AP Biology Ecology Summer Assignment Instructions
Michael Balog
E-‐mail: michael.balog@asfg.mx
Time Requirement
•
This assignment is designed to take 10 hours.
Due Date
•
This assignment will be due on the first Friday of our return to school. The written (non-‐graphical) portions of the assignment must be completed in word and submitted to turnitin.com. More details on submission will be provided in the first week of class.
Required Textbook th
•
Biology (7 Ed.) by Campbell & Reece-‐ pick up at the bookstore before you leave for the holidays.
Photocopy the relevant sections if you are travelling and do not want to take the book with you.
Documents Needed:
•
AP Biology Ecology Summer Assignment Instructions
•
AP Biology Ecology Unit Objectives
•
Ecology Review Sheet Chapter 50-‐52
•
Populations Exercises
Important Website Links:
• http://apbiologyasfg.shutterfly.com/ (AP Biology Course Website)
• http://apbiologyasfg.shutterfly.com/ecology (Information About Ecology and Summer Assignment)
Instructions:
1.
Read the instructions on this document. Find all pertinent documents on the course website (see link above).
2.
Read Chapters 50-‐52 of the Campbell Biology textbook. Follow steps 3 for every chapter.
3.
Use the AP Biology Ecology Unit Objectives as a guide to what is most important. Keep in mind that you should have read all of the text but that some of the concepts are more important.
4.
Listen to the VOD casts on the AP Biology class website located on the Ecology page under Ecology
Instructional Links. Only watch the videos belonging to chapters 50-‐52.
5.
Complete the exercises from the Ecology Review Sheet Chapter 50-‐52 by typing the responses into a word document. You must complete any graphs by hand. Complete each section at the end of the chapter. Don’t try and do all three sections at one time.
6.
After completing steps 1-‐5, complete the population exercises in the document. All the necessary formulas are located on the sheet. All graphs need to be completed by hand. Please do not forget to include the following: main title, x and y axis titles, origin, proper scale for x and y axis, minimum graph size of ½ page, plotted points if a line graph, on graph paper, use a ruler and pencil, and make sure that you chose the appropriate style of graph (line, bar, or pie).
7.
Become a member of the AP Biology class website by first becoming a member of shutterfly (most of you did this already during the 2010-‐2011 school year) and then asking to become a member of the class website. It is very important that you use a functional e-‐mail address as I will periodically send important information throughout the course to your e-‐mail account.
8.
Respond to forum and poll questions on the class website.
Chapter 50 Introduction to Ecology
3 Most Important Concepts:
1.
Abiotic and biotic factors affect species range, distribution and abundance.
2.
Many global processes affect the distribution and abundance of abiotic factors such as air and water currents.
3.
Biomes are broad geographic areas of similar ecological components.
You need to know:
•
Examples of abiotic and biotic factors
•
The difference between species distribution and abundance.
•
The levels of biological organization (p.4 and 5)
•
The difference between environmentalism and ecology
•
Dispersal and the limits to species range (fig 50.6 on p. 1084)
•
Species transplants
•
Behavioral and biotic factors that affect species distribution
•
Abiotic factors that affect species distribution
•
Seasons are generated by Earth’s axial tilt, not distance from the sun
•
Air circulation affects global precipitation patterns
•
General characteristics of the different marine biomes (p. 1094 to 1097)
•
General characteristics of the different terrestrial biomes (p. 1100 to 1103)
Important Terms:
Abiotic, Biotic, Biota, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere, Dispersal,
Climate, Biomes, Photic zone, Aphotic zone, Detritus
Chapter 51 Behavioral Ecology
3 Most Important Concepts:
1.
All behaviors have at least some biological basis in our genetic composition.
Some behaviors are entirely genetic.
2.
Behavioral traits can evolve by natural selection or sexual selection where behaviors that favor increased reproductive success are promoted.
3.
The environment can influence the development of behaviors. When behavior is influenced by experiences it is called learning.
You need to know:
•
The difference between proximate and ultimate causes
•
The difference between a fixed action pattern and imprinting
•
Examples of the different types of behavior that are influenced by genes
•
Cool: monogamy in prairie voles-‐ don’t have to know specifically but it should cause you to think about many behaviors that we think are learned that have a genetic background as well
•
Behavior can be affected by diet, social environment
•
Important: Different types of learning
•
Impact of natural selection on the evolution of behaviors
•
Foraging behavior (more successful at getting food, more chances to mate, more offspring) specifics such as optimal foraging theory and the experiments that demonstrate adaptive behaviors
•
Concept of inclusive fitness and its ability to account for altruism
•
Examples of social learning
Important Terms:
Behavioral ecology, proximate questions, ultimate questions, fixed action patterns, sign stimulus, imprinting, sensitive period, innate behaviors, kinesis, taxis, pheromones, learning, habituation, spatial learning, associative learning (classical conditioning, operant conditioning), cognition, foraging, optimal foraging theory,
promiscuous, monogamous, polygamous, agnostic behavior, altruism, inclusive fitness, reciprocal altruism, social learning
Chapter 52 Population Ecology
3 Most Important Concepts:
1.
Multiple factors influence the overall size and distribution of a population.
2.
The exponential model of growth describes population growth in an idealized, unlimited environment while logistic growth stabilizes around a carrying capacity.
3.
K-‐selection and r-‐selection are different population growth patterns based on differences in life strategies for individual members of the species.
You Need to Know:
•
Difference between density and dispersion
•
Mark and recapture method
•
How immigration, emigration, births and deaths can influence a population size
•
Patterns of dispersion
•
Survivorship curves
•
Big bang reproduction contrasted with repeated reproduction
•
J-‐shaped curve represents exponential growth (what is necessary for exponential growth)
•
Carrying capacity and logistic population growth
•
(
Δ
N) = (births + immigration) -‐ (deaths + emigration)
•
Percent growth = [b + i] -‐ [ d + e] x 100%
Initial population
•
Population Density Dp = N/A or Dp = N/V (D = Density, N = number of organisms,
A= area, V = volume)
•
The rate of change can be calculated by the formula R = D/t (t = time, D = density)
•
K-‐ selection (density dependant) characteristics and r-‐selection (density independent) characteristics ·∙·∙·∙·∙see powerpoint population genetics notes
•
Factors regulating growth of density dependent population growth curves
•
Human population characteristics and reading histograms
Important Terms:
Population ecology, density, dispersion, mark-‐recapture method, immigration, emigration, demographics, survivorship curves, life history, zero-‐population growth,
exponential growth, carrying capacity, logistic growth, K/r selection, density dependant, density independent, ecological footprint, ecological capacity
Note: This review package does not include questions on all of the content located within the ecology
chapters. Please refer to AP Biology Ecology Unit Objectives for that list.
Chapter 50
1.
Give an example of how an abiotic factor could affect a specific species range, distribution, and abundance. Provide an example of how a biotic factor could affect a species range, distribution, and abundance.
2.
What are the levels of biological organization and give one example of each.
3.
Describe a global process that can affect the distribution and abundance of an abiotic factor.
4.
Many factors affect the oxygen concentration found in lakes that experience seasonal turnover. In a laboratory cold water contains higher concentrations of gases, but remember that a lake is an ecosystem with living things and this might not always be the case. Fill in the following table:
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Area of high oxygen concentration
Reason for high oxygen concentration
Area of low oxygen
concentration
Reason for low oxygen concentration
Temperate
Grassland
Temperate
Broadleaf
(deciduous) Forest
Coniferous (pine)
Forest
5.
What is eutrophication? What causes it? How does it affect oxygen concentrations of lakes?
6.
Fill in the table regarding biomes:
Biome Temperature and
Precipitation
Common Plants Common Animals Adaptations of an
Animal or Plant that aid in its survival
Tropical Forest
Savanna
Desert
Chaparral
Tundra
High Mountains
Chapter 51
1.
What is the difference between an innate and a learned behavior?
2.
Give 2 examples of behaviors that have evolved as a result of natural selection? Describe the process of natural selection specific to each situation. Remember that some adaptations increase the probability of survival, which increases the probability of finding a mater, which increase the
probability of producing offspring, which increases the probability of passing on the adaptation (gene) to subsequent generations. After a long time and many generations, the population begins to….
3.
Compare and contrast fixed action patterns with imprinting?
4.
Compare and contrast kinesis, taxis, and migration? How could each have evolved as a result of natural selection?
5.
What types of communication are animals capable of? What is the evolutionary significance of these behaviors? Is communication the same as language? Why?
6.
Learning can be classified in many different ways. Fill in the following table:
Type of Learning Definition Example How this type of learning capacity would increase survival probabilities?
Habituation
Spatial Learning
Cognitive Maps
Associative Learning
Cognition and Problem
Solving
7.
What factors influence an organisms feeding behavior? Describe a hypothetical example.
8.
Describe three abiotic or biotic factors that can influence the mating behavior of animals?
9.
How can inclusive fitness account for altruism in species?
10.
How does social learning differ from other types of learning?
Chapter 52
1.
What are all the factors described in the text that can explain differences in population size and distribution?
2.
What is the difference between density and dispersion?
3.
What are the different dispersion patterns and provide an example (not from the text) that illustrates this type of dispersion pattern?
4.
What would need to happen in order for a population to experience exponential growth?
5.
What is the carrying capacity and how does it affect logistical growth patterns?
6.
What are abiotic and biotic factors that can affect the carrying capacity? Which of the previously listed factors are density dependent and which are density independent?
7.
Create a table to compare population characteristics for r-‐selected and k-‐selected species.
8.
What types of events can cause fluctuations in population size?
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
POPULATIONS EXERCISE ONE: PREDATION OR STARVATION
Background Information
In 1960 the deer population of an island forest reserve about 200 square miles in size was about 2,000 animals.
Although the island had excellent vegetation for feeding, the food supply obviously had limits. Thus the forest management personnel feared that overgrazing might lead to mass starvation. Since the area was too remote for hunters, the wildlife service decided to bring in natural predators to control the deer population. It was hoped that, eventually, natural predation would eliminate the weakest deer, thereby preventing the herd from
becoming too large, while at the same time increasing the quality of the herd. In 1961, 10 wolves were flown into the island.
Formulas
•
(
Δ
N) = (births + immigration) -‐ (deaths + emigration)
•
Percent growth = [b + i] -‐ [ d + e] x 100%
Initial population
•
Population Density Dp = N/A or Dp = N/V (D = Density, N = number of organisms,
A= area, V = volume)
• The rate of change can be calculated by the formula R = D/t (t = time, D = density)
Data
The results of this natural predator program are presented in the following table.
YEAR
1961
WOLF
POP.
DEER
POP.
10 2,000
DEER
OFFSPRING
800
DEATH BY
PREDATION
400
DEATH BY
STARVATION
100
CHANGE IN DEER
POPULATION (
Δ
N)
480
640
12 2,300
16 2,500
22 2,360
28 2,244
24 2,094
21 1,968
18 1,916
19 1,962
19 1,982
22 2,012
21 1,987
920
1,000
944
996
836
788
766
780
790
810
825
880
1,120
960
840
720
760
760
834
787
0
0
2
0
240
500
180
26
0
1
5
Procedure
1.
Fill in the
Δ
N for the deer in the above chart.
2.
Draw a graph showing the fluctuations in the deer and wolf populations for the nine-‐year study period.
Analysis and Interpretation
1.
Using values from your graph, define carrying capacity.
2.
Would it have been better for the ecosystem if more wolves had been introduced in 1961? Why?
3.
Explain why the wolf population declined after 1965.
4.
Explain why there was a negative change in the deer population in 1963 and 1964.
5.
Predict what might have happened if hunters had been allowed to kill half of the wolf population in
1964.
6.
How does the size of the deer population influence the number of wolves on the island? If no hunting is allowed, what natural mechanisms will control the wolf population?
Extension
1.
Using the data from the table, draw an age pyramid for the deer population. (Refer to
page 1154 of Campbell text.)
2. What percentage of the population are fawns (0-‐1)? If the percentage of fawns were
65%, what would that indicate about the growth of the herd?
3. What instinctive behaviour and structural adaptations are there among animals to protect the females in a population? Why?
4. List some causes for the mortality indicated in the first two years of life.
AGE STRUCTURE OF HERD IN
1970
Age
0 -‐ 1
1 -‐ 2
2 -‐ 3
3 -‐ 4
4 -‐ 5
5 -‐ 6
6 -‐ 7
7 -‐ 8
8 -‐ 9
9 -‐ 10
Total
No. of deer
♂ ♀
438
162
422
175
111
75
39
30
26
20
15
1
2,000
151
87
66
58
42
36
27
5
POPULATIONS EXERCISE TWO: FACTORS CONTROLLING POPULATION GROWTH
Background Information
The Mara and Liota plains occur in the Narok District in south western Kenya (see map). Adjacent to and lying to the southeast are the Liana hills and plains. These three distinct regions are bordered on the east by the Rift
Valley, on the southwest by the Kenya-‐Tanzania border, and on the northwest by the Siria Escarpment. The area of the Mara and Liota plains combined cover about 4,559 km 2 .
Data
J. Wildl. Manage. 50(2): 1986 HERBIVORES IN KENYA•Stelfox et al
Population estimates of wild herbivores for the Mara and Liota plains, Kenya, 1961-‐1979
Species 1961 (May) 1974 (May) 1977 (May) 1979 (May) 1979 (June)
Blue wildebeest
Burchell's zebra
Topi
African buffalo
Kongoni
Thomson's gazelle
Grant's gazelle
17,817
20,567
4,111
5,934
721
84,710
20,412
5,082
10,882
850
11,936
5,204
84,700
34,600
17,900
34,200
5,300
63,300
8,800
101,700
65,200
31,500
30,000
8,900
106,500
19,900
Impala
Eland
African elephant
750
455
8,692
1,168
1,012
53,900
4,700
1,200
59,200
8,500
700
51,800
4,600
500
Black rhinoceros 54 84 100 0 0
Totals 50,409 150,032 308,700 432,100 1,438,500
Stewart and Talbot (1962)
Analysis
1. Considering the four determiners of population density (natality, mortality, immigration and
2. emigration), what determiner is most responsible for the change in population of blue wildebeest and
Burchell's zebra between May 1979 and June 1979?
During the same time (May 1979 -‐ June 1979) what determiner is most likely affecting the eland population?
3. What determiner is the major cause for the population change of Grant's gazelle and the Thomson's gazelle between May 1974 and May 1979?
4. The introduction of the disease called rinderpest about 50 years ago into Kenya eliminated the majority of cattle, African buffalo and wildebeest. By 1962 rinderpest had disappeared. What effect did the rinderpest have on the buffalo and wildebeest populations according to the data given?
5. Considering abiotic factors, which one may have changed and is likely responsible for the overall rise in numbers of animals on the Mara and Liota plains between May and June 1979? Explain.
819,500
107,800
25,500
31,500
5,000
90,500
8,500
6. a) Calculate the population density of Burchell's zebra, the Kongoni and Grant's gazelle for May
1979 and June 1979.
b) What is the growth rate for these animals? Calculate the change in days assuming the time span between counts was 30 days.
7. c) Considering population determiners, which of these is playing a major role when the growth rate change is positive? When it is negative?
Calculate the per Capita Growth Rate or biotic potential for the blue wildebeest and elephant for the time period of May 1977 to May 1979.
8. For the blue wildebeest, from June 1979 to June 1980 5,000 calves were born; 10,563 animals died;
4,350 wildebeest immigrated into the area; and 2,016 animals emigrated out:
a) Calculate the change in population size ∆ N.
b) Calculate the growth rate.
c) What was the population of wildebeest in June 1980?
POPULATIONS EXERCISE THREE: GROWTH OF POPULATIONS
Part A: Simulating Population Growth
Background Information
Changes in populations are controlled by four main factors: mortality (death rate), natality (birth rate), immigration, and emigration. Most populations are also affected by various other factors in their environment, such as food supply, territorial requirements, climate, predation, and disease. Some of these factors are density dependent , that is, the effect of the factor depends on the density of the population. Many abiotic factors, such as fire or flood, are density-‐independent factors that affect population growth.
The maximum population that an environment can sustain is called its carrying capacity . Normally, populations fluctuate around this carrying capacity, with the density of the population exerting pressure to control the
population.
Problem
How will a population grow under ideal conditions?
Hypothesis
If a population is not controlled by density-‐dependent factors, it will show rapid growth.
Experimental Design
In the real world, there are so many factors that influence populations, that it is almost impossible to predict increases and decreases in populations. However, biologists and wildlife managers must sometimes forecast trends, and in these situations the scientists must gather all available data and make their predictions based on the factors that they think will affect the population size. Usually, computers are used to handle the complex mathematical calculations involved in simulating the conditions that affect population growth. However, for the purpose of illustration, you will simplify the conditions that affect the hypothetical population.
Until 1950, Alberta was the only province or state in North America that was considered rat free. In that year, however, a few rats were discovered along the eastern border of the province. The provincial government
decided to try to keep Alberta rat-‐free, and made the destruction of rats a legal responsibility for every Albertan.
Every municipality was required to appoint a pest control officer. Today, Alberta is essentially rat-‐free.
The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) can reproduce at an incredible rate. Litter sizes of 10 are normal, and within
three to four months, the offspring start to reproduce.
Materials
Graph paper
Procedure
Imagine the following situation: One May, an Alberta farmer bought seed that was shipped in from the U.S.A. In the shipment was a single female rat, which was pregnant. The rat hid in the farmer's barn, and immediately had a litter of 10 offspring, five males and five females. There was ample food in the barn, no other rats lived there, and there were no predators. Consider the population of rats that would result if the following assumptions were true:
Every three months, each female rat produces 10 offspring, five males and five females.
All the parents die after each litter -‐ only the offspring survive to breed after three months.
All the offspring survive to reproduce.
There is no immigration or emigration.
The food supply remains unlimited, and no predators arrive.
Although these assumptions are unrealistic, they tend to balance each other (e.g., not all the parents would
2.
die, but not all the offspring would survive).
1. Calculate the rat population over the period of one-‐year (five litters), beginning with the first litter of 10 rats in May.
Graph the data on graph paper.
Analysis and Interpretation
1.
Describe the shape of each graph.
2.
Describe the shape of each graph if you extended the assumptions for another five years.
3.
What letter does the shape of the graph resemble?
4.
What term is used to describe the growth pattern illustrated in this investigation?
5.
Does the rate of population growth increase?
6.
Do you think this simulation is realistic? Explain.
Extension
1. An Alberta government publication states that one pair of rats could have 350,000 descendants in three years. Is this possible?
2.
Each year, 2000 rats are destroyed in Alberta. If these animals survived and half were females that produced litters of 10 (five females), and if all the animals survived to produce litters every three months, how long would it take to get one million rats?
Part B: Human Population of Alberta
Purpose
To determine the human population growth in
Alberta.
Procedure
Graph the data on graph paper.
Analysis
1.
Does the population of Alberta show the characteristics of exponential growth?
2.
From the slope of the graph, determine when the rate of growth was greatest.
3.
What were the major factors that controlled the population of Alberta?
4.
Alberta is 661,185 square kilometres in area. What is the density of the population in 1901, and 1994?
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1986
1991
1994
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
1951
1956
1961
1966
1971
1976
1981
Human population in the province of Alberta
Year Population
(in thousands)
2375
2601
2710
2,953.3
3,004.9
3,056.7
3,114.4
3,153.7
939
1123
1332
1463
1628
1838
2237
43
247
588
732
796
POPULATION EXERCISE 4
1.
Describe in words what this formula states: D=N/A A biologist studied a population of box turtles in an
Ohio wood lot for a period of 10 years. He determined that the natality averaged 40 per year, mortality
30 per year, immigration 3 per year, and emigration 8 per year.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Was the population increasing or decreasing?
Was the area supplying turtles to other areas, or vice versa?
What was the average annual change due to immigration and emigration?
If the initial population was 15 turtles, what was the population at the end of 10 years?
3.
How do we calculate the rate at which a population is changing?
4.
Describe the characteristic form of a line graph that represents the growth of a “new” population in a favourable environment.
5.
Describe the characteristic form of a graph that represents a population in “steady state” or equilibrium.
6.
On a range of 450 hectares are a total of 1275 jackrabbits. Studies indicate the following rates for this population.
Mortality = 2224/ year.
Natality = 3400/ year.
Emigration = 775/ year.
Immigration = 150/ year
12
Is the population increasing or decreasing? At what rate? b.
Predict the population at the end of 4 years. c.
What is likely to happen to the population of producers in this area during the 4 years? d.
What is the population density at the beginning of the year and the end of the year?
7.
In a certain year observations were made of a mule deer population on a 100-‐hectare island off the coast of B.C.
No. of does, Jan. 1 = 90. No. of bucks, Jan. 1 = 30. Births during the year = 75.
Deaths during the year = 50. No. of deer on Dec. 31 = 155 .
A.
What was the density of the population at the beginning of the year?
B.
What was the density of the population at the end of the year?
C.
What was the effect of immigration and emigration on the population?
8.
On October 5, 1999 squirrel-‐hunting season opened. At that time, biologists counted 150 squirrels in a woody
region covering an area of 15 hectares. One month later, on November 5, another count was made and it was found that the same woods had a population of 64 squirrels.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Calculate the density of squirrels on October 5 and November 5.
Calculate the rate of change in density of the squirrel population for the one-‐month time period.
Calculate the change in population size of the squirrel population for the one-‐month time period.
Which factor was most likely responsible for the change in the population?
9.
In a certain city, 2112 humans and 2764 rats populated an area covering 8 square blocks. Then an Urban
Renewal Project was established and the area was cleared and redeveloped. After the area was reconstructed, it had a population of 4960 humans and 320 rats.
A.
B.
C.
Calculate the change in density per square block for both populations.
Calculate the per capita growth rate for humans in this 8 square block area.
Calculate the percent change in population size for both populations.
10.
A one-‐year study of a jackrabbit population was conducted in southern Alberta in a natural environment comprised of 75 hectares. The initial population was found to be 1578 jackrabbits. The following data was obtained by ecologists studying the rabbits over one year:
natality mortality
1475
1013 immigration 75 emigration 388
A.
Calculate the change in population size and indicate whether the population is increasing or decreasing.
B.
What is the rate of growth for this population per year? per month?
C.
Calculate the per capita growth rate for this population over the year of the study.
D.
What was the density of jackrabbits at the beginning of the study? At the end of the study?
E.
Predict the size of the population at the end of four more years. Give reasons for your prediction.
13