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Unit 3 Sustainable Ecosystems

Day 1 : Using the powerpoint presentation complete the following introductory worksheet
1. Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with their _______________ and _______________
2. Ecosystem All of the __________________ parts of a biological community and its physical
environment within a specific area. It can be ________________or _______________, and
temporary or permanent.
3. Producer Organisms capable of making their own food from: ________, __________ & __________
4. Consumer
Organisms that must eat ___________________________ for food
5. Types of Consumers
a. Herbivore
An organism that eats __________________________ as ___% or more of its diet
b. Carnivore
An organism that eats ________________________ as ____% or more of its diet
c. Omnivore
Organisms that eat a mixture of fresh ____________ & ______________ materials
6a. Detritus
- _______________ from plants and animals, including __________________________
6b. Decomposer -Organisms that consume ___________________
7. Pest - An organism that considered to be _________________ in a particular situation. e.g.
8. Food Chain -Sequence of organisms, one __________________ off another
9. Food Web ecosystem

A pictorial representation of _______________________ among organisms in an

10. Habitat - Where an organism lives in its _____________________

11. Niche -

Everything an organism does to ________________ & ______________________

12. Species
A group of organisms that ___________ in the natural world and produce fertile
__________
13a. Biotic factors
The part of the environment that is _____________ or was once ________________
eg,
13b. Abiotic factors -The part of the environment that was never __________________
eg.

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14. Population -

All of the members of one _________________ living in an area

15. Community
- All of the different __________________ in an ecosystem
16. Ecotones
The _______________________ area between one ecosystem and another ecosystem

Sustainable Ecosystems
-

an ecosystem that is capable of withstanding ____________ and giving __________ to a variety of

organisms

Sustainability
-

The ability to maintain ecological processes _______________________________________

__________________of an ecosystem is the ability of that ecosystem to maintain its
_____________and _____________________ over time in the face of external stress.

Biodiversity
-

The term biodiversity is a contraction of the phrase _____________ _______________.

Biodiversity means the richness and variety of life of ___________, _________and______________.
The biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to the _______________ of that ecosystem.
Higher/more biodiversity = ____________sustainable
Lower/less biodiversity = _____________ sustainable
High biodiversity in an ecosystem means that there is a great variety of _________and
___________ in that ecosystem

Ecosystems 2 Types
Terrestrial Ecosystems
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________

Aquatic Ecosystems
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________

Parts of an Ecosystem
-

biotic - the _________parts of an ecosystem ; The biotic parts of an ecosystem include plants,
animals, and micro-organisms

Biotic Interactions
-

#1.Decomposing plant and animal materials including their dead bodies as well as their
wastes. _____________ and _____________ living in the ecosystem help to break down the
materials and recycle these materials back to the plants.

#2.Disease which is the result if infection by _____________, ______________ and

________________. Disease is an important biotic factor because it tends to reduce the number
of organisms within the community.

#3.Predator/prey interactions which helps to limit the size of populations within an

ecosystem. A __________________is an animal that kills and eats another animal for food. The
__________is the hunted animal. An example is the lion and the zebra. When a lion kills a zebra

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for food, the lion helps to prevent the overpopulation of the zebra. If the number of zebra
declines too much the lion will starve. There is a balance between the number of predator and
prey in any ecosystem.
-

#4.Competition which is a struggle for survival that occurs between two organisms either of
the same or different species. Birds often compete for nesting space. Lions and hyenas
compete for common prey such as antelope

BIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL
RELATIONSHIPS

ABIOTIC
FACTORS
SYMBIOSIS

Parasitis
m

Mutualis
m

BIOTIC
FACTORS
COMPETITION
Commensali
sm

PREDATORPREY
RELATIONSHIP

Symbiosis - a relationship in which two organisms of different species 'live together' for a period
of time

Parasitism - a form of
in which one organism derives nutrients
from the second organism which suffers some harm but is usually not
(e.g. A
tick is the
that feeds off a dog which is the
.)
- other examples include ________________________________________________________________
Mutualism - a form of symbiosis in which both organisms
each other (e.g.

) ; other examples include

____________________________________________

Commensalism - a form of symbiosis in which one organism helps the other organism, but there
is no
nor harm done in return (e.g. A clown fish lives inside a sea anemone and is
protected by it. The sea anemone derives no benefit nor harm from the relationship.); other
examples include
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Predator / Prey Relationships the relationship in which one organism (predator) hunts and
eats another (
) (e.g.
)

Competition a relationship where two types of organisms compete for the same resource such
as food,
,
(e.g. sheep and kangaroos compete for
grass)
Watch video : how stuff works : The Web of Life: Symbiosis : Give examples below
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

Day 2
Abiotic : the non-living parts an ecosystem
-

The abiotic parts of an ecosystem include_____________, __________, __________, ___________, and

_____

Abiotic Characteristics
Space - or territory is needed to insure adequate resources for_____, _____, shelter, and mates.
Temperature - affect organisms. It may determine if whether or not an organism can live in a
certain area, that is, if it can tolerate the temperatures. It can also determine how well
organisms seek out and digest food once it is in their bodies.
Oxygen -is needed by organisms so that their cells can release energy from food. Organisms
that live on land obtain oxygen from the atmosphere as they breath (usually with lungs).
Organisms that live in water generally have gills and obtain oxygen which is ____________in the
water.
Sunlight -is the ultimate source of energy for all green plants which in turn provide the
resources for other living things (in most ecosystems). Light also affects the development and
behavior of many organisms.
Water - is necessary for all life. The ability to find water, to maintain water balance, and to
conserve water will help determine the habitat range for each species.
Soil Nutrients - include minerals such as_______________,______________ , potassium,
magnesium and a host of other minerals derived from rocks as well as decaying dead plants
and animals.

Watch videos how stuff works : Make notes below

1.

Environment of Organisms: Abiotic and Biotic Factors

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
2.

Organisms in Their Environment: Ecology

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
Ecology ( continued )

all members of the same species living in the same ecosystem or habitat are referred to as a
___________
all the populations of all the species in an ecosystem or habitat are called the
_____________________
an organism can move back and forth between ecosystems because ecosystems do not have
sharp boundaries
there is a transition area between ecosystems, called ________________ in which organisms
from both ecosystems interact
the ecotones contain greater ____________________ (more species) than either ecosystem

COMPARING NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS

Use the pictures on page 28 of your text, along with the tables showing values for abiotic and biotic
factors on page 29.
Question
Artificial Ecosystem
Natural Ecosystem
1. List the abiotic factors
common to both areas.
2. List some of the plants
found in the area.
3. Why would goldenrod be
found in the natural
ecosystem? Why would
it not be found in the
artificial ecosystem?
4. What is the major factor
which determines the
type of plants which are
found in each area?
5. Name the major animal
species found in each
area.
(see chart pg 29 + pictures)
6. Why would there be
more beetles and
spiders in the meadow
than in the city park?
7. Describe and account for
the differences in
temperatures between
the two areas.

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8. Account for the
differences in nitrogen
and phosphorus levels in
the two areas.
9. Compare the soil litter
in each area and suggest
reasons for the
difference.
10. What is the role of the
human in maintaining
each ecosystem?

Easter Island
Easter Island:
One of the world's most famous yet least visited archaeological sites, Easter Island is a small, hilly,
now treeless island of volcanic origin. Located in the Pacific Ocean at 27 degrees south of the equator
and some 2200 miles (3600 kilometers) off the coast of Chile, it is considered to be the worlds most
remote inhabited island. Sixty-three square miles in size and with three extinct volcanoes (the tallest
rising to 1674 feet), the island is, technically speaking, a single massive volcano rising over ten
thousand feet from the Pacific Ocean floor. The oldest known traditional name of the island is Te Pito o
Te Henua, meaning The Center (or Navel) of the World. In the 1860s Tahitian sailors gave the island
the name Rapa Nui, meaning Great Rapa, due to its resemblance to another island in Polynesia
called Rapa Iti, meaning Little Rapa. The island received its most well known current name, Easter
Island, from the Dutch sea captain Jacob Roggeveen who became the first European to visit Easter
Sunday, April 5, 1722.
In brief, the prehistory of Easter Island is one of supreme accomplishment, flourishing and civilization,
followed by environmental devastation and decline. Although it is not agreed when people first arrived
on Easter Island (with estimates ranging from several hundred to more than one thousand years ago),
consensus seems to be that the first peoples arrived from Polynesia. Rather than being inhabited by
mistake or chance, evidence has suggested that Easter Island was colonized deliberately by large
boats with many settlers -- a remarkable feat given the distance of Easter Island from any other land
in the Pacific Ocean.
The first islanders found a land of undoubted paradise -- archaeological evidence shows that the
island was covered in trees of various sorts, including the largest palm tree species in the world,
whose bark and wood furnished the natives with cloth, rope, and canoes. Birds were abundant as well,
and provided food

for them. A mild climate favored an easy life, and abundant waters yielded fish and oysters.
The islanders prospered due to these advantages, and a reflection of this is the religion which
sprouted in their leisure, which had at its centerpiece the giant moai, or heads, that are the island's
most distinctive feature today. These moai, which the island is littered with, are supposed to have
been depictions of ancestors, whose presence likely was considered a blessing or watchful
safekeeping eye over each small village. The ruins of Rano Raraku crater, the stone quarry where
scores if not hundreds of moai sit today, is a testament to how central these figures were to the
islanders, and how their life revolved around these creations. It has been suggested that their
isolation from all other peoples fueled this outlet of trade and creativity -- lacking any other significant
way to direct their skills and resources. The birdman culture (seen in petroglyphs), is an obvious
testament to the islanders' fascination with the ability to leave their island for distant lands. However,
as the population grew, so did pressures on the island's environment. Deforestation of the island's
trees gradually increased, and as this main resource was depleted, the islanders would find it hard to
continue making rope, canoes, and all the necessities to hunt and fish, and ultimately, support the
culture that produced the giant stone figureheads. Apparently, disagreements began to break out
(with some violence) as confidence in the old religion was lost, and is reflected partly in the ruins of
moai which were deliberately toppled by human hands. By the end of the glory of the Easter Island
culture, the population had crashed in numbers, and the residents -- with little food or other ways to
obtain sustenance -- resorted sometimes to cannibalism and a bare subsistence. Subsequent raids by
powers such as Peru and Bolivia devastated the population even more, until only a few hundred native
Rapa Nui were left by the last century.

Today, Rapa Nui National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its residents rely much on the
tourism and economic links to Chile and daily flights to Santiago. As with many native peoples, the
Rapa Nui seek a link to their past and how to integrate their culture with the political, economic, and
social realities of today.
Easter Island features a sub-tropical climate influenced by winds and ocean currents, and an annual
average temperature of 20Celsius. In the summer, the maximum temperature may reach 28Celsius
and the minimum may fall to 15C. February is the hottest month, whereas in winter (June to August),
temperatures range between 14C and 22C. On the island, rain falls steadily throughout the year,
although showers are only sporadic and last a short time. May is the month with the heaviest rainfall.
Learning Check
1.

Where did name Easter Island come from?

2.

What is the evidence is there that this once was a very flourishing ecosystem?

3.

Describe the ways in which the peoples use of trees on Easter Island was unsustainable.

4.

What is the two-part meaning of the word sustain?

Watch on youtube : Easter Island part 1 and 2 : make notes below

Day 3 The Sustainability of the Ecosystem

Population (Reference pages 18 20)
Case of the Sea Otters
The story of the sea otters, page 18, shows how a change in a population in one part of a food
web affects the populations in other parts of the food web.
1.

What was the original cause of the decline in the population of the sea otters?

2.

How did the subsequent decrease in sea lions affect the populations in the food web?

3.

What two changes cause the population size of each species to be continuously adjusted?

Worksheets : Sustainable Ecosystems

________ is the study of ecosystems. An ________________is a group of organisms that interact with one
another and their environment (i.e. lake, forest, park, the prairies, jungle, field, etc.).
Ecosystems get their energy from the sun. ( pg 34 )
In an ecosystem we have:
1) ________________ produce their own food from the sun

e.g. green plant

2) ________________ organisms that consume other organisms for food e.g. bear, human
3 types:

1.____________: only eats plants

e.g. grasshopper, cow
2.___________: only eat meat
e.g. coyote, wolf, lions
3.____________: eats both plants and meat e.g. human, bear, raccoons, chickens

3) _____________________ organism that breaks down decaying material e.g. maggots, worms,
bacteria
FOOD CHAINS
Food Chains a linear representation of feeding relationships
e.g

Sun

Grass
Chicken
(producer)
(primary
consumer)

Human
(secondary
consumer)

= the transfer of energy

Trophic Levels the organisms feeding level on the food chain
shows how energy is moved through the ecosystem
First Trophic
Level
PRODUCER
(plant)

Second Trophic
Level

Third Trophic
Level

PRIMARY(1st order) SECONDARY(2nd order)

CONSUMER
CONSUMER
(herbivores)
(carnivore)

Grass

Caterpillar

Fourth Trophic
Level
TERTIARY(3rd order)
CONSUMER
(top carnivore)

Robin

Owl

FOOD WEB - a series of interconnected food ________________

Example of a food web

HAWK

BOBCAT
WEASEL
FROG

MOUSE
GRASSHOPPER

SEEDS

VOLE

GRASS

FALLEN LEAVES

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Identify an autotroph
Identify a primary consumer
Identify a secondary consumer
Identify a tertiary consumer
Identify an organism at the fourth trophic level [show how it is at this level]

Identify a decomposer

Identify an omnivore

INTERACTIONS WITHIN FOOD WEBS

HAWK

BOBCAT
WEASEL

MOUSE

FROG
GRASSHOPPER
VOLE

SEEDS

GRASS FALLEN LEAVES

Explain, what would be the effect on grasshoppers of fewer leaves

Explain what would be the effect on bobcats of fewer grasshoppers

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Explain what would be the effect on hawk of fewer bobcats.

Explain what would be the effect on voles of fewer hawks

Name: ___________________________ Date: _____________________

ENERGY IN ECOSYSTEMS
Refer to p.32-33 in Nelson Science 10
The source of all __________________ for ecosystems is the ______________.
Figure 1: Of the energy that penetrates into the lower atmosphere; ________________ is reflected by
clouds or the Earth's surface. The remaining 70%: ____________________ the atmosphere and the
Earths surface ( ______ %); heats; and ____________________ water ( ______%) and 0.023% is used by
____________________________________ for photosynthesis.
ENERGY MOVEMENT IN ECOSYSTEMS
Refer to p.34-39 in Nelson Science 10
Food chains and food webs show how ________________________ is passed through an ecosystem.
The most stable ecosystems, those with the greatest ____________________, have ____________________
and ____________________food webs. However, when ____________________ factors limit the number of
organisms, the webs look more like food chains. In the Arctic, there is limited biodiversity because
there is less ____________________ from the Sun and temperatures are low. Therefore, producers

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cannot ____________________ as rapidly as they do in the south. Less energy is ____________________, so
fewer organisms can live in that ecosystem. This makes the ecosystem more vulnerable.
LIMITS ON ENERGY TRANSFER
Every time energy is ____________________ within an ecosystem, some of the energy
____________________ form. For example, some of the energy from the Sun is converted into chemical
energy by plants as they photosynthesize. Animals, in turn, rely on the ____________________ energy
(food) produced by plants. However, not all of the ____________________ energy that a plant creates
can ____________________ the animal that eats it. The plant uses most of the energy to
____________________ and to ____________________ the ____________________ it needs to grow. Once an
animal takes chemical energy from a plant, it doesn't store it all. Most of that energy is
____________________ to move, ____________________ , keep ____________________ and manufacture the
____________________ it needs to carry out its own life processes.
Complete the following diagram; showing energy flow and loss in a food chain.

Producer

Herbivore

Carnivore

Day 4
BIOMES OF CANADA
1. Read section 3.8 Major Biomes of Canada, page 77 to 85.
2. Use Fig. 3-11 on page 77 to list and identify those biomes found in Canada. Using pencil crayons,
colour each biome a different colour and draw a legend in order to identify each biome.
3. Using the information form the above reading, summarize in point form the abiotic and biotic
(plants and animal) for each of the biomes found in Canada. Use the chart provided to record this
information.

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CANADIAN BIOMES
Fill in the following table for each of the biomes based on the information in the textbook, p.88-93.
BIOME

HEAT/LIGHT

MOISTURE

PLANTS
(examples)

ANIMALS
(examples)

TUNDRA

BOREAL
FOREST

TEMPERATE
DECIDUOUS
FOREST
GRASSLAND

1.

a) Which biome receives the most sunlight/heat?

b) Which biome receives the most rain?
c) How does this affect the biodiversity of plant and animal life found there?

2.

a) Which biome receives the least sunlight/heat?

b) Which biome receives the least amount of rainfall?
c) How does this affect the biodiversity of plant and animal life found there?

3.

Answer questions on p. 93 (1-8)

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Watch animation ; teachers domain : biomes

What factors determine what biome a region of the world belongs to?

Compare and contrast the tundra and the desert. How are they similar and how are they different?

How does a biome differ from a habitat?

In what biome do you live? In what ways has your community adapted to living in this environment?

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Can you think of examples of other locations in the world for each type of biome?

Pg 122 ( 1-5)

Cycling of Matter and Earths spheres

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____________________ the regions of Earth where living organisms exist
Earths spheres
__________________ ( outer layer ) the hard part of Earths surface; extends 100 km down from
the surface(50 to 150 in thickness
_______________________all the water found on Earth, including lakes, oceans, and ground water
_____________________the layer of gases above Earths surface- made up of ____ nitrogen and
____ oxygen and other gases such as ________________________; acts like a blanket for
_____________________; blocks out _______________ radiation
Watch on youtube : The HoloGlobe Project
Levels of Organization in Ecology
_________________

an individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces,

responds, grows, and develops
_____________
a group of organisms, all of one species, which interbreed and live in the same
place at the same time
Biological_________ all the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same
time
_______________
populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area
and with the abiotic components of that area
_____________
_ the portion of Earth that supports life

Day 5 Cycling of Nutrients

Nutrients are chemicals that are needed by living things and are continually cycled through
ecosystems. Examples of nutrients include water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Watch youtube video : What is the water cycle?

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Label the terms below on the diagram above

Accumulation - the process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes).
Condensation - the process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water.
Condensing water forms clouds in the sky. Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy
water are condensed water. (This term appears twice in the diagram.)
Evaporation - the process in which liquid water becomes water vapor (a gas). Water vaporizes
from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of the land, and from melts in snow fields.
Precipitation - the process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from
clouds in the sky.
Subsurface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in underground streams, drains,
or sewers.
Surface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in surface streams, rivers, or canals.
Transpiration - the process in which some water within plants evaporates into the atmosphere.
Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating through pores in the
plant.

The Carbon Cycle(pg 62)

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Watch video : how stuff works :

The Cycle Series: Exploring The Carbon Cycle

CYCLING OF MATTER IN ECOSYSTEMS

2.5 THE CARBON CYCLE
Refer to p.62-65 in Nelson Science 10
photosynthesis a process that changes solar energy into ___________energy
__________is the central player in photosynthesis, a process that is crucial to life on Earth. The
terms chlorophyll and photosynthesis are both built from ancient Greek words. Chloros means
_______and phyllon means _______Chlorophyll is a pigment that gives leaves their green colour.
Photo means__________, and synthesis means________ ___________. Photosynthesis refers to putting
something together using light

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_____________ is the key element for living things. During ____________________, plants use light energy
to combine ___________________ ______________ from the atmosphere and ______________________ from
the soil.
The photosynthesis reaction is:
Reactants

Products

____________ + ____________ + ____________ ____________ +____________

____________ + ____________ + ____________ ____________ + ____________
The opposite reaction to photosynthesis is ____________________ __________________ . In this reaction,
carbon is released back to the environment as carbon dioxide. The overall reaction for cellular
respiration is:
Reactants

Products

____________ + ____________ ____________ + ____________

____________ + ____________ ____________ + ____________
Because photosynthesis and cellular respiration are ______________________ processes, and because
carbon that they use is repeatedly cycled through both processes, this relationship is often called the
_________________________________. This cycle is actually more complex than a simple exchange of
carbon dioxide. Most of the carbon that forms living things is returned to the atmosphere or water as
_______________________________ from _____________________________________ and when
________________________________________________________________. However, under certain conditions
the decay process is delayed and the organic matter may be converted into ______________________, or
_________________________________ such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. This carbon is then
______________________ to the cycle until it is released by processes such as ______________________ and
______________________, or by ____________________________________________. The burning process
(______________________) releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
When it is not in organic form, carbon can be found in three main reservoirs (storage areas): the
______________________, the ___________________, and the
__________________. Organic carbon is also held in reservoirs, the ______________
____________________________________________________________. However, all living things die, and
______________________ eventually returns the carbon to the cycle in inorganic form. One exception is

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______________________, which store huge quantities of carbon in organic form. Carbon atoms remain
locked away in dead plant matter (______________________) for many years.

Answer Understanding Concepts p.65 #1-6, 7a, c, d.

Carbon Cycle review

A. Air contains carbon in the form of carbon dioxide gas. Plants and algae use carbon dioxide to
make ________which are energy-rich,carbon-containing compounds
B Organisms break down sugar molecules made by plants and algae to obtain energy for life and
growth. ______________is released as a waste.
C. Burning fossil fuels and wood releases ________________into the atmosphere.

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D. When organisms die, their carbon-containing molecules become part of the soil. These
molecules are broken down by fungi, bacteria, and other decomposers. During this decay process,
___________is released into the air
E. Under certain conditions, the remains of some dead organisms may gradually be changed into
______ fuels, such as coal, gas, and oil. These carbon compounds are energy rich.
Day 6 The Interaction of Living Things
MATERIALS:

2000 mL beaker
150 mL beaker
peroxide
50 mL beaker

manganese dioxide powder stopwatch

candle
30% hydrogen
scoopula

INQUIRY ACTIVITY
Relationship Between Chemical Reactions (Demo)
Demonstration 1: Place a candle on a 150 mL beaker and light. Cover the candle with a 2000 mL
beaker and start the stopwatch. Stop the timer when the candle is extinguished and record
observations on the board.
Demonstration 2: Place about 15 mL 30% hydrogen peroxide in a 50 mL beaker. Add a very small
amount of manganese dioxide in the beaker and repeat Demonstration 1.
Hypothesis:
Design:

Independent Variable: ____________________________

Dependent Variable: _____________________________
Controlled Variables: __________________________________________
__________________________________________

Observations:
Experiment
1
2
Analysis and Conclusion:

Materials
candle
candle + hydrogen
peroxide

Time (s)

22
The Relationship Between Living Things
GOAL: To understand how plants and animal life are connected as part of a simple cycle.
KEY TERMS:
Organic
Combustion
Inorganic
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
BACKGROUND: Ecosystems are incredibly complex systems. All living things are composed of
matter (atoms) that move through food chains, but they must be constantly recycled back to the
environment as waste products or by decomposers. Organic substances are compounds that
contain carbon, hydrogen and other atoms such as oxygen and nitrogen. These are found in all
living things. Inorganic substances do not contain carbon and hydrogen together, such as water
(H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH3). Organic substances undergo changes as they move
through living things in an ecosystem and eventually return to the environment as inorganic
substances.
Studying ecosystems can be difficult, but by using carefully controlled experiments we can better
understand how living things are related. Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was a famous chemist best
known for his studies of gases. He discovered oxygen using an experiment similar to one you have
observed in class, as well as other gases such as ammonia and carbon monoxide. Priestley also
studied the relationship between living things and the gases he discovered.
Priestleys First Experiment: Priestley carried out an experiment with 2 sealed jars to study the
relationship between a burning candle and a plant (Figure 1). Examine the diagrams and answer the
following questions on a separate page.

`
A
B
a) Why did the candle in jar A go out after 3 minutes? _______________________________
b) Write a hypothesis (prediction and explanation) for what happened to the candle in jar B.
_________________________________________________________________________
c) Priestley observed that the candle in jar B burned for 5 minutes. What gas is produced by the
plant?
_____________________________________________
d) What gases are produced by the burning candle? ____________________________________
e) Priestley was careful to control the variables he was not interested in. How would the time of
burning be affected by the following changes? Give a reason for each answer.
i) a larger bell jar was used (increased volume). ____________________________
ii) a larger candle was used ____________________________
iii) a larger plant was used _____________________________

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Priestleys Second Experiment: Using three sealed jars, Priestley now studied the relationship
between the plant and two mice (Figure 2).
Both mice eventually died, but the mouse in jar E lived
longer .

C
C
D
E
a) Why did the mouse in jar D die? ____________________________
b) Why did the mouse in jar E live longer?______________________________
c) After a long period of time, the plant in jar C appeared wilted and sickly. Write a possible
explanation. How could you test your hypothesis?
________________________________________________
d) In jar E, the mouse lived longer and the plant appeared healthier. What is a possible
explanation for this ? ___________________________________________________________
e) To study living things, biologists often sacrifice the life of animals, particularly mice and rats.
Do you agree or disagree with using animals in experiments? Explain your reasoning.
___________________________________________________________________________________
We will now examine two processes that link plants and animals together.
Analysis Questions:
1. Which substances involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration are organic? Which ones
are inorganic substances? _______________________ _____________________________
2. How is the candle in the first experiment and the mouse in the second experiment similar?
___________________________________________________________________________
3. One problem with space exploration is the need to bring oxygen for astronauts to breathe.
How might this problem be solved? ___________________________________________________
4. Within the biosphere, a balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is maintained by the
processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Combustion also puts carbon dioxide
and water into the atmosphere. How could combustion affect this balance and how may
ecosystems respond to this change?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Scientists often use living things in experiments. Write a set of rules that you would impose on
scientists who wished to use living things in experiments.
__________________________________________________________
Learning Check
1.

What is chlorophyll?

2.

Write the word equation for photosynthesis. Indicate the source of each material.

3.

Given a diagram of a leaf, and label the stomata. If the stomata of a leaf are damaged, what
are some possible effects?

24

Day 7 The Nitrogen Cycle (66)

-

terrestrial ecosystem an ecosystem that is land-based - some soil bacteria convert nitrogen
into ammonium. Other types of soil bacteria convert the ammonium into_______. Plants absorb
both forms of nitrogen through their roots. Nitrogen is passed from one level of the food chain
to the next as organisms eat and then use nitrogen in their bodies.

aquatic ecosystems, cyanobacteria convert nitrogen into ammonium, which is then

absorbed by plants. Nitrogen, in the form of ammonium and nitrate, can also enter both
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems when humans fertilize soil. Bacteria, found on land and in
water, convert nitrate back into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere. As well, nitrogen
is returned to the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions and when fossil fuels are burned

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

Refer to p.66-69 in Nelson Science 10.
Life depends on the cycling of ______________________. Nitrogen atoms are required so that cells can
make ______________________. Nitrogen is also required for the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acids or
DNA, the ______________________ material found in all living things. The movement of nitrogen through
______________________ , the soil, and the ______________________ is called the
__________________________________.
To be useful to organisms nitrogen must be supplied in another form the
____________________________________________ . Atmospheric nitrogen can be converted into nitrates, in
a process called _______________________________________. The first methods is _____________________,
and the second is _____________________ in the soil. ______________________ provides the majority of
nitrates found in ecosystems while ______________________ provides only a small amount.
Some bacteria that fix nitrogen live in the ______________________ and some in small lumps
called ______________________ on the roots of legumes. Other bacteria convert ______________________,
released from decomposers, into nitrites and then still others convert nitrites into
______________________.
Denitrifying bacteria break nitrates down into ______________________, and the down further into
______________________ gas. The nitrogen gas is then released back into the atmosphere. This process
is called ______________________.
The Nitrogen Cycle ( pg 66 )

without nitrogen, lifes amino acids, proteins and nucleic acids could not be produced

N2 composes ___________ of the earths atmosphere but it is not a usable form for plants or animals

25

____________________(the nitrate ion) is the only form usable by living organisms

There are two ways atmospheric nitrogen (N2) can be converted into nitrates:
Lightning

causes nitrogen gas (N2) to react with _______________in the air to produce nitrates (NO3-)
the nitrates dissolve in water (rain), enter the soil and then the plants through their
roots

Nitrogen fixation

nitrogen gas (N2) is converted (fixed) to NH3 by ________________living in the soil or

some plants

A __________________relationship is one where both organisms benefit, (the plant receives a suitable
form of nitrogen and the bacteria receive food).
Animals (consumers) obtain their source of nitrogen only through eating plants or other animals
Ammonification

as animals and plants die, decomposer bacteria convert protein and nucleic acids into
ammonia (NH3)
the nitrification bacteria then go to work reconverting the (NH3) to (NO2-) and then to
(NO3-)

Denitrification

bacteria convert nitrate, NO3-, back to _____________________

Watch video : www.howstuffworks.com

The Cycle Series: Exploring the Nitrogen Cycle

Make notes below :

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______

26

THE PHOSPHATE CYCLE ( pg 68 )

Phosphorus is a key element in cell ______________________, in molecules that help release chemical
______________________, in the making of the long molecules of DNA, and in the calcium phosphate of
______________________. Phosphorus tends to cycle in two ways: a long term cycle involving the
_________________________________ ______________________, and the short-tem cycle involving
_________________________________________.
Living things divert phosphates from the normal rock cycle. Phosphorus is found in
______________________ in the form of _______________________________________ combined with a variety
of elements. Phosphates are soluble in water and can be dissolved out of rock. While dissolved,
phosphates can be absorbed by ________________________ ______________________ and passed into food

27
chains. If the phosphates are in rock form, they can stay there for millions of years before they are
dissolved by water. If phosphates are in living things, decomposers can recycle phosphates in the
wastes and dead material back to soil.
Nutrients
Nitrates and phosphates are both ______________________. Nutrients are ____________
_________________________________________________________________________. The cycling of carbon is
also essential to life. Without these nutrients, ecosystems would suffer. Unfortunately, a lot of
human activities affect these cycles.

Answer Understanding Concepts p.69 #1-4, 6-9.

28

Review Questions
1. What is a sustainable ecosystem?

2. Draw a flowchart to show how the collapse of the forest ecosystem on Easter Island affected
the human population that lived there.

3. Identify and describe three abiotic characteristics of ecosystems.

4. Give an example of how each characteristic could be affected by a human activity.

5. Draw the nitrogen cycle. Explain the role that bacteria play in this cycle.

6. How can scientific research influence society to push for change? Include specific examples in
your answer.

29

7. Farmers, fertilizer companies, governments, and consumers all play a role in helping to reduce
nutrient pollution of aquatic ecosystems. List positive actions that each group could take.

Day 8

30

31
Name: ______________________________
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRIENT CYCLES

Date: ________________________
AGRICULTURE

Refer to p.70-71 in Nelson Science 10.

When we harvest crops, valuable __________________________ and __________________________ in these
plants are removed and do not return to the field or orchard. The diversion of nitrates and
phosphates from the local cycles would soon deplete the soil unless the farmer replaced the missing
__________________________ . __________________________ are materials used to restore nutrients and
__________________________ production from the land. Fertilizers have to be used carefully, because
nitrates may result in an __________________________ in the amount of __________________________ in the
soil. Changes in the acidity can affect all __________________________ living in the soil, including
decomposer bacteria. Changes in pH can have a devastating effect on food production.
The accumulation of ________________________ and ________________________ fertilizers produces
an __________________________ problem. As spring runoff carries ________________________________ and
__________________________ to streams and lakes, the nutrients allow __________________________ to grow
more rapidly in what is called an __________________________. When die, bacteria use _____________
from the water to decompose them. Because decomposers flourish in an environment with such an
abundant _________________________, _________________________ levels in lakes drop quickly, so
_________________________ and other animals begin to die. Dying animals only make the problem
worse, as _________________________ begin to _________________________ the matter from the dead fish,
allow the populations of _________________________ to grow even _________________________.
Nitrates present another problem. _________________________ convert nitrates into
_________________________. These are dangerous to animals that have haemoglobin in their blood,
such as __________________________________________________ . Nitrites can attack to the hemoglobin in
blood, reducing its ability to carry _________________________ to
_____________________________________________.
Answer Understanding Concepts p 71 #1-3, 5

32
-

eutrophication a process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase,leading to

an increase in the populations of primary producers

33

34
Names:_______________________________
Day 9 QUALITATIVE WATER ANALYSIS LAB
Data Table:
Solution Test

(+) Control Colour

(-) Control Colour

A

Nitrate

Dark red with precipitate

Iron
Phosphate
Chloride
Ammonia
Hard water
Sulfate
Chlorine
pH

Dark orange or purple

Blue solution
White precipitate
Dark orange precipitate
Blue solution
White precipitate
Yellow solution

Water Samples
B
C
D
E

Orange solution with pink

and little precipitate
Clear solution
Yellow solution
Clear solution
No precipitate
Purple solution
No precipitate
Clear solution

Discussion Questions:
1. Which three ions would you expect to find in a water sample collected during spring run off
from a creek running through farmland? What two types of ions would you expect to find in a
water sample collected from a body of water running through an industrial complex with many
factories (note you didnt test for these)? [5 marks]

2. Which sample tested highly positive for the chloride ion?

Given that this sample contained bleach, what chemical in the bleach was a source of this
chloride ion? [2 marks]

3. What are the two main minerals that are responsible for making water hard?
[2 marks]

4. A big house near the creek was undergoing extensive window cleaning. A heavy rainstorm
washed some of the cleaning fluid into the creek. What ion would test positive in that water
sample? [1 mark]

5. Aquatic organisms have a pH range between 6 and 8 for survival. Was there any water
sample that was either highly acidic or alkaline that would prevent organisms from surviving
in that environment? [1 mark]

6. In general make a statement about how the quality of the water can affect the overall health
of an aquatic ecosystem. [2 marks]

35

Government Initiatives: Science and Social Policy

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
-

In 1972, both Canada and the United States signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of the
Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.

Environmental Farm Plans

-

Farmers volunteer to be part of a program in which particular environmental impacts of a

familys farm are examined. Then a plan to reduce some of these impacts is developed. Since
1993, over 27 000 farmers have participated in the program

Pesticides and By-Laws

-

In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the anti-pesticide by-law. A similar situation
occurred in 2005, after the city of Toronto passed a by-law modelled after Hudsons.
Manufacturers of pesticides challenged the by-law in court. Once again, the Supreme Court of
Canada ruled to uphold the by-law.

Independent Research
Name ___________________________________________
Evaluate the effectiveness of government initiatives in Canada (federal, provincial, municipal), and/or the
efforts of societal groups or non-governmental organizations, such as Aboriginal communities,
environmental groups, or student organizations, with respect to an environmental issue that affects the
sustainability of terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems (e.g.,wetland restoration, recycling programs, Canada
Ontario Environmental Farm Plans, stewardship of national and provincial parks). Consider the issue :
Landfill sites can have negative effects on adjacent ecosystems, attracting pests, leaching toxic
chemicals, and producing green house gases. Municipal recyling programs and composting programs
divert garbage, reducing the need for landfill sites. However many people particular rural residents and
those in apartment buildings may not be included in these programs. Answer the questions that follow :
1.

What provincial or federal legislation attempts to protect special features or sensitive

elements of terrestrial or freshwater ecosystems?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How could such legislative be more effective?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

36

3.

How have the actions of local wetland-reclamation, municipal tree planting, Aboriginal
fisheries- management, Great Lakes rehabilitation, organic farming, or other groups help to ensure
ecological sustainability and what further action could such groups take ?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
4.

Watch videos on you tube Great Lakes Cleanup, Fishery Management. Make notes below

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_

37
Day 10 Bioaccumulation and Water Pollution (pg 54)
bioaccumulation a process in which materials, especially toxins, are ingested by an
organism at a rate greater than they are eliminated
Biomagnification is the increase in the concentration of a toxin as it moves from one trophic
level to the next.

When DDT entered the environment in run-off from land, it was absorbed by algae in the
water. Microscopic animals ate the algae, and small fish ate the microscopic animals. At each
trophic level in the food chain, the concentration of DDT in the tissues of the organisms
increased. At high concentrations, the DDT affected reproduction in fish-eating birds. Following
the ban on DDT in the 1970s, populations of DDT-vulnerable birds slowly increased in numbers
in Canada.
-

watch video how stuff works Aggravation of Accumulation: DDT and Bald Eagles

watch youtube video DDT and Pesticides ; DDT Awareness: Affects on Wildlifewatch video atScience.gc.ca ddt

complete case study pg 52-56

38

PESTICIDES
By studying _____________, we can see the flow of __________ through an ecosystem and investigate
the impact of __________ of _______________ and _____________
PESTICIDES
___________ that are designed to kill _________
PEST An organism that people consider to be ____________ or _____________ (___________,
___________, _________ and ____________)
Pesticides are used to protect ___________ species from ______________ or ______________
WHY PESTICIDES ARE USED
About ______ of the annual crop in Canada is lost to __________ such as __________, _________ and
__________, _________, _________ and _________________
EXAMPLES
_____________ was responsible for the destruction of 3 million tones of wheat in the Prairies in 1954
The ___________________ carries a microbe which produces ___________ (major killer in tropical areas)
Pest control measures ____________ the incidences of _____________ and
____________
FIRST-GENERATION PESTICIDES
Attempts to _____________ pests go back to about ___________
__________ was used to repel insects
In the _____ Century, ___________, ________ and ___________ were applied to crops as _______________
these substances were discovered to be highly ______________ to people and farmers stopped this
practice in the __________
In ________, French gardeners began using __________________ extracted from the ______________ to kill
___________
Many __________ have developed ____________ defences against _______________
when animals try to ______ the __________ or __________, they can die or become very ill
they learn to __________ the plant in the future
SECOND-GENERATION PESTICIDES
Second-generation pesticides are chemicals made in a _____________
In _______, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (_______) was discovered to be a potent insecticide
Initially used to _________ troops fighting in __________________ during World War II
Since then, thousands of ____________ have been developed (500 different chemicals are
used in Canada alone!)
About _______ of the pesticides are used in developed countries, ______ are used to get rid of pests in
___________, ___________ and ____________

39

BIOAMPLIFICATION
Pesticides containing ___________ (found in DDT) and __________ are ___________ in ______ but not in
__________
these toxins cannot be ____________ from the body and _______________ in the
_________________ of animals
A __________ amount of pesticide enters the bodies of animals that are ________ in the food chain but it
gets worse as the toxin moves ____ the food chain into __________ trophic levels
Even though there is only a __________ amount of toxin in each ________, _____________ consumers eat
a _______________ of the poisoned prey the __________ level ______________ get all the toxins of the
prey plus those of all the other prey it eats! At each stage of the food chain, the concentration of
the toxin becomes ____________ this is ______________________

1P
1P

1P
1P

1P

1P

1P
1P

1P

1P

1P
1P

EFFECTS ON HUMANS
________ levels became _________ in humans who lived in areas where DDT was
sprayed on __________
DDT was ___________ in Canada in _______ but did not totally eliminate the problem
Birds such as the _______________, ____________ and
____________________ head to Central America and Mexico where DDT is
still used
MODERN CHEMICAL PESTICIDES
New chemicals are not stored in _____ tissue they are __________ in ___________
Animals can remove them from their body because the __________ can break the chemicals down and
is _____________
The chemicals can also be broken down within the _______
DISADVANTAGES
New insecticides break down ___________ in the soil and must be applied to crops _______________
The insecticides cause _________________ to many animals and can result in death of many ________,
__________, ______________ and _________

40
Animals which have been ____________ or have _______ by the toxin put _______________________ at risk
through _______________________
RESISTANCE
Due to high rates of _______________, various _________ gradually become resistant to _______________
and ________________
Insects which survive an application of a chemical have __________ which helped them survive
pesticides on kill insects which are __________________
After several generations of this selection process, _______ of the insects carry ___________ which will
help them survive an application of an insecticide eventually the pesticide becomes _____________
and chemists must search for a ______ poison

QUESTIONS
1.In your own words define:
(a) Pesticide
(b) Pest
2. Using your own diagram, explain bioamplification

41

3.(a) During the 15th Century, Arsenic, lead and mercury were applied to crops as insecticides. What
was wrong with this solution?

(b) In 1939, it was discovered that DDT was a potent insecticide used to kill mosquitoes. What was
wrong with this solution?

(c) Modern insecticides are easily broken down in the body and soil and do not accumulate in fat
tissues. What dangers were created by this most recent technological solution?

4. List two advantages and two disadvantages of a pesticide that is low in toxicity and breaks down
quickly.
Advantages:

Disadvantages:

5. Explain why humans cant adapt to toxic pesticides as quickly as insects

42

Day 11
SNC 1D
Unit 1: Sustainable Ecosystems

Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________

Bioaccumulation
is the process whereby a substance (often a toxin) is ingested by a rate
greater than it is eliminated
in order to be bioaccumulated, the substance has to be fat soluble or
lipophilic this means it dissolves in fatty tissue; because it is not water
soluble, it is not flushed out in urine
can be either beneficial or devastating to the organism ingesting the
substance
Example:
i)
Monarch butterflies eat milkweed. Milkweed contains
poisonous toxins that are stored in the butterfly tissues but do
not harm it. This bioaccumulation of poisons is beneficial to
the butterfly because many butterfly predators like birds have
evolved to avoid Monarch butterflies and their poison.
Biomagnification
occurs when bioaccumulation leads to increasing concentrations of a
substance (usually a toxin) in the tissues of organisms as one moves up
through successive levels in a food chain.
Example:
The heron eats 5 grasshoppers and
A fat-soluble pesticide is sprayed at a
ends up with 500 ppm of the pesticide.
low level (0.001 ppb or 0.001 g of
pesticide per 1 000 kg of grass) on the
grass in an effort to control insects.
Each grasshopper eats a great many
blades of grass. They bioaccumulate
the pesticide in the fat in their bodies
so that each grasshopper contains
way more pesticide than there is in
just one blade of grass. The heron eats
5 of these grasshoppers and so
receives all of the pesticide that was in
each one. The pesticide has been
biomagnified as it traveled up the food
chain so that now it exists at a much
higher concentration in the heron, the
Each grasshopper takes
top carnivore than in the trophic levels
in 100 ppm
below.

43

Grass with 0.001 ppm

pesticide.

44
Assignment: DDT in a Food Chain
DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) is a man-made agricultural pesticide
designed for killing crop pests that was once used in North America. DDT spread on crop
land ended up in water run-off and was absorbed in the tissues of algae in aquatic
ecosystems.
Study the following food web. Below the name of each organism is a number that indicates
the amount of DDT in the organisms tissues in parts per billion (ppb).
g
One part per billion = 0.001
(0.001 g of DDT per 1 000 L of seawater solution).
1000 L

Seabirds
2 800 ppb
Dolphins
5 200 ppb

Fish
43 ppb
Squid
22 ppb

Plankton (tiny water

plants) 1.7 ppb

Seawater
0.0001 ppb

Questions to Answer
1. Choose the correct phrase within the bracket to correctly complete this statement: When used as
a pesticide, DDT was normally spread (on cropland, in lakes and rivers, in the ocean).
2. How did DDT enter the seawater in the aquatic ecosystem in the diagram? How did it get into the
plankton?

3a) Which organisms in the food web shown contain the most DDT?
b) At which trophic level(s) are the organisms you chose to answer 3a)?
c) What is the relationship between the trophic level of an organism and the concentration of DDT in
its body?

d) Will decomposers and scavengers likely end up with more DDT or less DDT in their tissues
compared to the dolphins in the diagram ? Explain.

e) Explain how the terms bioaccumulation and biomagnification can be used to describe what is
shown in the food web.

45
4. Use an example to explain how an organism living hundreds of kilometres from an area that had
been sprayed with DDT might get DDT in its body.

5. Vitamin C and many other vitamins are water soluble so excess amounts are eliminated in urine.
Many other substances, like DDT, are fat soluble (lipophilic) and end up staying in body fat rather
than being eliminated in urine. Does this characteristic of DDT make it more desirable as a
pesticide or does it make it less desirable as a pesticide? Explain.

6. The molecules of any of the pesticides used today break down reasonably quickly in the
environment. In contrast, DDT has a molecular structure that remains toxic for many years. Does
this characteristic of DDT make it more desirable as a pesticide or does it make it less desirable as
a pesticide? Explain.

46

Day 12 Burning fossil Fuels ( pg 116 )

thus
-

________________gases atmospheric gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere,

increasing the temperature of the atmosphere

__________________effect the warming of Earth as a result of greenhouse gases, which trap
some of the energy that would otherwise leave Earth
__________________________describes the recent increase of Earths temperature as a whole. Earths
weather and climate is controlled by energy from the sun, which warms its surface as it, in turn,
deflects the energy back into space. Some of this deflected energy is retained within the
atmosphere of Earth by greenhouse gases which prevent the energy from passing into space,
thereby preserving heat. It is this process that results in Earth having a temperature which
supports life. Global warming has occurred since the 1980's, and during this time, the seven
warmest years in global meteorological history have been recorded.
If Earth's warming trend continues into the next decade Earth may enter a period of climate
change unlike any of the past. Changes in the concentration of heat-trapping gases called
"greenhouse gases" have played a major role, because these gases trap the heat and do not let
it escape, therefore causing global warming or an increase in climate temperatures.

47

What are the Greenhouse gases?

1.Water Vapor....
is a natural greenhouse gas which is added to the atmosphere by ______________of water and the
__________of fuels.
2.Carbon Dioxide....
is second to water vapor which is released through forest fires, burning fossil fuels, the natural
rotting of plants, and by respiration. When forests are cut down, less carbon dioxide is removed
from the atmosphere.
3.Methane....

48
is another very effective heat-trapping greenhouse gas. Methane is released by ___________in cudchewing animals such as cows. It is also released by decaying material in swamps, sewage and
landfill sites and by leaks in gas pipes.
4.Ozone....
exists naturally and traps ________________________. Ozone near Earths surface is produced when
sunlight interacts with natural gases and emissions from industries and vehicles. Ozone is a major
component of urban pollution and is harmful to life.
5.Nitrous Oxides....
are emitted by industry, vehicles and part of the process of crop growing.
6.CFC's (Halocarbons)....
are the most effective heat-trapping greenhouse gases of all. They are involved in industrial and
home uses. CFCs were used as a coolant such as freon in refrigerators and air conditioners.
CFCs are also used as an insulating gas in foam plastics, as a propellant in aerosol sprays, and as
a solvent. These CFCs of halocarbon molecules are released to the atmosphere during the
manufacture and the careless use of these products.

Reducing Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which was
signed by over 180 countries. To meet the terms of the Protocol, countries can reduce emissions or
get credits for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by planting trees in non-forested areas.
Since plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, large areas of trees and other plants, such
as forests, are known as carbon_________
Protecting existing forests
In July 2008, Ontario announced that roughly half of its boreal forests will be protected. The protected
forests will only be used for tourism and traditional Aboriginal purposes. About 225 000 km2 of
forests will be protected from logging, mining, and oil and natural gas exploration. Like other forests,
the boreal forest in Ontario is a carbon sink, absorbing about 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per
year.
Recycling
Recycling helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions because, in most cases, less energy is needed to
make something from recycled materials than from new materials. For example, energy input is
reduced by 95 percent when an aluminum product is made from recycled aluminum, rather than a

49
raw material. In 1978,the Recycling Council of Ontario was established in Toronto, Ontario. Through
its programs, more than 2.3 million tonnes of waste are recycled or composted each year.

Decision-Making Analysis: Assessing a Government ProgramRecycling

Issue
Recycling programs divert wastes from landfills. Recycling was practically unknown only a generation
ago. Now, all municipalities in Ontario participate in some form of recycling program. It is not without
its difficulties, and making it possible to connect
everyone into a recycling network is still a major goal.
Background Information
Garbage disposal is a major issue for many municipalities across Ontario because the use of landfills
only is not a sustainable approach. Landfills have a tendency to fill up. Building new landfills is
expensive, and local residents are usually reluctant to have them near their property. Chemicals can
leak out of an improperly constructed landfill. Heavy metal contamination from old batteries and
electronics is just one example. Blue and grey boxes, green bins, and yard waste composting
programs have generally been successful in Ontario . For example, in the City of Toronto, 42 percent
of residential waste is redirected from landfills through recycling programs. However, apartment
dwellers recycle only 13 percent of their garbage. Suppose that you have been hired by your local
council to create an action plan to increase participation in the local recycling program. The council
wants you to find out which groups cannot or will not participate in the current recycling program.
They also want you to suggest ways to increase participation. Be aware that some members of the
council do not see the benefits of recycling. In order to make the case for expanding the recycling
program, you have to outline the benefits to them as well.
Analyze and Evaluate
1. ScienceSource On the internet, find information about the diversion of solid waste from landfills.
Also look in print materials for information on waste diversion from landfills.

2. Research your local recycling program. Find brochures, fact sheets, and newspaper articles to
answer the questions below.Who can participate in the program? Businesses, single-family
dwellings, apartment buildings? People in rural areas?

How does it work? Is there curbside pickup, or do residents have to take their recycling to a
depot?

50

Is it difficult for some groups to participate? If so, which groups, and why?

Self Check
1. Explain the process of cellular respiration.

2. Describe the greenhouse effect.

3. Make a list of actions you could take to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released by the
burning of fossil fuels.

Day 13 Acid Precipitation(pg 116)

acid precipitation rain,snow, or fog that is unnaturally acidic (pH less than_______) due to gases in
the atmosphere that react with water to form acids; _______oxide and _______dioxide are produced
when fossil fuels are burned. When these gases combine with water in the atmosphere, _______acid
and _______acid are produced.

51

Effects of Acid Precipitation

Continued exposure to acid precipitation causes forest soils to lose valuable nutrients, such as_______.
Although ________does not dissolve in water, it does dissolve in acids, so it can be washed away. On
the other hand, acid precipitation increases the amount of _________in soil, which interferes with the
uptake of nutrients by trees
Acid precipitation can be even more devastating to aquatic ecosystems, because it can l_______ the
pH of the water, causing problems for fish, amphibians, and other organisms that live in the water
Reducing Acid Precipitation
acid precipitation has not disappeared. But improved technologies, such as ___________________to
remove undesirable gases from industrial emissions, as well as higher standards for motor-vehicle
emissions, have reduced the acidity of precipitation since the 1980s.

Populations and Sustainable Ecosystems(pg 77)

-

population all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at
a certain time
exponential growth accelerating growth that produces a J-shaped curve when the population is
graphed against time

52

- limiting factor a factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of a population in an
ecosystem

Limiting Factors and Exponential growth (pg 78)

______________________the size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by the available
resources and services of an ecosystem
_________________________the balance between opposing forces

53

Limits on Populations (pg 77)

__________________________: represents the maximum number of offspring that a species could
produce, if resources were unlimited.
LIMITS ON POPULATIONS
Using p77-79 in of your textbook, fill in the following worksheet.
The population of all species within an ecosystem is limited by various factors.
Biotic Potential
Biotic potential is ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Biotic potential is regulated by four factors:
Factor Affecting Biotic
Potential

Description

1
2
3
4
Limiting Factors
The environment provides _________________ that prevent _____________________ from attaining
their _______________ _____________________.

Factors that Limit Populations

Factors that cause a population to
increase
Abiotic

Factors that cause a population to

decrease

54
Biotic

Carrying Capacity
Communities tend toward stability. Stability is achieved when an ecosystem is at
__________________ , when none of the populations exceeds the ____________________
___________________ of the ecosystem.
The carrying capacity is ______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
and is determined by _____________________________________________________________ .
Limits of Tolerance
Law of minimum: ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
Law of tolerance: ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
The greater the range of tolerance, ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
Copy Figure 3 on p.79

Day 14 Density Dependent and Independent Factors

Density-independent factors: __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ . e.g. 1)

2)

Density-dependent factors: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________ . e.g. 1)

2)

55

Answer p.80 #1-3.

Limiting Factors: environmental factor that prevent populations from attaining their biotic
potential
Factors that cause a population to increase. Factors that cause a population to decrease
Abiotic
Favourable light
Favourable temperature
Favourable chemical environment
Sufficient territory

Biotic

Too much or too little light

Too cold or too warm
Unfavourable chemical environment
Insufficient territory

Sufficient food
Low number and effectiveness of predators
Few or weak diseases or parasites
Ability to compete for resources
Insufficient food
High number and effectiveness of predators
Many or Strong diseases or parasites
Inability to compete for resources

pg 84(6,8,15,16,18)

SNC 1D
Populations and Resources
Some Definitions
Term
Population

Exponential growth

Name: ______________________
Date: ______________________

Definition
all of the individuals of a species that occupy a
particular geographic area at a certain time
In South Africas Kruger National Park, elephants were

56
hunted for their ivory tusks until 1960. After that time,
their population grew exponentially, producing a J-shaped
population growth curve over time. In nature, exponential
growth can only occur for short periods of time.

Exponential growth is (sustainable, not sustainable)

because
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Limiting factor
Carrying capacity
Equilibrium

Urban sprawl

Intensification

a factor that limits the growth, distribution or

amount of a population in an ecosystem (e.g. the
availability of food can be a limiting factor)
the size of a population that can be supported
indefinitely by the available resources and
services of an ecosystem
When a population is maintained at its carrying
capacity, the size of the population is at an
equilibrium or a balance point so that the number
of individuals added to the population balance off
the number of individuals that leave or die.
the growth of relatively low density human
developments on the edges of urban areas
often reduces the ecosystems carrying capacity
for many species
increases dependence on the automobile and
decreases farmland
increasing human population density by requiring
that new development occur within existing urban
boundaries
development that reduces pressure on natural
areas and farmland
example:

Original Building

Intensification

Read the paragraphs about the Redside Dace below and answer the questions which
follow.
About 25% of the people in Ontario live in the land around the west end of Lake
Ontario (in the areas of Toronto, Windsor, London). This area is often called the
Golden Horseshoe. Urban sprawl, resulting from over 200 years of development and

57
industrialization, has greatly altered the ecosystems of this area.
The redside dace is a colourful fish about 10 cm in length. It jumps out of the water
to capture small insects that fly just above the surface. Because this species needs
cool water to survive, it inhabits areas of streams that are shaded with overhanging
vegetation. In Canada, the range for this fish is small. Most inhabit streams in the
Golden Horseshoe that flow into Lake Ontario.
As urban sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area increased during the 20 th century,
development led to changes in the abiotic and biotic factors in the streams inhabited
by these fish. Two abiotic factors, in particular, were affected. As trees were cut down
to make room for human structures, the amount of shade cover around streams
decreased. Many streams also experienced an increase in drainage from surrounding
areas. These changes led to a reduced carrying capacity for the redside dace. Many
populations disappeared. Today, the remaining populations are found in the upper
reaches of streams in the area along Lake Ontario known as the Oak Ridges Morraine.
There is some residential and agricultural development in the Morraine area but it is
not nearly as intensive as it is in the urban areas downstream. Since the lower
reaches of streams are no longer suitable for the redside dace, however, the
remaining populations are isolated from each other by urban sprawl.
1 a) Identify two limiting factors for the population growth of the redside dace.

b) Describe how each of the 2 factors identified in part a) limited growth of the redside dace
population.

c) Identify one other limiting factor to the redside dace population that is not given in the reading.
Explain how this factor would limit the population.

2. When a new housing development begins in Greely or Metcalfe, we may call this an example of
urban sprawl. Would urban sprawl tend to increase or to decrease the carrying capacity for
native organisms (like forest and wetland species) in the area? Explain your answer.

3. One policy that Ontario has adopted to reduce urban sprawl is intensification. Assuming the
area of the Golden Horseshoe continues to develop, how might intensification help to maintain
the carrying capacity of the area for the redside dace?

58

4.One of the objectives of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act is to ensure that only land and
resource uses that maintain, improve or restore the ecological and hydrological functions of the
Oak Ridges Moraine Area are permitted.
a) Explain in your own words what this objective means.

b) Explain how this objective could help to maintain or increase the carrying capacity of the area
for the redside dace.

Todays Big Ideas:

Populations tend to increase exponentially when there are available resources.
When resources that are needed by populations become limited, the carrying
capacity of an ecosystem has been reached.
Human alterations of an ecosystem, such as through urban sprawl, often
reduce the carrying capacity of the ecosystem for other species.
Day 15 Interactions Among Species
ecological niche the way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the
necessary biotic and abiotic factors For the big brown bat, the biotic niche factors include all the
insects that it eats, its competitors, such as the common night hawk, and its predators. The abiotic
niche factors include the places it uses for roosting

59
and hibernation, the time of night it hunts for food, the airspace it flies through when hunting, and
the temperature range it can tolerate.
predator an organism that kills and consumes other organisms
prey an organism that is eaten as food by a predator

Bottom-Up Population Regulation

A plant-eating species, such as a grasshopper, is the prey for a predatory carnivore, such as a shrew.
If the grasshoppers consume too many of the plants they eat for food, their numbers may eventually
decline due to lack of food to support the population. If the population size of the grasshoppers
decreases, there will be less food for the shrews. As the food that the shrews eat decreases, the
number of shrews will eventually decrease too.
Top-Down Population Regulation
A population of prey, such as rabbits,increases in number. With more rabbits to eat, the population of
predators, such as coyotes, will also increase in size. As the coyote population increases, the coyotes
consume more rabbits, leading to a decrease in the rabbit population

Deer: Predation or Starvation Name __________________________

60
Introduction: In 1970 the deer population of an island forest reserve about 518 square kilometers in
size was about 2000 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 natural predation would
keep the deer population from becoming too large and also increase the deer quality (or health), as
predators often eliminate the weaker members of the herd. In 1971, ten wolves were flown into the
island.
The results of this program are shown in the following table. The Population Change is the number of
deer born minus the number of deer that died during that year. Fill out the last column for each year
(the first has been calculated for you).

Year

Wolf
Population

Deer
Population

Deer
Offspring

Deer
Predatio Starvatio
Population
n
n
Change

1971

10

2,000

800

400

100

1972

12

2,300

920

480

240

1973

16

2,500

1,000

640

500

1974

22

2.360

944

880

180

1975

28

2,224

996

1,120

26

1976

24

2,094

836

960

1977

21

1,968

788

840

1978

18

1,916

766

720

1979

19

1,952

780

760

1980

19

1,972

790

760

+300

1. Graph the deer and wolf populations on the graph below. Use one color to show deer populations
and another color to show wolf populations.

61
Analysis
1. Describe what happened to the deer and wolf populations between 1971 and 1980.

2. What do you think would have happened to the deer on the island had wolves NOT been
introduced?

3. Most biology textbooks describe that predators and prey exist in a balance. This "balance of
nature" hypothesis has been criticized by some scientists because it suggests a relationship between
predators and prey that is good and necessary. Opponents of this hypothesis propose the following
questions:
Why is death by predators more natural or "right" then death by starvation?

How does one determine when an ecosystem is in "balance"?

Do predators really kill only the old and sick prey? What evidence is there for this statement?

What is your opinion of the balance of nature hypothesis? Would the deer on the island be better off,
worse off, or about the same without the wolves. Defend your position.

62

Day 16 BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Biodiversity ( see powerpoint )
Biodiversity also refers to the variety of ecosystems found on Earth. This includes human-made
ecosystems, such as farms, as well as the variety of naturally occurring ecosystems. Because
different ecosystems provide different services, it is vital that we maintain as many types of
ecosystems as possible.
Definition: Biodiversity is a _____________________________. It is often measured by counting
the number of _____________ in a specific habitat or ecosystem.
Biodiversity is reduced by _____________ conditions. For example, there tends to be _________
species in areas that are very hot, very cold, very dry, or very acidic. High levels of
______________ can also reduce biodiversity because they benefit certain species while
harming the majority.
We, as humans, depend on biodiversity.
Ecosystems :
provide humans with many services. Ecosystems supply food, fuel, _____________, and
_______________.
cycle ______________ and ____________________ wastes.
contain animals that help ______________ crops and _______________ seeds.
provide us with recreational activities to appreciate Gods creation.
All the species contained in ecosystems contribute to the services listed above. Therefore,
we ought to be stewardly and put effort into maintaining biodiversity.
Human activity has caused all levels of biodiversity to decrease at an unprecedented rate. The five
major causes of this are:
______________ change
___________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Habitat Change
When human alter habitats, the species with them either die or move to another place. Throughout
the biosphere, habitat change is the _____________ common cause of the reduction in biodiversity.
Humans change habitat for many reasons, including: ________________, ______________, and
____________ development. Southern Ontario, where we live, used to be covered in deciduous forests.
Now it is dominated by farms, small patches of forest, and cities & towns.
Habitat change is the process by which humans alter a habitat enough so that the ___________
species can no longer live there. Native species are species that normally live in that habitat. If
their habitat changes, they either die or move to another habitat. Throughout the biosphere, habitat
change is the most common cause of declines in the populations of many species.
Deforestation the practice of clearing forests for logging or other human activities and never
replanting them.
Overexploitation
When we use resources faster than they can be replaced, we often cause many species to
become_____________. Around the world, many species of fish have been overfished, resulting
in the collapse of fish populations. In Atlantic Canada, the cod fishery collapsed and was
closed in the early 1990s it still has not recovered. Since the early 1950s, and estimated
90% of the worlds large fish have been removed from the oceans.
Water itself has often been overused and mismanaged as well. Many lakes around the world
have dried up because of overuse in farming. Rivers are often diverted from their natural flow
causing other troubles for ecosystems.

63

Pollution ( pg 134 )
Water can become polluted very easily. Pollution can enter water sources in different ways.
___________source pollution come from specific, identifiable sources such as: oil spills, waste water
from industries, and untreated wastewater from sewage treatment plants. ____________source
pollution enters water bodies indirectly, when rain or snow travels over land picking up the pollutants
such as fertilizers and pesticides, then dumps it into streams or lakes. Salt runoff from roads is
another example of non-point source pollution. Water pollution is obviously a serious problem
because all living things need water to survive.
Pollution is any substance added to the environment that produces a condition that is harmful to
organisms. One example of pollution is solid waste that cannot be recycled. The garbage you put out
on the curb or take to the landfill is solid waste. Currently, most garbage goes to landfills, where it is
prevented from entering the environment. Garbage that does not enter the landfill and litter
contaminate ecosystems.
Another form of pollution is air pollution. One of the most important pollutants worldwide is humanproduced carbon dioxide gas. Automobiles, airplanes, power plants, and factories all emit carbon
dioxide. Increased levels of carbon dioxide have caused global temperatures to rise. This, in turn, is
accelerating global climate change.
Water can become polluted very easily. Pollution can enter water sources in different ways .
_______________________pollution enters a body of water at a specific place from an identifiable
source. Oil spills from tankers, waste water from pulp and paper mills, and partly treated waste water
released from a sewage treatment plant are examples of point-source pollution.
_______________________________pollution enters bodies of water indirectly when water from rain or
snow travels over land and picks up pollutants from many different sources before entering a stream
or a lake. Fertilizer and pesticide run-off from farms and salt runoff from roads are both examples of
non-point source pollution. Since all organisms need water, all organisms are exposed to the
pollutants water contains.

Climate Change
When climate change occurs in a region, average temperatures may rise or fall, the amount of
rainfall may increase or decrease, and even wind directions can be affected. For species to
survive, they must adapt to the new conditions. However, global warming is occurring rapidly
and many species cannot adapt quickly enough. In the arctic, species that rely on ice packs
(such as seals and polar bears) are losing their habitat and their populations are decreasing.
Invasive species ( Zebra Mussels ) pg 42-44.
Increased international travel and trade have introduced non-native species to all parts of
the world. The Great Lakes are part of a very important shipping route. When the Welland
Canal was built, ships could bypass Niagara Falls and bring zebra mussels (which attached
themselves to the ships) into all of the Great Lakes. Until the building of the Welland Canada,

64
Niagara Falls acted as a natural barrier to invasive species. Invasive species such as the
zebra mussel often tend to out-compete native species because they have no natural
predators in their new ecosystems.
-

alien species a species that is accidentally or deliberately introduced into a new location
invasive species a species that can take over the habitat of native species or invade their
bodies

Complete pg 44 ( 1-3) pg 47(11,12)

Day 17 Name: _______________________________

Date: ___________________________

Invasion by a Foreign Species into an Ecosystem

Many plants and animals have been imported into a new ecosystem either by design or by
accident. Many arrive on ships, or in the packing of the crate containing a shipment and come
ashore entering the new ecosystem.
Purple Loosestrife
Using the internet go to this site: http://www.ducks.ca/purple
Go to the Frequently asked questions section to answer the following:
1. Is this species a producer, consumer, scavenger, or decomposer? ____________________________
2. Where did the purple loosestrife come from?

____________________________

3. When did it arrive in North America?

____________________________

4. How did it enter North America?

____________________________

5. What are some of the nicknames for purple loosestrife?

________________________________________________________________________________
6. What affect has this species had on the ecosystem that it has invaded?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
7. How does it spread?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
8. How can you get rid of it?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Whether an exotic species has been introduced to an ecosystem on purpose, or by accident, there
are often natural species that are endangered as a result.
The Zebra Mussel
Use your textbook to answer the following questions. The information that you will need is
on pages 42 44.
1. Is this species a producer, consumer, scavenger, or decomposer? ___________________________
2. Where did the zebra mussel come from?

____________________________

3. When did it arrive in North America?

____________________________

4. How did it enter North America?

____________________________

5. What effect has the zebra mussel had on other organisms in the water ecosystem?

65

Pearly mussel

Ducks

Hydra

Perch

Algae
6. Zebra mussels remove pollutant from the water. Each adult mussel draws in __________ L of
water daily, retaining the ____________________ and expelling the water. So much water is filtered
that Lake Erie is _________% clearer now, compared to before the arrival of the mussels. The
filtering of pollutants does not come without a cost:

The pollutants store in zebra mussels are

________________________________________________________________________
7. Ecologist are speculating about the negative effects of reducing the algae population:

Algae are ______________________________________________________ in the lakes.

Clearer water poses a threat because____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

8. What cost has occurred because of the zebra mussel?

66

Independent Research : Biology Sustainable Ecosystems Name _____________________

Assess, on the basis of research, the impact of a factor related to human activity (e.g., urban sprawl,
introduction of invasive species, overhunting/overfishing) that threatens the sustainability of a terrestrial
or aquatic ecosystem. Consider the issue : the great lakes constitute an important shipping route.
Foreign ships often empty their ballast water, which can contain invasive species directly into the lakes.
The goby, which was likely imported in ballast water, is an aggressive fish that has been taken over the
spawning grounds of some native species, threatening the balance of the ecosystem. Answer the
questions that follow :
1.
How has suburban development of the Niagara Escarpment or the Oak Ridges Moraine
affected local ecosystems.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
How has the zebral mussel population in Lake Erie affected aquatic species and water quality
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3.

How has commercial logging affected the sustainability of forests in Northern Ontario.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4.

Watch video www.teachersdomain.org Biological Invaders.

a. What is meant by the term "biological invader"? How do these invaders travel from their native
areas into new ones?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

67
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
b. Why are Hawaiian officials concerned about the brown tree snake? What evidence do they have to
justify their concern?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
c. How can we fight biological invaders?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
d. Discuss the following statement made at the end of the segment: "My suspicion is that of all the
things we have done to the planet so far ... that [which] will be the most visible in the fossil record
in a million years is going to be these biological invaders."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. Watch 3 videos on www.howstuffworks : zebra mussels. Watch video on you tube Zebra Mussels,
Gobi Fish, and the Great Lakes. Make notes below.

68

Hotspots in Ontario
A biodiversity hotspot is a place where there are an exceptionally large number of species in a
relatively small area. Two hotspots in Ontario are the Carolinian Canada and the Georgian Bay
Biosphere Reserve. The Carolinian Canada ecosystem, of which Hamilton is a part, represents
only 1% of Canadas landmass, but it has more species than any other ecosystem in Canada.
It is home to approximately 2200 plants and 40% of Canadas breeding birds. Some hotspots
are given special status as World Biosphere Reserves which protects them from development.
The Niagara Escarpment and Long Point on Lake Erie are two of Canadas areas designated as
World Biosphere Reserves. They are home to a variety of wetlands, species of ducks and
migrating shorebirds.
Wetlands
Wetlands such as bogs and marshes are a very important part of freshwater ecosystems.
They are large areas of shallow water or saturated soil. They are nutrient rich and support a
large variety of fish, amphibians, insects, and birds. Wetlands act as huge sponges and play a
very important role in filtering water in the water cycle. They cover about 6% of Earths
surface and Canada is home to approximately 24% of the worlds wetlands. They have often
been drained for agriculture and building homes, but scientists are realizing the importance of
protecting them as we learn more about their role in nature.
Watch video teachersdomain :

The Value of Wetlands

What are some characteristics of wetlands?

What types of animals depend on wetlands?

What can humans do to protect and restore wetlands?

69
What do you think is the most convincing argument in favor of people's need to preserve wetlands?
Explain your answer.

How did the disappearance of wetlands contribute to the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina?

Day 18 Name: _______________________________

Date: _______________________

Canada's Endangered Species and Extinction

Refer to pages 14-19 in Science 10.
Complete the table on the following page based on the Table 1, p.14 and the examples given
on the map on p.14-15.
Answer Understanding Concepts #2 p.15.
Species
Wood Turtle

Classification

Explanation

Furbish's
Lousewort
Greater
Prairie
Chicken
Add the species in the question to the examples column of the table.
Complete the following concept map as a class on the causes of extinction:

Natural

Extinction

Human

70

Effects of Extinction
The _________________________ of _________________________ in an ecosystem is described as the
biological diversity or _________________________ of the ecosystem. Because every organism in an
ecosystem is _________________________ to all the other organisms, the _________________________ in
_________________________ caused by the extinction of a single species can cause a "
_________________________ _________________________."
Overhunting of sea otters along the Pacific coasts of Asia and North America removed the
_________________________ of the _________________________. Predictably, the number of sea urchins
grew rapidly. Sea urchins eat _________________________, a form of seaweed. As the number of sea
urchins grew, the amount of kelp _________________________, and so did the fish that relied on the kelp
bed ecosystem for _________________________ and _________________________.
Answer Understanding concepts #2, p.19 in the following table:
Factor
Poor Reproductive
Success

Example

Why could it lead to Extinction?

Competition from a Newly

Introduced Species
Change in Climate
Hunting by Humans

CLASSIFICATIO
N
EXTINCT

ENDANGERED

EXTIRPATED

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR AT-RISK SPECIES

DESCRIPTION
EXAMPLE(S)
REASON FOR
DECLINE Hypothesize

POSSIBLE
IMPACTS ON
ECOSYSTEM

71

THREATENED

VULNERABLE

72
Complete the following table on an at-risk species of your choice. Use the website:
www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca
Species at Risk
Year of Designation
Risk Category
Range
Description

Causes for decline in

Population(s)

Efforts to protect
and recover
population(s)

Banff Longnose Dace

Using the internet, go to the following site to answer the questions below:
http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/Species/English/SearchDetail.cfm?SpeciesID=71

1. Is this species a producer, consumer, scavenger or decomposer?

_______________________

2. What is the risk category of this species?

_____________________________

3. Describe this species:

___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe the habitat of this fish: _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
5. What were the three main limiting factors for this species?
1) __________________________________________________________________________
2) __________________________________________________________________________
3) __________________________________________________________________________

73
Watch video www.teachersdomain.org peregrine falcon
What physical characteristics of the peregrine falcon make it such an excellent hunter?

What was the primary environmental reason cited in the video for peregrines becoming an endangered
species? How did this cause a decline in bird populations?

Why do you think the repopulation of the peregrine falcon has been such a success?

What are the major characteristics of the peregrine's preferred habitat?

Day 19 Human Activities and Carrying Capacity

Urban sprawl is a term that is used to describe a citys growth as its population increases. In urban
sprawl, people build new homes and new businesses near the outer edge of a city. Urban sprawl is
one form of development that reduces the carrying capacity for many species. Negative effects from
urban sprawl include more dependence on automobiles, decreased farmland as roads are built, and
reduced carrying capacities for native organisms.

The Golden Horseshoe is the land around the west end of Lake Ontario. Urban sprawl, resulting from
over 200 years of development and industrialization, has greatly altered the ecosystems in this area.
The redside dace, looks like an aquarium fish colourful and about 10 cm long. Because this species
needs cool water to survive, it inhabits areas of streams that are shaded from overhanging
vegetation. In Canada, the range of these fi sh is small. Most inhabit streams in the Golden Horseshoe
that flow into Lake Ontario.
As urban sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area increased during the 20th century, development led to
changes in the abiotic and biotic factors in the streams inhabited by these fish. Two abiotic factors, in
particular, were affected. As trees were cut down to make room for human structures, the amount of
shade cover around streams decreased. Many streams also experienced an increase in drainage from
surrounding areas. These changes led to a reduced carrying capacity for the redside dace. Many
populations disappeared. Today, the remaining populations are found in the upper reaches of streams
in an area that is known as the Oak Ridges Moraine, some residential and agricultural development,
but the development is not nearly as intensive as it is in the urban areas downstream. Since the
lower reaches of the streams are no longer suitable for dace, however, the remaining populations are
isolated from each other.

74

Questions
1.

Explain why exponential growth is not sustainable in nature.

2.

Some whiptail lizard populations have no males because the females only produce daughters.
If one of these whiptail lizards produces 10 daughters per year, and these daughters breed
after one year, how many whiptails will there be after two years? (Assume that no lizards die
or move to other areas.)

3.

Identify two factors that limited the growth of the redside dace,and describe how they limited
its growth. Then identify one other factor, not mentioned in the section, and describe how it
could limit the growth of this species.

4.

One of the objectives of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act is to ensure that only land
and resource uses that maintain, improve or restore the ecological and hydrological functions
of the Oak Ridges Moraine Area are permitted. Explain how this objective could help to
maintain or increase the carrying capacity of the area.

75

76

77

78

79

URBAN SPRAWL
Read the Article: Nature at Risk: Urban Sprawl in Ontario and answer the following questions.
1) The best meaning for the word sprawl used in the article is
a) Compact growth
b) Urban renewal
c) More land use per person
d) Townhouses
2) Ontarios population is expected to grow to 14 million primarily due to
a) Births
b) Deaths
c) Emigration
d) Immigration
3) Which of the following will not help Toronto curb sprawl?
a) Welcoming more compact row housing
b) Building more highways and sewer systems
c) Redeveloping abandon industrial areas along the waterfront
d) Introducing legislation to preserve rural areas around the city
4) What are three ideas behind smart growth?

5) What do you think Orillia should do to stop urban sprawl? Explain your answer.

Unit Review pg 160(1-14, 20)

80
Unit 3 Review
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____

1. Which term is best described as a complex, self-regulating system where biotic and abiotic factors
interact with each other?
a. biome
c. habitat
b. ecosystem
d. forest

____

2. Which of the following is considered to be a biotic factor in the environment?

a. moss
c. water
b. sunshine
d. gravel

____

3. Which Canadian biomes would you pass through if you started at Niagara Falls, on the south shore of
Lake Ontario, and drove north to the coast of Hudson Bay, just west of James Bay?
a. boreal forests, then deciduous forests, then tundra
b. deciduous forests, then temperate coniferous forests, then tundra
c. deciduous forests, then boreal forests, then tundra
d. deciduous forests, then boreal forests

____

4. Which component of the biosphere includes the marine and freshwater biomes?
a. taiga
c. lithosphere
b. hydrosphere
d. atmosphere

____

5. Which of the following describes the process of liquid water changing to a gas?
a. precipitation
c. condensation
b. evaporation
d. melting

____

6. The nitrogen in the air has to be converted to a different form before it can be used by organisms.
What process must occur to nitrogen found in the air before it can be used in this way?
a. a cycle involving bacteria
c. a cycle involving the Sun
b. nitrogen fixation involving the Sun
d. nitrogen fixation involving bacteria

____

7. What substance uses energy from the Sun to combine a component of the air with water so that
plants can grow?
a. nitrogen
c. chlorophyll
b. ammonia
d. carbon dioxide

____

8. In the boreal forest there are several species of grasses that live amongst the trees. Grasshoppers eat
this grass, and become food for the frogs living in a nearby pond. Snakes from the forest will often
catch these frogs near the waters edge.
Which organism in this food chain would be the primary consumer?
a. the snake
c. the grass
b. the frog
d. the grasshopper

____

9. In the boreal forest there are several species of grasses that live amongst the trees. Grasshoppers eat
this grass, and become food for the frogs living in a nearby pond. Snakes from the forest will often
catch these frogs near the waters edge. Sometimes a hawk will dive down and eat the snakes caught
out in the open.
What percentage of all the energy stored in the grasses does the hawk receive when it eats a snake?
a. 0.01%
c. 1%
b. 0.1%
d. 10%

____ 10. Hawks, owls, and wolves feed on mice but the mouse population has been decreasing. What term
below describes what will happen between the hawk, owl, and wolf?
a. competition
c. mutualism
b. predation
d. commensalism
____ 11. A jellyfish paralyzes a tiny fish with its poisonous tentacles. Which of the following describes the fish?
a. host
c. predator

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b. prey
d. parasite
____ 12. To maintain biodiversity, we need to use ecosystems in a sustainable way. What does it mean to use
an ecosystem in a sustainable way?
a. using all of the resources in the ecosystem to help energy flow
b. not overusing the resources in the ecosystem, so future land development can
still occur in those areas
c. using all of the resources in the ecosystem to help the natural cycles
d. not overusing the resources in the ecosystem, so future generations can also
meet their needs
____ 13. Habitat change, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change are all caused by
human interference in ecosystems, and all result in a loss of what important aspect of Earths
ecosystems?
a. biodiversity
c. abiotic elements
b. species populations
d. climate
____ 14. Pollution that enters ecosystems indirectly through snow melting or runoff are referred to by what
term?
a. runoff
c. point sources
b. sewage
d. non-point sources
____ 15. Pesticides are most likely to be found in runoff from what source?
a. factories
c. farm fields
b. homes
d. roads
____ 16. The dog-strangling vine was brought to North America as a house plant. But it has now spread into
wilderness areas, smothering many native species and causing monarch butterfly populations to
decrease. What term describes the dog-strangling vine?
a. native species
c. non-point species
b. overexploited species
d. invasive species
____ 17. Which term describes a species at risk of becoming endangered if certain limiting factors to
population growth are not reversed?
a. endangered
c. extirpated
b. threatened
d. special concern
____ 18. Which level of risk for species in Canada could be best described as a local extinction?
a. threatened
c. extirpated
b. endangered
d. special concern
Completion
Complete each statement.
19. The ____________________ biome in Canada includes trees that lose their leaves in the winter.

20. The ____________________ is the most important system on Earth, and is composed of all the biomes. It
is where are life on Earth is found.
21. Nitrifying bacteria in the soil convert ____________________, which plants cannot use, into nitrites, then
nitrates, which plants can then absorb through their roots.
22. Consumers called ____________________, like earthworms and maggots, feed on wastes and the
remains of dead animals in order to obtain the energy and nutrients they need.
23. The amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor is an example of an abiotic _________________________,
since a lack of sunlight prevents many plant species from surviving in that area of the ecosystem.
24. Ships from faraway waters have often emptied their ballast tanks when reaching Canada, introducing
marine _________________________ like the zebra mussel and round goby to Ontario waterways.

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25. _________________________ is currently causing climate change, as average temperatures increase and
biodiversity is lost and organisms cannot adapt fast enough to the changes.
26. Acid precipitation occurs when emissions containing nitrogen and ____________________ are released
into the atmosphere through industrial, mining, and transportation processes.
Modified True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If false, change the identified word or phrase to make
the statement true.
____ 27. The deciduous forests biome has large trees with cones and needles, such as spruce and fir.
____ 28. Invasive species tend to outcompete native species because they do not have limiting factors like
natural predators to keep their numbers in check.
Short Answer
29. What term describes all the locations in the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere where life
exists?
30. Identify each type of symbiosis.
a) Oxpecker birds eat harmful ticks, a meal they enjoy, that live on the skin of a
hippopotamus.
b) Hawks build their nest on a cactus. The cactus is not harmed.
c) The velvet mite is a plant organism that harms or kills its host.
31. What is a pesticide? Give one example of a common pesticide.