
listening skills
Drafted July 1, 2015

basic collaboration tools




developing, implementing
and evaluating natural
resource management
plans.
how measure and survey
natural resource status to
obtain planning data.
how to demonstrate natural
resource enhancement
techniques.
how to interpret laws
related to natural resource
management and
protection.
How to apply ecological
concepts and principles to
natural resource systems.
Mycaert.com
NRES:A1-3
NRES:B1-2
NRES:B1-4
NRES:C2-3
NRES:E1-2
Agednet.com
NR122
NR175
NR150
NR151
Vocabulary:
 air quality engineers
 atmospheric scientists
 back siphoning
 biogeochemical
Drafted July 1, 2015







while it takes many years
for forests to become
established and grow to
maturity, forest renewal
continues to take place.
Trees can and are being
planted to get new forests
started.
each year a succession of
new types of plants is
added to the mix and
begins to compete with
existing plants for light,
moisture and nutrients.
Gifford Pinchot is credited
with the concept of
"greatest good for the
greatest number" in forest
management.
many careers related to
natural resources and
environmental systems are
available.
a population is a group of
individuals of the same
species sharing the same
geographic area.
the biosphere, consisting of
all the communities of
organisms, together with
the interactions of the
organisms with the
hydrosphere, lithosphere,
and atmosphere, is the
ecosphere.
the cycles of elements











population studies. (RM)
discuss the procedures for
conducting resource
inventories and population
studies. (RM)
conduct resource
inventories and population
studies to assess resource
status. (RM)
identify characteristics of a
healthy forest. (FO)
identify ways in which
forest stands may be
improved. (FO)
formulate a timber stand
improvement plan for a
forest. (FO)
identify characteristics of
healthy rangeland. (RM)
identify methods of
rangeland improvement.
(RM)
evaluate a rangeland and
develop a management
plan for improvement.
(RM)
identify natural resource
characteristics desirable for
recreational purposes. (RM,
FO)
identify laws associated
with natural resource
systems. (RM, FO)
identify the purposes of
laws associated with
natural resource systems.
































Drafted July 1, 2015
carrying capacity
chemical drift
climatologists conservation
cycles carbon
deforestation
denitrification
density-dependent factors
density-independent
factors
ecosphere
energy flow
environmental systems
exponential growth
fisheries biologists
Forest climax
foresters
general-use pesticides
geoscientists
hazardous materials
coordinators
hydrogeologists
hydrologists
legumes
mineralization
natural resources park
naturalists
nitrification
nitrogen cycle
nitrogen fixation
park rangers
pioneer species
population
population density
population ecology
public relations specialists



through the biotic (living)
and abiotic (nonliving)
parts of the earth are
referred to as
biogeochemical cycles.
rangeland is the dominant
ecosystem in much of the
western half of North
America.
some of the goods and
services obtained from
rangeland are livestock
forage, wildlife habitat,
water, mineral resources,
wood products, wildland
recreation, open space, and
natural beauty.
outdoor recreation includes
any activity a person does
in the outdoors for
enjoyment that involves
natural resources and/or
wildlife.




(RM, FO)
describe the processes
associated with ecological
succession. (FO)
give examples of primarysuccession and secondarysuccession species in a
community of organisms.
(FO)
define invasive species.
(FO, PM)
discuss factors that
influence the establishment
and spread of invasive
species. (FO, PM)













random dispersion
range
range managers
reforestation
restricted-use pesticides
rhizobia
scientists ecologists
seral communities
signal words
soil scientists
succession
trophic level
wildlife biologists
NRS.03. Apply knowledge of natural resources to production and processing industries.
Students will know…
Students will understand that …
Prior Background Knowledge
Required:
 how to produce, harvest,
 diversity is extremely
process and use natural
important to Earth and the
 computer experience
resource products.
living organisms on Earth.
 basic Math and ELA skills
 biodiversity provides a
 basic speaking and
Mycaert.com
reservoir of resources to be
listening skills
NRES:B1-5
drawn from for food,
 basic collaboration tools
NRES:C1-7
medication, and industry.
NRES:C1-15
 silvicultural plans involve
the proper use of logging.
Vocabulary:
 harvesting or logging is the
 adaptation
process by which
 agrobiodiversity
individuals remove trees
 artificial selection
from the forest to make
wood products.
 biodiversity
 bucking
 the harvesting of trees
involves a number of
 clearcutting
activities.
 ecosystem diversity

the cost of logging is a
 felling
Drafted July 1, 2015
Students will be able to…
 describe forest harvesting
methods. (FO)
 determine when to harvest
forest products. (FO)
 describe uses of tree
species. (FO)
 describe processing of
forest products. (FO)
 describe the value of fossil
fuels to the economy. (AE)
 describe sources of fossil
fuels and products made
from fossil fuels. (AE)
 describe the benefits of
hydroelectric generation.
(AE)
 describe characteristics of
sites that lend themselves



















gene banks
genetic diversity
germplasm
hydroelectric
inbreeding
limbing
logging
monoculture
natural selection
oriented strand board
plywood
removal cuttings
seed-tree cutting
shelterwood cutting
silviculture
skidding
stud
timber cruise
veneer
NRS.04: Demonstrate techniques used to protect natural resources.
Students will know…
Prior Background Knowledge
Required:
 how to manage fires in
natural resource systems.
 computer experience
 how to diagnose plant and
 basic Math and ELA skills
wildlife diseases and follow
 basic speaking and
protocol to prevent their
listening skills
spread.
 basic collaboration tools
 how to manage insect
infestations of natural
resources.
Drafted July 1, 2015




major factor in the
production of wood
products.
the activities associated
with logging require
people skilled in woods
work and the operation of
logging equipment.
once logs or bolts reach a
wood-using firm, they may
be debarked, sawed,
shaped, peeled, cooked,
burned, glued, or dried.
some of the most common
examples of renewable
energy resources include
hydropower, solar, wind
and biomass energy from
plant or animal materials.
hydropower is fourth as a
source of electricity
generation.
Students will understand that …
 fuel, oxygen, and heat (the
fire triangle)are required
for a forest fire to Lesson:
 natural forces and human
activities cause forest fires.
 safety concerns associated
with prescribed burns
include personal safety,
public safety, and weather.
 the USDA Forest Service

to hydroelectric
generation.(AE)
identify recreational uses of
natural resources. (RM, FO)
Students will be able to…
 differentiate between
desirable and undesirable
fires and prepare a report
on the role fire plays in a
healthy ecosystem.
products. (FO)
 describe techniques used to
suppress wildfires and
manage prescribed fires.
(FO)
Mycaert.com
NRES:C1-6
Agednet.com
NR190
NR192
Vocabulary:
 biological control
 chemical control
 crown fires
 debris
 fire behavior
 fire season
 fire triangle
 ground fires
 ignition temperature
 incendiary fires
 mechanical control
 pest
 pesticide
 prescribed fire
 seeding
 surface fires
 updrafts
 wildfire




categorizes forest fires into
three general types:
surface, ground, and
crown.
fire has an impact on life
cycles of trees and plant
communities.
burning can be especially
useful in managing pine
stands and has multiple
uses.
there is a long list of insect
and disease enemies that
can infect and damage
forest trees.
the first things to consider
in deciding how to control
a forest pest are your
overall forest management
goals and objectives.
NRS.05: Use effective methods and venues to communicate natural resource processes to the public. (NA)
Drafted July 1, 2015


identify harmful and
beneficial insects and signs
of insect damage to natural
resources. (RM, FO, PM)
report observance of insect
pests to the appropriate
authorities. (PM)