studying Ecology
Chapter 4
Lab Manual
NAME
PD
Directions: Read tlie categories below and tfien read tlie Case Study. As you read, fil in the table. You ^
must have at least term in the vocabulary box and a clear thought/explanation in each of the other
boxes.
F I N D I N G G O L D I N A C O S TA R I C A N C L O U D F O R E S T- PA G E 9 9
1
•
SEEMS
I M P O R TA N T T O
M E
?
SOMETHING 1
DON'T
U N D E R S TA N D
X
SOMETHING 1
DON'T AGREE
WITH
#
WORDS/TERMS
T H AT S E E M
I M P O R TA N T
©
SOMETHING ELSE 1
W A N T T O TA L K
ABOUT
Name
Qui?
Populations
True or False? Circle T or F
1. All living things are part of a population. TorF
2. Adding more organisms to a population does not affect the existing populations. T or F
3. Populations go up or down depending on the resources avaiiubh. TorF
4. Populations of tulips do not compete with other organisms. TorF
5. Human populations sometimes cause other populations to move. T or F
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the best answer
6. Which of the following make up
9. Which of the following is true about deer and wolf
populations?
populations?
A. Plants
A. As the wolf population decreases, the deer
B. insects
population also will decrease.
B. As the wolf population increases, the deer
C. Microorganisms
D. Ail of the above
7. Which of the following is true about
populations?
A. Populations always increase.
B. Human populations have doubled in
size.
C. Human populations have stayed
about the same.
D. None of the above
8. Which of the following determines the
success or failure of a species?
A. Rate of reproduction
B. Amount of food supply
C. Number of natural enemies
D. All of the above
population decreases:
C. The deer population has no efft^ct on the wolf
population:
D. As the Vi/olf popula'uon Increases, the deer
population also increases.
10. Which of the following is the dcfiniiion of an
endangered species?
A. A population that is no longer alive
B. A population who h«<s large numbers
C. A population thcit is ir« danger of beconiing
extinct
D. A population tiiat caM bs legally huntad
Environment and Ecology
Mrs. Kirman
Name
Date
^PD
0/E
Abiotic or Blotic?
Directions: Write "A" If the ecosystem component is abiotic (nonliving) or
"B" if It Is biotic (living).
1. plants
2. surface water
3. wind
4. nutrients In soil and water
5. fungi
6. groundwater
7. air
8. microorganisms
9. temperature
10. precipitation
11. altitude
12. salinity
13. animals
14. energy from the sun
15. currents
ECOSYSTEMS ARE PART OF THE "BIG PICTURE"
Levels of
Galaxies >
A
Organization
Solar Systems
A
Earth
Biosphere
A
Biomes
A
Ecosystems
Communities
A
Populations
A
_ Organisms
A
Organs
A
Tissues
A
Cells
A
Protoplasm
Atoms > Molecules
The History of Human Population Growth
Ye a r s
Elapsed
Ye a r
Human
Population
3,000,000 10,000 B.C.E. (AgriculturalRevolution) 5-10 MilliOIl
10,000
1
A.D.
170
Million
1,800 1800 (Industrial Revolutioo) 1 BilliOIl
130
1930
2Bimon
30
15
12
1960
1975
1987
3
4
5
Billion
Billion
Billion
12
13
1999
2012*
6
7
Billion
Billion
13
2025*
8
Billion
* Projected; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base
C 2008 Population Connection
Human Population Growth Since 1 A.D.
^7
■0
II "0
1987
H f O
|f-5 ,
H
c
H
^
IH ~^i
1975 BB 4 o—i
~
H
2
H
H
^
H
I H
0*
-JiiO 1-3 i
H
1930
^
o
1800
1
100
200
300
400
500
600
TOO
800
900
1000
^ 1 0 0 0 11210000
11 23 00 00 11340000 1 41 05 0 0 1 510600 01 6 0
10
7 0 10 7 010S 01 0S 0 0
1 1990000
2000
Y E A R
® 2000 Bruce Thompson, EcoTracs, 937 E Browning Ave. Satt Lake City, LIT 84105 (801) 467-3240
Q_ POPULATION
* CONNECTION
Education and Action for a Better Wctfld
Pop Quiz
1. What is the world population in 2007?
a) 900 million b) 2.5 billion c) 6.5 billion d) 7.5 billion e) 12 billion
2. By how many people does the world grow each year?
a) 11 million b) 24 million c) 45 million d) 78 million e) 160 million
3. If the world's population continues at Its current rate of growth, approximately how
long will it take to double?
a) 9 years b) 22 years c) 58 years d) 95 years e) 148 years
4 . Tr u e o r F a l s e . T h e r e i s a p o p u l a t i o n e x p l o s i o n i n t h e w o r l d t o d a y.
5. Which has NOT been a major cause of the population explosion?
a) an increase in birth rates b) modem preventive medicine c) improved sanitation
d) lower infant mortality e) longer life expectancy
6. What is the population of the United States in 2007?
a) under 60 million b) about 81 million c) about 127 million d) about 300 million
e) over 500 million
7. True or False. Now that the U.S. has reached the fertility rate of 2.0 children per fam
ily, all U.S. population growth is due to Immigration.
8. Which of the following countries has the highest teen pregnancy rate?
a) Australia b) United States c) Japan d) Italy e) Morocco
9. The United States, which makes up less than 5 percent of the world's popula
tion, consumes how much of the world's energy?
a) 5 percent b) 11 percent c) 22 percent d) 34 percent
©2007 Population Connection
Education Program • www.populationconnection.org/education • PopEd@popconnect.org
2120 L St. NW • Suite 500 • Washington, DC 20037 • Phone 202.332.2200/1.800.767.1956 • Fax 202.332.2302
Population Distribution
BACKGROUND: populations can be distributed randomly; uniformly, or in clumps.
TASK: Use page 107 in your text or the internet to fill in the table below. Define the type of distribution in the effect
box, indicate the causes of each population distribution type in the causes box, and sketch (with dots) and a real-life
example in the sketch and example box.
SKETCH AND EXAMPLE
CAUSES
CLUMPED
Population Distribution
How does population distribution affect the environment?
Alaska contains over 127 million acres of untouched forest land. It is the largest state in the United States,
yet with a population of nearly 700,000 people it has the same total population as Austin, Texas. New
Jersey is one of the smallest states and home to a population of nearly 9 million, but almost 1.8 million of
its 4.4 milion total land acres are untouched natural woodland. What are the reasons for the ways popula
tions organize themselves, and what effect does this organization have on the environment?
Model 1 - Population Density and Distribution
2 km
^ = individual organism
1. Refer to Model 1.
a. What do the dots in the diagrams represent?
b. What do the boxes in the diagrams represent?
2. Calculate the area of a single habitat.
3. Consider the arrangements of the dots in Model 1.
a. Describe the arrangements of the dots in habitat 3.
Population Distribution
1
1
b. Describe the arrangement of the dots in habitat 4.
4. Fill in the table below by counting the number of individuals in each habitat in Model 1 and
then calculate the area available per individual.
Habitat No. Area (km^) No. of Individuals No. of Individuals/Unit area (Density)
5. Refer to the completed table above.
a. Which habitat shows a high population densi^?
b. Which habitat shows the lowest population density?
6. Draw a vertical line through the middle of each of the boxes in model 1. Label the left side "a"
and the right side "b" on each box. Complete the table below for each half of each habitat.
Habitat No. Area (km^) No, of Individuals No. of Individuals/Unit area (Density)
7. For which of the habitats in Model 1 is population density very similar between sides a and b?
For which of the habitats in Model 1 is the population density quite different between sides a
and b?
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
9. Label each of the diagrams on Model 1 using the terms clumped (clustered), random, and
uniform (even) to describe the population distribution within the boxes.
10. Compare and contrast the terms population density and population distribution.
11. Assuming the population size stays constant, propose at least two factors that might cause a
population to shift from a low density habitat to a high density habitat?
12. Animals such as lions or wolves often show clumped distribution. Give a reason why this would
be advantageous for these animals.
13. Other than social reasons, list any other fectors that may lead to clumped distribution patterns in
populations.
114. For each of the organisms listed below state the type of population distribution and population
density of their habitat. Give a reason for each answer.
Organism Distribution Density
Apple trees in
an orchard
Population Distribution
Reason
Model 2 - Factors AfiFecting Density
Factor
Density Dependent Density Independent
Food supply
Rainfall
Flood
Parasites
Acidity
Disease
Drought
Competition
Predation
15. Refer to Model 2.
a. Which factors are dependent on the population density?
b. Describe how the food supply would be affected by the population density.
c. Describe how the levels or spread of disease would be affected by population density.
16. What do all the density-independent Victors have in common?
\\7. In your own words, define density dependent and density independent by completing the
sentences below.
Density-dependent factors are
Density-independent factors are
18. Density-independent factors and density-dependent factors may be interrelated. For example, a
lack of rainfall that causes a drought will impact the food supply in a habitat. Propose another
pairing of a density-independent fector and density-dependent factor that might occur.
4
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
L I M I T I N G FA C T O R S : R E A D PA G E 11 6 A N D F I L L I N .
Cause and Effect
L I M I T I N G FA C T O R S : R E A D PA G E 11 6 A N D F I L L I N .
Cause and Effect
Population Growth
How is population growth naturally regulated?
Why?
The current world population is estimated to be over 7 billion. At present the number of births annually
exceeds the number of deaths, which means that the population is increasing, and Is estimated to reach
9 billion by 2040. In 1750 the world population was estimated at less than 800 million. How are growing
populations such as ours controlled and supported, and can they continue to grow indefinitely?
Model 1 — Population Growth
1. Refer to Model 1.
a. What is the term used for populations moving into an area?
b. What is the term used for populations leaving an area?
c. Name two factors that cause an increase in the population size.
d. Name two factors that cause a decrease in population size.
Population
Growth
1
2. Using Model 1 and the letters B, D, E, and I, write mathematical expressions to show the types
of population described below. Note: The use of > and < may be needed.
a. A stable population (total number of organisms is not changing).
b. A declining population (total number of organisms is decreasing).
c. A growing population (total number of organisms is increasing).
Model 2 - Survivorship Curves
Newborn Pre-reproductivc Reproductive Post-reproductive age
age
age
>
3. Refer to Model 2.
a. What does the x-axis on the graph in Model 2 represent?
b. Which type of organism shows a steady decline in its population at all life stages?
c. Which type of organism loses most of the individuals in its population at an early life stage?
d. What survivor type are humans?
2
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
4. At what life stage is each survivor type when the number of survivors is 100?
a. Type I —
b. Type II —
c. Type III —
5. Which of the three types have the highest number of individuals that reach reproductive age?
Read This!
Through the process of evolution, all species have developed strategies to compensate for their survivor
ship type. Insects lay eggs by the hundreds. Mammals keep their young close by and protected until they
reach adulthood. Factors such as these allow populations of species to survive and thrive despite their
survivorship curve.
6. How do you think populations with Type II or III survivorship compensate for high prereproductive mortality?
7. Consider the evolutionary strategies that each survivorship type has developed for producing and
rearing their young. Propose an explanation for why type I survivors have the highest relative
number of individuals/1000 births that survive until they reach post-reproductive age?
8. Under what circumstances might human populations not show Type I survivorship?
Population Growth
3
Model 3 - Growth Curves
Diagram A—^Exponential Growth Curve Diagram B—^Logistic Growth Curve
Carrying
capacity (K)
Exponential
growth V.
Pressure begins due to
environmental resistance
Lag pha
9. Refer to Model 3.
a. During what phase of the growth curves in each diagram is the population just beginning to
colonize an area?
b. Which type of population growth appears to continue unchecked?
10. The growth curves in Model 3 are often referred to using the letters of the alphabet they resem
ble. The logistic growth curve is sometimes referred to as an S-curve. What letter would you use
to describe the exponential growth curve?
11. What causes the population to slow down during logistic growth?
ill. The maximum population an environment can sustain is affected by environmental factors that
cause the population to level out or become stable. What term is used to describe this level of
logistic grov^?
4
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
13. Propose some reasons why population growth is so rapid immediately after the lag phase in both
diagrams of Model 3?
14. Exponential growth (diagram A) refers to the phenomena of populations that double in size
every generation. If you start with a single bacterium capable of dividing every 20 minutes, how
many bacteria would you have after just four hours?
15. In most natural populations rapid exponential growth is unsustainable. As populations increase,
environmental resistance causes the growth rate to slow down, until carrying capacity is reached.
With your group, brainstorm several factors that could be considered as environmental resistance.
16. Diagram B shows that the population size fluctuates around the carrying capacity. Consider
ing what you know about interactions in the environment, discuss with your group some of the
factors that could cause these fluctuations. In your answer you should relate these factors to the
information from Model 1.
Population Growth
5
Extension Questions
Read This!
Invasive species are species that are introduced into an environment but are not naturally found in that
environment. One example of an invasive species is the American gray squirrel, introduced into Britain
at the end of the 18th century. Until 1876 the only native squirrel in Britain was the European red squir
rel, which was found in deciduous and coniferous forests. By 1940 the gray squirrel had displaced the red
squirrel across most of the British Isles, and by 1984 the red squirrel was only found in isolated coniferous
woodland areas. After its initial introduction, the gray squirrel population increased rapidly; however, in
recent years population sizes within specific environments have become stable.
17. Explain why the newly-introduced gray squirrel initially showed rapid population growth and
why the native red squirrel showed a population decline. Use ecological terms from the previous
models in your answer.
18. Why has the population size of the gray squirrel become stable in recent years?
6
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
Turkey Vultures
The graph at the right shows the
average number of turkey vultures
that were counted on protected
lands at the Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary in Pennsylvannia. In
this activity, you will interpret the
graph by describing the trends that
it shows and drawing conclusions
about the annual migration cycle of
turkey vultures.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
M o n t h
Data thm HmlcMountein Dsta ArcKKes
Interpreting the Graph
To understand the information in a graph, the first step is to figure out the information that
it shows. Study the axes and note the trend shown by the graph.
1. What do the x andy-axes show?_
2. What do the two bars for each month represent?^
3. To describe the annual trend in the graph, look at the overall changes in the bar height
over the entire year. Describe what you see..
Inferring From the Graph
Turkey vultures migrate from the north onto the sanctuary lands and reside there for a while
before migrating south. You know that when the vultures migrate through the sanctuary, they
will increase the population size. Answer the questions below to help you identify when the
vultures migrated through the sanctuary.
4. In which two months is the turkey vulture population significantly greater than in the
other months?
5. When would you conclude that the vultures migrating from the north arrive at the
sanctuary?.
6. When would you conclude that the vultures leave the sanctuary and begin to migrate
south?^
Copyright © Peorsoti Edwcah'on, !nc, or crffltfotei. AH KgKf i Reserved.
Name.
The Pop Ecology Files—Student Worksheet
Part 1: Measuring Growth
1.ffyouhad$l00and added $10 to it the first year and each successive year, how much money would you have™
au After 5 years?
b. After 10 years?
Start
$100
$ 11 0
^
c. Create a line graph to show your moneys' growth over 10 years. (SCC
This is arithmetic growth - growth that results from a constant rate of change over time.
Z If instead you had $100 and it grew by 10% each year, your money would be growing on an ever-increasing base.
How much mono^ would you have,..
a. after 5 years?
b. After 10 years?
Start
$100 $110
c. Using the gr^h above, add a second line to show how this money would grow over 10 years, f
This is exponential growth, growth that results from a constant percent rate of change over time. Populations tend to grow
the same way. Because the base population is always increasing, population grows exponentialy, as long as there are
sufficient resources. Without sufficient resources, a population would exceed its carrying c^)acity and decline.
3. Jefferson Middle School has 1000 students. A new housing development is being built neaiby, and it is predicted that that the
school population wil increase 10% each year for seven years. How many students wil there be in the school in seven years?
Part 2: The Naturalist's dilemma
Your aunt left a stack of her papers with you while she was traveling in the wilderness. These papers include inq)ortant population
data that she has gathered on the species she's studied over the years. She's due back in town today, so you want to give her
papers back to her, but tho^Ve gotten all mixed up. You have the data, and you know the list of species, but you can't tel what
data goes wtih whk spece
i s. By gngphn
i g the popua
l to
i n data for each spece
i s, youl' be abe
l to sort ti al out
Species list:
Species
Background
Where studied
A common bacteria found in soil.
Studied in a laboratory test tube over
the course of several weeks.
Cerulean Warbler
This tiny migratory forest bird may be
Central Maryland, over several years.
added to the endangered species list
Bristlecone Pine
This slow-growing tree species can live
Eastem California, over several years.
Eastern Cottontail
several thousand years.
The common fast-breeding rabbit from the
eastem United States.
Central Ohio, over several years.
Red Fox
One of several predators on the cottontail
Central Ohio, over several years.
rabbit
A common bacteria found in soil.
Studied in a laboratory test tube over several
weeks. New nutrients provided regularly.
Multiplying People, Dividing Resources 38
© 2002, Population Connection
300
. 2 c
250
Growth at 10%/vear . °
200
150
Growth at $10/year
100
50
n '•— ' — ' — 1
"^23
4
5
6
7
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'It,.
8
9
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10
'
Year
Part 3:
The Human Growth Curve
6000
« 5000
o
1= 4000
s
.s 3000
e
o
'■= 2000
C Q
a
2-1000
—1—I—1—1
Year (A.D.)
© 2002, Population Connection
1
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o r
-
Q
LaDt
Species 3
Species 4
10000
g 8000
/ \
w
o
Q .
/
/
\
V
1 3 5 7 3 11 13 15 17 13 21 23 25 27 29 31 i M
Day
Ye a r
Species 5
Species 6
Ye a r
Md)
SCIENCE BEHIND THE STORIES: THE CLOUDLESS FOREST
Read Pages 118-119 and complete the cause and effect organizer below. Analyze the data
presented and separate into what scientists infer from it.
CAUSE
EFFECT
Write About It: What do you think caused the extinction of the golden toad? Write a conclusion
statement and support it with 3 pieces of evidence from the case study.
Conclusion statement
Evidence 1
Evidence 2
Evidence 3
Reading Comprehension
Read the following selection and answer the question that follows.
In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Grand Canyon National Ganrse Preserve on the
Kalbab Plateau In northern Arizona. The preserve was created to protect deer from hunting and
predation, which had reduced the population of Kaibab deer to only about 4000. Hunters were
prohibited from shooting deer, but they were allowed to shoot the deer's predators, including cougars
and coyotes. Between 1907 and 1923, over 600 cougars and 3000 coyotes were trapped or killed. As a
result, the deer herd began to Increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920, at
50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
If you were to graph the population growth of the Kaibab deer from 1906 to 1923, what would you see?
a. A straight line, showing a steady increase over time.
b. A J-shaped upward curve showing a very rapid Increase.
c. An up-and-down, wavelike pattern.
d. An S-shaped curve that shows a smooth, rapid increase leveling off in 1923.
Read the following selection and answer the question that follows.
In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve on the
Kaibab Plateau In northern Arizona. The preserve was created to protect deer from hunting and
predatlon, which had reduced the population of Kaibab deer to only about 4000. Hunters were
prohibited from shooting deer, but they were allowed to shoot the deer's predators, including cougars
and coyotes. Between 1907 and 1923, over 600 cougars and 3000 coyotes were trapped or killed. As a
result, the deer herd began to increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920, at
50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
Deer can live 10-25 years. Which of the following most likely describes an age structure diagram of the
Kaibab deer population in 1923?
a. An upside-down triangle, very wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.
b. A rectangle, almost the same size from bottom to top.
c. A narrow upside-down triangle, a little wider at the top than the bottom.
d. A triangle with a very wide base and narrow top.
Analyze Data
An ecologist studying fruit flies records tlie following population size data. Use the data to answer the
questions that follow.
Fruit Fly Population Growth
1. Graph- Make a graph of the data in the table. Be sure to label both axes.
2. Analyze Graphs- What pattern of growth is demonstrated by this population of fruit flies?
3. What is the approximate carrying capacity in the fruit fl/s current environment? On
approximately which day did the population reach its carrying capacity?
4.
Design an Experiment- The ecologist think that either space or available food is the main
limiting factor controlling population size in fruit fly experiment in which one could determine if
food was the limiting factor.