Chapter 2: Principles of Ecology - Old Bridge Township ... · Safety Precaution Approve lab safety forms before work begins. Teaching Strategies • Cultures of wild-type fruit flies

EcologyThemesScientific Inquiry From stud-ies in natural history to the devel-opment of ecology as a branch of biology, scientists use methods of inquiry to understand interactions in the natural world.

Diversity Tremendous diversity of species results from adaptations to environmental conditions in various biomes.

Energy The flow of energy trapped by photosynthesis sus-tains life at every trophic level.

Homeostasis Organisms maintain homeostasis by obtaining energy and nutrients from their environments.

Change Succession occurs as a community develops toward a climax stage.

5-Minute UNIT LAUNCHFacets of Meaning Have students use the word gradual in a sentence. ASK STUDENTS: What does it mean for a population to grow gradually? It takes some time to increase significantly. What does it mean for a forest to develop gradually? It changes slowly over time, sometimes taking more than a century. Have them make a list in their journals of ways the word is used in this unit.

What’s BIOLOGY Got To Do With It?

A professor discusses scientific methods and shark research.

28

Chapter 2Principles of Ecology

Energy is required to cycle materials through living and nonliving systems.

Chapter 3Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems

Limiting factors and ranges of tolerance are factors that determine where terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems exist.

Chapter 4Population Ecology

Population growth is a critical factor in a species’ ability to maintain homeostasis within its environment.

Chapter 5Biodiversity and Conservation

Community and ecosystem homeostasis depend on a complex set of interactions among biologically diverse individuals.

Careersin BiologyWildlife BiologistAs the oystercatcher researchers are doing in this photograph, wildlife biologists perform scientific research to study how species interact with each other and the environment. They protect and conserve wildlife species and also help maintain and increase wildlife populations.

Visitbiologygmh.com to learn more about wildlife biology. Then write a description of the job responsibilities of wildlife biologists.

Ecology

028-029-U1_UO-869510.indd 28 5/10/06 11:13:55 AM 028-029-U1_UO-869510.indd 29 5/10/06 11:14:09 AM

028-029_U1_UO_869511.indd 28028-029_U1_UO_869511.indd 28 6/9/06 2:04:43 PM6/9/06 2:04:43 PM

http://biologygmh.com

SERVICE LEARNING/COMMUNITY SERVICEOL COOP LEARN Science Reading Tutors Students can set up a tutoring service with middle and elementary school science teachers to help younger students with their science reading and evaluation skills. Tutoring others strengthens students’ own science reading skills.

Research Citation: (Eyler and Giles, 1999; AAAS, 1990). See the research bibliography on page XT.

Misconceptions In each section, Clarify a Miscon-ception provides you with the information to dispel a common student misconception. A ques-tion will help you elicit the mis-conception and an explanation will help you correct it.

Below is a preview of misconcep-tions from each chapter in this unit.

Before studying Chapter 2, students might think that the same molecules of water cycle endlessly through the water cycle. Chapter 2 will explain that not all intact water molecules cycle through living things, but that photosynthesis and respiration break down the water molecules and use the hydrogen and oxygen to make other molecules (p. 46).

Before studying Chapter 3, students might think that deserts are always hot. Chapter 3 will explain that a desert is defined by precipitation, not temperature, and that Antarctica is actually a desert (p. 70).

Before studying Chapter 4, students might think that popula-tions increase indefinitely. Chapter 4 will explain that all populations eventually become limited in size because resources are limited (p. 94).

Before studying Chapter 5, students might think that all members of a population die when their environment is dis-turbed. Chapter 5 will explain that, in most cases, populations are reduced but do not become extinct, and others might increase because they can withstand or even thrive under the new condi-tions (p. 126).

SERVICE LEARNING/COMMUNITY SERVICEParks Development Students can volunteer to work in state or local metropolitan parks and state historical sites doing a variety of activities, such as removing exotic plants, trail building or maintenance, or planting wildflower seeds. Making decisions about their volunteer activities empowers students (Morgan and Streb, 2001).

Research bibliography on pages 36T–38T

Unit 1 • Ecology 29

028-029-U1_UO-869510.indd 28 5/10/06 11:13:55 AM

To read more about wildlife biologists in action, visit biologygmh.com.

028-029-U1_UO-869510.indd 29 5/10/06 11:14:09 AM

028-029_U1_UO_869511.indd 29028-029_U1_UO_869511.indd 29 6/9/06 2:04:52 PM6/9/06 2:04:52 PM


Suggested Time for Each Lesson

LabManager™Customize any lab with the LabManager™ CD-ROM.

Chapter 2 Organizer:Principles of Ecology

Section Objectives

Materials and Planning

Estimated times include cleanup and disposal, but do not include teacher prep time. For cleanup and disposal guidelines, see page 43T.

Est. Time (min)

Section 2.11. Explain the difference between abiotic

factors and biotic factors.2. Describe the levels of biological

organization. 3. Differentiate between an organism’s

habitat and its niche.

Launch Lab, p. 31: container housing several fruit flies 15per day

Demonstration, p. 38: fallen log or branch with fungi 5

Section 2.21. Describe the flow of energy through an

ecosystem.2. Identify the ultimate energy source for

photosynthetic producers.3. Describe food chains, food webs, and

pyramid models.

Demonstration, p. 42: sod or grass, water with algae in a beaker or jar5

MiniLab 2.1, p. 42: paper, pencils30

Demonstration, p. 43: algae, mosquito larvae, minnows or photos of these items

10

Section 2.31. Describe how nutrients move through

the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem.

2. Explain the importance of nutrients to living organisms.

3. Compare the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients.

Demonstration, p. 45: product labels that show nutrition information10

Demonstration, p. 48: fertilizer container with information label5

MiniLab 2.2, p. 48: water samples from different sources, nitrate test kit30

Design Your Own BioLab, p. 51: materials appropriate for the experiment60

Class Chapter Opener Section 2.1 Section 2.2 Section 2.3 Assessment

Basic 45 min 90 min 45 min 45 min 45 min

General 25 min 100 min 100 min 90 min 45 min

Honors 5 min 90 min 20 min 45 min 20 min

30A

National Science

Standards

UCP.1–3; A.1, A.2; C.4, C.5, C.6; F.1, F.3, F.5; G.1,G.2, G.3

UCP.1–3; A.1, A.2; B.6; C.4, C.5, C.6; D.1; F.3, F.4, F.5; G.1,G.2, G.3

UCP.1–3; A.1, A.2; B.3, B.6; C.4, C.5, C.6; D.1, D.2; F.3, F.4, F.5; G.1,G.2, G.3

030-040_C02_S1_869511.indd 30030-040_C02_S1_869511.indd 30 6/7/06 2:38:36 PM6/7/06 2:38:36 PM

AL Activities for students working above grade level

OL Activities for students working on grade level

BL Activities for students working below grade level

EL Activities for English learners (also ELL)

COOP LEARN Activities designed for small cooperative group work

Chapter 2 Section Resources Additional Chapter 2 Resources Technology

FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources:Launch Lab Worksheet*Study Guide (English/Spanish)*Section Quick Check

Reading Essentials 2.1Science Notebook 2.1*

FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources:Chapter Diagnostic TestConcept Mapping*Real-World BiologyEnrichmentChapter Tests A, B, and C

Transparencies:Bellringer Transparencies*Biology Concepts Transparencies*Lab Resources:Laboratory Manual*Probeware Lab Manual*Forensics Lab Manual*Pre-AP Lab Manual*Open Inquiry in Biology*Guided Inquiry in Biology*

Teaching Tools:TeacherWorks™ CD-ROMInteractive Classroom CD-ROM*LabManager™ CD-ROM*Video Lab DVD*Virtual Lab CD-ROM*What’s BIOLOGY Got To Do With It? StudentWorks™ Plus CD-ROM*Chapter Assessment Tools:Interactive Classroom CD-ROM*ExamView® Assessment Suite CD-ROM

Web-Based Resources:biologygmh.comMcGraw-Hill Learning Network Online Learning Center:

• Concepts in Motion*• Interactive Time Line* • Interactive Tables*• Self-Check Quizzes• Chapter Tests• Standardized Test Practice• Virtual Labs*• Multilingual Glossary*• Vocabulary PuzzleMaker*• Interactive Tutor• WebQuests• Internet BioLabs*• Study to Go• Online Student Edition• Microscopy Links• Teaching Today• Additional Teacher Support

FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources:MiniLab Worksheet*Study Guide (English/Spanish)*Section Quick Check


FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources:MiniLab Worksheet*BioLab Worksheet*Study Guide (English/Spanish)*Section Quick Check


30B

While all resources listed are appropriate for English learners, the * indicates resources with a strong visual or hands-on component for EL.

�� Energy is required to cycle materials through living and nonliving systems.

Teaching strategies and activities have been coded for differentiated instruction.


30 Chapter 2 • Principles of Ecology

Introduce the ChapterOrganism Interactions SAY TO STUDENTS: The eco-system shown in the photos is from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. ASK STUDENTS: Where does the energy to keep the organisms alive originally come from? the Sun How do the organisms in the photo get energy? from the food they eat or make This chapter will explain the relationships between organisms and the way in which energy and material flows through ecosystems.

Information Search Organize students into pairs and assign approximately the same number of pages from the chapter to each group. Have each pair scan the headings and figure captions of their assigned pages to find new concepts. Have students share their information with the class in the order it appears in the chapter. ASK STUDENTS: What are the main ideas that appear in the chapter? The main ideas emphasized are the relationships among organ-isms, the transfer of energy in an eco-system, the diversity of organisms in an ecosystem, and homeostasis.

Interactive Classroom

This CD-ROM is an editable Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation that includes:

• a premade presentation for every chapter • image bank• additional diagnostic, formative, chapter, • Glencoe Biology Transparencies and Standardized Test Practice questions • links to biologygmh.com• animations

Principles of Ecology

Section 1Organisms and Their Relationships

Biotic and abiotic factors interact in complex ways in communities and ecosystems.

Section 2Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem

Autotrophs capture energy, making it available for all members of a food web.

Section 3Cycling of Matter

Essential nutrients are cycled through biogeo-chemical processes.

BioFacts

• The Pacific tree frog can change from light colored to dark colored quickly. This could be a response to changes in temperature and humidity.

• The spotted owl nests only in old growth forests and might be in danger of becoming extinct due to the loss of these forests.

Pacific tree frog

Salamander

Spotted owl

030-031_C02_CO_869510.indd 30 4/24/06 9:45:24 AM

Start-Up Activities

LAUNCH Lab

030-031_C02_CO_869510.indd 31 4/24/06 9:45:44 AM

030-040_C02_S1_869511.indd 30030-040_C02_S1_869511.indd 30 6/7/06 9:10:19 AM6/7/06 9:10:19 AM


Chapter 2 • Principles of Ecology 31

LAUNCH LAUNCH LabLabSee FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources, Launch Lab worksheet.

A rubric for evaluating Launch Labs is found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM.

Est. Time 15 min per day

Safety Precaution Approve lab safety forms before work begins.

Teaching Strategies• Cultures of wild-type fruit flies

and instant media (food) can be purchased from commercial sci-ence supply houses.

• Follow supplier’s directions to avoid releasing fruit flies in the classroom.

• Place the media in a large clear plastic or glass container, such as a flask or quart jar. Use a wad of cotton to loosely plug the mouth of flasks. Use a rubber band to hold a piece of gauze tightly over the mouth of the jar. Add the flies. Do not replenish the container or move the flies at all during the week.

Cleanup and Disposal Wash or recycle the jars.

Analysis 1. Many flies die as the food runs out. The envi-

ronment looks polluted as waste and dead flies accumulate.

2. No; materials in the natural world are replen-ished through ecological cycles that are miss-ing in the fruit-fly jars.

LabManager™Customize this lab with the LabManager™ CD-ROM.

030-031_C02_CO_869510.indd 30 4/24/06 9:45:24 AM

Start-Up ActivitiesStart-Up Activities

Problems in Drosophila world?As the photos on the left illustrate, what we under-stand to be the world is many smaller worlds combined to form one large world. Within the large world, there are populations of creatures interacting with each other and their environment. In this lab, you will observe an example of a small part of the world.

Procedure 1. Read and complete the lab safety form.2. Prepare a data table to record your

observations.3. Your teacher has prepared a container

housing several fruit flies (Drosophilamelanogaster) with food for the flies in the bottom. Observe how many fruit flies are present.

4. Observe the fruit flies over a period of one week and record any changes.

Analysis1. Summarize the results of your observations.2. Evaluate whether or not this would be a

reasonable way to study a real population.

LLAAUUNCHNCH LabLab

STEP 1 Fold a sheet of notebook paper in half lengthwise so that the side without holes is 2.5 cm shorter than the side with the holes. Then fold the paper into thirds as shown.

STEP 2 Unfold the paper and draw the Venn diagram. Then cut along the two fold lines of the top layer only. This makes three tabs.

STEP 3 Label the tabs as illustrated.

Use this Foldable with Section 2.3. As you study the section, record what you learn about the two cycles under the appropriate tabs and determine what the cycles have in common.

Natural Cycles Make this Foldable to help you compare and contrast the water cycle and the carbon cycle.

Visit biologygmh.com to:

study the entire chapter online

explore the Interactive Time Line, Concepts in Motion, Microscopy Links, Virtual Labs, and links to virtual dissections

access Web links for more information, projects, and activities

review content online with the Inter-active Tutor and take Self-Check Quizzes

030-031_C02_CO_869510.indd 31 4/24/06 9:45:44 AM




BL OL AL Organism Interactions SAY TO STUDENTS: All living things require a supporting envi-ronment, including other living things. No organism lives in isolation. ASK STUDENTS: What evi-dence do you have that living things require each other? Possible answers: Plants require animals such as butterflies and bees for pollination. Animals eat other animals and plants for survival.

Reading StrategyBL OL AL Monitor Comprehension SAY TO STUDENTS: Ask your-selves questions as you read. If you finish a paragraph and you have a question that has not been answered, reread the text where the question may be answered. If you still cannot answer it, write down the question and ask me or another student to help you answer it. This will help you and others in the class understand the concepts. It may be useful to walk through the room and prompt students with questions while they read.

Skill PracticeBL OL AL Visual Literacy Have students study Figure 2.1.ASK STUDENTS: Which time line entry do you consider the most significant to ecological discoveries and why? Answers will vary, but encourage students to explain their reasoning.

Section 2.12.1

Question Educational research indi-cates that the questioning technique described on this page will help stu-dents extend their thinking. Students are challenged to think critically and increase interaction with other stu-dents. (Heibert et al., 1997)

Research bibliography on page 36T–38T

■ Figure 2.1Milestones in EcologyEcologists have worked to preserve and protect natural resources.

Objectives

◗ Explain the difference between abiotic factors and biotic factors.

◗ Describe the levels of biological organization.

◗ Differentiate between an organism’s habitat and its niche.

Review Vocabularyspecies: group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring in nature

New Vocabularyecologybiospherebiotic factorabiotic factorpopulationbiological communityecosystembiomehabitatnichepredationsymbiosismutualismcommensalismparasitism

Organisms and Their Relationships


Real-World Reading Link On whom do you depend for your basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing? Humans are not the only organisms that depend on others for their needs. All living things are interdependent. Their relationships are important to their survival.

EcologyScientists can gain valuable insight about the interactions between organisms and their environments and between different species of organisms by observing them in their natural environments. Each organism, regardless of where it lives, depends on nonliving factors found in its environment and on other organisms living in the same environment for survival. For example, green plants provide a source of food for many organisms as well as a place to live. The animals that eat the plants provide a source of food for other animals. The interac-tions and interdependence of organisms with each other and their environments are not unique. The same type of dependency occurs whether the environment is a barren desert, a tropical rain forest, or a grassy meadow. Ecology is the scientific discipline in which the relationships among living organisms and the interaction the organ-isms have with their environments are studied.

Section 22..11

1872 Yellowstone becomes the first national park in the U.S.

1971 Marjorie Carr stops the construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal because of the envi-ronmental damage the project would cause.

1962 Rachel Carson publishes a best-selling book warning of the environmental danger of pollution and pesticides.

1967 The government of Rwanda and international conservation groups begin efforts to protect mountain gorillas, due in a large part to the work of Dian Fossey.

▼

1905 Theodore Roosevelt urges the U.S. Congress to set aside over 70 million hectares of land to protect the natural resources found on them.

▼

S

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 32 4/24/06 9:51:55 AM 032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 33 4/24/06 9:52:02 AM


Section 1 • Organisms and Their Relationships 33

Reading Check Answers will depend on which organisms students describe. Remind students that ecology involves all organisms, not just animals. Bacteria, plants, protists, and fungi are all important to most ecosystems.

Skill PracticeBL OL AL Visual Literacy Tell students to study Figure 2.2. Then have them read this page. ASK STUDENTS: What are some locations where you might find ecologists collecting data, and what tools might they use in these locations? Answers will vary, but can include taking water tempera-ture with thermometers at a lake, using a net, or using an identification guide to study birds in a forest.

Writing SupportBL OL AL Journal Writing Have students respond to the fol-lowing writing prompt: What I think of when I hear the word ecol-ogy. Responses will vary, but might include catastrophes such as forest fires or chemical spills. Allow students to share their journal entries in class.

Writing SupportBL OL AL Informal Writing Have students write a short essay explaining how the work of Wangari Maathai helps both the environment and impoverished women and children in Africa.

Interactive Time Line Students can interact with the time line at biologygmh.com.

Develop ConceptsEL BL OL Activate Prior Knowledge ASK STUDENTS: What types of organisms have you ever observed or collected that live near your home? Students may list butterflies, beetles, birds, squirrels, etc. ASK STUDENTS: What are some interesting characteristics of these organisms? Answers will vary.

◗

◗

◗

2.1

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 32 4/24/06 9:51:55 AM

1987 The United States and other countries sign the Montreal Protocol, an agree-ment to phase out the use of chemical compounds that destroy atmospheric ozone.

The study of organisms and their environments is not new. The word ecology was first introduced in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist. Since that time, there have been many significant milestones in ecology, as shown in Figure 2.1.

Scientists who study ecology are called ecologists. Ecologists observe, experiment, and model using a variety of tools and methods. For example, ecologists, like the one shown in Figure 2.2, perform tests in organisms’ environments. Results from these tests might give clues as to why organ-isms are able to survive in the water, why organisms become ill or die from drinking the water, or what organisms could live in or near the water. Ecol-ogists also observe organisms to understand the interactions between them. Some observations and analyses must be made over long periods of time in a process called longitudinal analysis.

A model allows a scientist to represent or simulate a process or system. Studying organisms in the field can be difficult because there often are too many variables to study at one time. Models allow ecologists to control the number of variables present and to slowly introduce new variables in order to fully understand the effect of each variable.

Reading Check Describe a collection of organisms and their environ-ment that an ecologist might study in your community.

■ Figure 2.2 Ecologists work in the field and in laboratories. This ecologist is enduring harsh conditions to examine a seal.

VOCABULARYWORD ORIGIN

Ecologycomes from the Greek words oikos,meaning house, and ology, meaning to study.

1996 Completing a phase-out that was begun in 1973, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency bans the sale of leaded gasoline for vehicle use.

1990 The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), directed by Tom Goldtooth, is formed by Native Americans to pro-tect their tribal lands and communities from environmental damage.

▼

2004 Wangari Maathai wins a Nobel Prize. She began the Green Belt Movement in Africa, which hires women to plant trees to slow the process of deforestation and desertification.

▼

Interactive Time Line To learn more about these milestones and others, visit biologygmh.com.

S

W

W

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 33 4/24/06 9:52:02 AM





Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Use Analogies ASK STUDENTS: If Earth were the size of an apple, what part of the apple would represent the biosphere? the peel of the apple

Writing SupportAL Summary Writing Have students identify and write about the precautions they consider nec-essary for travel in a spacecraft destined to go beyond the Moon. Encourage students to identify the limits of the conditions inside and outside the craft that would allow travel.

Reading StrategyBL OL AL SQ3R This five-step process helps promote active read-ing. Have students first Survey a portion of text, focusing on the headings. Have students then write Questions about key con-cepts. Next, have students Read the text, making notes related to the questions. Then, have students Recite the vocabulary and Review for meaning.

Reading Check Green plants are found in higher density in the northern and southeast-ern parts of the United States. Green plants are found in lower density in the southwest-ern part of the United States.

The BiosphereBecause ecologists study organisms and their environments, their stud-ies take place in the biosphere. The biosphere (BI uh sfihr) is the por-tion of Earth that supports life. The photo of Earth taken from space shown in Figure 2.3 shows why the meaning of the term biosphereshould be easy to remember. The term bio means “life,” and a sphere is a geometric shape that looks like a ball. When you look at Earth from this vantage point, you can see how it is considered to be “a ball of life.”

Although “ball of life” is the literal meaning of the word biosphere, this is somewhat misleading. The biosphere includes only the portion of Earth that includes life. The biosphere forms a thin layer around Earth. It extends several kilometers above the Earth’s surface into the atmosphere and extends several kilometers below the ocean’s surface to the deep-ocean vents. It includes landmasses, bodies of freshwater and saltwater, and all locations below Earth’s surface that support life.

Figure 2.4 shows a satellite image of Earth’s biosphere on the surface of Earth. The photo is color-coded to represent the distribution of chlo-rophyll. Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in green plants and algae that you will learn about in later chapters. Because most organisms depend on green plants or algae for survival, green plants are a good indicator of the distribution of living organisms in an area. In the oceans, red represents areas with the highest density of chlorophyll followed by yellow, then blue, and then pink, representing the lowest density. On land, dark green represents the area with highest chloro-phyll density and pale yellow represents the area with the lowest chlorophyll density.

Reading Check Describe the general distribution of green plants across the United States using Figure 2.4.

The biosphere also includes areas such as the frozen polar regions, deserts, oceans, and rain forests. These diverse locations contain organ-isms that are able to survive in the unique conditions found in their particular environment. Ecologists study these organisms and the fac-tors in their environment. These factors are divided into two large groups—the living factors and the nonliving factors.

■ Figure 2.4 This color-coded satellite photo shows the relative distribution of life on Earth’s biosphere based on the distribution of chlorophyll.

■ Figure 2.3 This color-enhanced satellite photo of Earth taken from space shows a large portion of the biosphere.

D




Reading Check Answers will vary based on community location and student selec-tions, but should accurately note the similari-ties and differences between abiotic and biotic factors. Be sure students understand that both abiotic and biotic factors are nec-essary for the survival of every organism.

Critical ThinkingBL OL AL Analyze an Argument Have students evaluate the follow-ing argument: Oxygen is the only abiotic factor that allows life to survive in the classroom, so as long as there is enough oxygen, all life will survive. Although oxygen is one abiotic factor, temperature, humid-ity, and air pressure are all important for life in the classroom.

Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Activity Accompany students from the classroom to the school grounds. Have them iden-tify the biotic and abiotic factors they observe. Alternatively, you could hold up magazine photo-graphs of different environments and have students identify the biotic and abiotic factors they observe in each photograph. EL Before beginning the exercise, define abiotic and biotic factors. Show students pictures of abiotic factors and biotic factors. Then organize students into small groups. Give each group pictures and have them classify them as showing abiotic or biotic factors.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.5 Sample answer: Organisms often depend on other organisms for food and reproduction.032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 34 4/24/06 9:52:06 AM

Biotic factors The living factors in an organism’s environment are called the biotic (by AH tihk) factors. Consider the biotic factors in the habitat of salmon shown in Figure 2.5. These biotic factors include all of the organisms that live in the water, such as other fish, algae, frogs, and microscopic organisms. In addition, organisms that live on the land adjacent to the water might be biotic factors for the salmon. Migratory animals, such as birds that pass through the area, also are biotic factors. The interactions among organisms are necessary for the health of all species in the same geographic location. For example, the salmon need other members of their species to reproduce. Salmon also depend on other organisms for food and, in turn, are a food source for other organisms.

Abiotic factors The nonliving factors in an organism’s environ-ment are called abiotic (ay bi AH tihk) factors. The abiotic factors for different organisms vary across the biosphere, but organisms that live in the same geographic area might share the same abiotic factors. These factors might include temperature, air or water currents, sunlight, soil type, rainfall, or available nutrients. Organisms depend on abiotic fac-tors for survival. For example, the abiotic factors important to a partic-ular plant might be the amount of rainfall, the amount of sunlight, the type of soil, the range of temperature, and the nutrients available in the soil. The abiotic factors for the salmon in Figure 2.5 might be the tem-perature range of the water, the pH of the water, and the salt concentra-tion of the water.

Organisms are adapted to surviving in the abiotic factors that are present in their natural environments. If an organism moves to another location with a different set of abiotic factors, the organism might die if it cannot adjust quickly to its new surroundings. For example, if a lush green plant that normally grows in a swampy area is transplanted to a dry desert, the plant likely will die because it cannot adjust to abiotic factors present in the desert.

Reading Check Compare and contrast abiotic and biotic factors for a plant or animal in your community.

■ Figure 2.5 The salmon swimming upstream are biotic factors in the stream community. Other organisms in the water, such as frogs and algae, also are biotic factors. Explain How are organisms dependent on other organisms?

Careers In biology

Ecologist The field of ecology is vast. Ecologists study the organisms in the world and the environments in which they live. Many ecologists specialize in a particular area such as marine ecology. For more information on biology careers, visit biologygmh.com.

C

D

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 35 4/24/06 9:52:12 AM




Reading Check Other biomes might be terrestrial, atmospheric, and subterranean.

Develop ConceptsAL Extension Have students read the text under the head Levels of Organization. SAY TO STUDENTS: Another name for the levels of organiza-tion is biological hierarchy. This hierarchy actually begins at the atomic level, with electrons, pro-tons, and neutrons. ASK STUDENTS: What are the levels of biological hierarchy between subatomic particles and organism? atom, molecule, organ-elle, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism

Skill PracticeEL BL OL Use Graphic Organizers Have students fold a sheet of paper in half horizontally. Then have stu-dents make six equal tabs by cut-ting five slits in the top layer of the paper. Ask students to label each tab with the levels of organization and write the definition of each level of hierarchy under the appropriate tab. On the back of the paper, have students sketch an example of each level of organiza-tion. The examples should be dif-ferent from the examples given in the text.

Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Scaffolding ASK STUDENTS: What is the lowest level of organization that most ecologists study? individual organism What name is given to several organisms of the same species interacting together? population What factors are included in an ecosystem that are not included in a community? abiotic factors Describe how eco-systems and biomes differ. Biomes include several ecosystems interacting over a large area. Which level of biological organization is the most complex? biosphere

LLAAUUNCHNCH LabLabAssess Content DevelopmentAssess how understanding has developed when students revisit the Launch Lab analysis questions.

Below Level The scaffolding tech-nique described on this page can benefit students working below level. This method of questioning will guide stu-dents through their thought processes.

For more tips, see page 14T–15T.

Levels of OrganizationThe biosphere is too large and complex for most ecological studies. To study relationships within the biosphere, ecologists look at different levels of organization or smaller pieces of the biosphere. The levels increase in complexity as the numbers and interactions between organisms increase. The levels of organization are

• organism;

• population;

• biological community;

• ecosystem;

• biome;

• biosphere.

Refer to Figure 2.6 as you read about each level.

Organisms, populations, and biological communities The lowest level of organization is the individual organism itself. In Figure 2.6, the organism is represented by a single fish. Individual organisms of a single species that share the same geographic location at the same time make up a population. The school of fish represents a population of organisms. Individual organisms often compete for the same resources, and if resources are plentiful, the population can grow. However, usually there are factors that prevent populations from becoming extremely large. For example, when the population has grown beyond what the available resources can support, the population size begins to decline until it reaches the number of individuals that the available resources can support.

The next level of organization is the biological community. A biological community is a group of interacting populations that occupy the same geographic area at the same time. Organisms might or might not compete for the same resources in a biological community. The col-lection of plant and animal populations, including the school of fish, represents a biological community.

Ecosystems, biomes, and the biosphere The next level of organization after a biological community is an ecosystem. An ecosystemis a biological community and all of the abiotic factors that affect it. As you can see in Figure 2.6, an ecosystem might contain an even larger collec-tion of organisms than a biological community. In addition, it contains the abiotic factors present, such as water temperature and light availability. Although Figure 2.6 represents an ecosystem as a large area, an ecosystem also can be small, such as an aquarium or tiny puddle. The boundaries of an ecosystem are somewhat flexible and can change, and ecosystems even might overlap.

The next level of organization is called the biome and is one that you will learn more about in Chapter 3. A biome is a large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of com-munities. The biome shown in Figure 2.6 is a marine biome. All of the biomes on Earth combine to form the highest level of organiza-tion—the biosphere.

Reading Check Infer what other types of biomes might be found in the biosphere if the one shown in Figure 2.6 is called a marine biome.

Question Session Study the levels of organization illustrated in Figure 2.6 with a partner. Question each other about the topic to deepen your knowledge.

Study Tip

LLAAUUNCHNCH LabLabReview Based on what you’ve read about populations, how would you now answer the analysis questions?

D

S




Visualizing Levels of Organization

PurposeStudents will identify levels of the biological hierarchy from indi-vidual organism to the biosphere. UCP.1 C.4 C.5

Skill PracticeBL OL AL COOP LEARN Visual Literacy Organize stu-dents into groups. Have each group develop a presentation that demonstrates how the levels of organization in Figure 2.6 are related. For example, students might present the information as a triangle, with Organism at the point at the top, Biosphere along the bottom, and the other levels listed between. This illustrates that each level involves more organ-isms than the one above it.

Interactive Figure Students can inter act with the levels of organization art at biologygmh.com.

Virtual Lab

CD-ROM In this lab, students will explore and analyze five simplified model ecosystems.

“ The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think—rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men.

”–BILL BEATTIE

LAUNCH Lab

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 36 4/24/06 9:52:13 AM

Biological Community All of the populations of species—fishes, coral, and marine plants—that live in the same place at the same time make up a biological community.

Ecosystem A bio logical community, such as the coral reef, and all of the abiotic factors, such as the sea water, that affect it make up an ecosystem.

Biome A biome is formed by a group of ecosystems, such as the coral reefs off the coast of the Florida Keys, that share the same climate and have similar types of communities.

Biosphere The highest level of organization is the biosphere, which is the layer of Earth—from high in the atmosphere to deep in the ocean—that supports life.

Organism An individual living thing, such as one striped fish, is an organism.

Visualizing Levelsof OrganizationFigure 2.6In order to study relationships within the biosphere, it is divided into smaller levels of organization. The most complex level,the biosphere, is followed by biome, ecosystem, biological community, population, and organism. Organisms are further divided into organ systems, organs, tissues, cells, molecules, and finally atoms.

Population A group of organ isms of the same species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time, such as the school of striped fish, is a population.

Interactive Figure To see an animation of the levels of organization, visit biologygmh.com.

S

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 37 4/24/06 9:52:15 AM





Reading Check A habitat is an area. A niche is the role an organism plays in its environment. BL OL Illustrate a Niche Show the

class a fallen log or branch with bracket fungus or other fungi on it. ASK STUDENTS: How is the fungus using the branch? The log or branch is a habitat for the fungus. What is one exam-ple the niche of the fungus? The fungus is a decomposer, taking its nutrients from the wood. Est. time: 5 min

Skill PracticeEL OL AL COOP LEARN Visual Literacy Have students read the text under the heading Ecosystem Interactions and review Figure 2.7. Assign students to work in pairs to sketch a different scene containing a biological habi-tat of their choice. Have them include at least six organisms that live in the habitat. Tell students to list the niche of each organism on the back of their drawings. BL Have students list four organ-isms that live in the habitat.

Reading StrategyEL AL COOP LEARN Brainstorm Arrange students in groups of two or three.SAY TO STUDENTS: Read the new vocabulary under the head-ing Ecosystem Interactions. Brainstorm ideas for the meaning of each word. Write all ideas on the board for students to see. Tell students to write down the words habitat and niche and write what they consider to be the best anal-ogy for each word beside it. For example, students’ habitat might be a school. Their niche would be learners.

Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Discuss The concepts of habitat and niche are often confused with each other. ASK STUDENTS: How is a habitat different from a niche? The niche is a characteristic of a spe-cies and the niche involves the role an individual organism plays in the com-munity. A habitat is the physical area in which the organism lives.What is an example of a habitat and an individual’s niche in that habitat? Answers will vary, but should distin-guish between an organism and its habitat.

Ecosystem InteractionsThe interactions between organisms are important in an ecosystem. A community of organisms increases the chances for survival of any one spe-cies by using the available resources in different ways. If you look closely at a tree in the forest, like the one shown in Figure 2.7, you will find a com-munity of different birds using the resources of the tree in different ways. For example, one bird species might eat insects on the leaves while another species of bird eats the ants found on the bark. The chance of survival for the birds increases because they are using different resources.

The trees shown in Figure 2.7 also are habitats. A habitat is an area where an organism lives. A habitat might be a single tree for an organ-ism that spends its life on one tree. If the organism moves from tree to tree, its habitat would be a grove of trees.

Organisms not only have a habitat—they have a niche as well. A niche (NIHCH) is the role or position that an organism has in its envi-ronment. An organism’s niche is how it meets its needs for food, shelter, and reproduction. The niche might be described in terms of require-ments for living space, temperature, moisture, or in terms of appropri-ate mating or reproduction conditions.

Reading Check Compare and contrast a habitat and a niche.

Community InteractionsOrganisms that live together in a biological community constantly interact. These interactions, along with the abiotic factors, shape an ecosystem. Interactions include competition for basic needs such as food, shelter, and mates, as well as relationships in which organisms depend on each other for survival.

Competition Competition occurs when more than one organism uses a resource at the same time. Resources are necessary for life and might include food, water, space, and light. For example, during a drought, as shown in Figure 2.8, water might be scarce for many organisms. The strong organisms directly compete with the weak organisms for survival. Usually the strong survive and the weak die. Some organisms might move to another location where water is available. At times when water is plenti-ful, all organisms share the resources and competition is not as fierce.

Predation Many, but not all, species get their food by eating other organisms. The act of one organism consuming another organism for food is predation (prih DAY shun). The organism that pursues another organism is the predator, and the organism that is pursued is the prey. If you have watched a cat catch a bird or mouse, you have witnessed a predator catch its prey.

■ Figure 2.7 These trees are the habitat for the community of organisms that live there.

■ Figure 2.8 During droughts, animals compete for water; when water is plentiful, organisms share this resource.

R

D

S

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 38 4/24/06 9:52:22 AM

Data Analysis lab 2.1

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 39 4/24/06 9:52:24 AM



Data Analysis Lab Data Analysis Lab 2.12.1

About the Lab• Some students will need help in

reading the graph. Explain that the x-axis shows the three exper-imental temperatures and the y-axis the growth rate of the protozoans, in hours.

• Also see Beisner, B. E., E. McCauley and F. J. Wrona. 1996. Temperature-mediated dynamics of planktonic food chains: the effect of an inverte-brate carnivore. Freshwater Biol. 35: 219–232. Also Hairston, N. G. and S. L. Kellermann. 1965. Competition between varieties 2 and 3 of Paramecium aurelia: the influence of tem-perature in a food-limited sys-tem. Ecology 46:134–139.

Think Critically1. Colpidium grows faster than Para-

mecium at 22°C and 26°C, but Para-mecium grows faster at 30°C.

2. Sample answer: Test the growth rates for both at 34°C.

The lab at the end of the chapter can be used at this point in the lesson.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.9 In a mutualistic relationship, both species benefit from the relationship. The algae provide food for the fungi and the fungi provide a habitat for the algae.

Real-World Connection The number of symbiotic relationships is enormous. Stud-ies indicate that there might be as many as 50 million species that have some type of symbiotic relationship, instead of the 1.5 million presently known. For example, yeasts, one of the best-studied of all groups of microbes, have many more symbiotic species than the 1,000 presently named. At least 200 species of yeasts were recently found in the guts of beetle species.

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 38 4/24/06 9:52:22 AM

Some insects also prey on other insects. Ladybugs and praying mantises are two examples of insects that are predators. Some insect predators also are called beneficial insects because they are used by organic gardeners for insect control. Instead of using insec-ticides, organic gardeners use beneficial insects to control other insect populations.

Animals are not the only organisms that are predators. The Venus flytrap, a plant native to some regions of North and South Carolina, has modified leaves that form small traps for insects and other small animals. The plant emits a sweet, sticky substance that attracts insects. When the insect lands on the leaf, the leaf trap snaps shut. Then, the plant secretes a substance that digests the insect over several days.

Symbiotic relationships Some species survive because of relationships they have developed with other species. The close relationship that exists when two or more species live together is symbiosis (sihm bee OH sus). There are three different kinds of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

Mutualism The relationship between two or more organisms that live closely together and benefit from each other is mutualism(MYEW chuh wuh lih zum). Lichens, shown in Figure 2.9, display an example of a mutualistic relationship between fungi and algae. The tree merely provides a habitat for lichens, allowing it to receive ample sunlight. The algae provide food for the fungi, and the fungi provide a habitat for the algae. The close association of these two organisms provides two basic needs for the organisms—food and shelter.

■ Figure 2.9 Algae and fungi form lichens through a mutualistic relationship.Explain why lichens are an example of a mutualistic relationship.

Data Analysis labData Analysis lab 2.12.1Based on Real Data*Analyze the DataDoes temperature affect growth rates of protozoans? Researchers studied the effect of temperature on the growth rates of proto-zoans. They hypothesized that increasing tem-perature would increase the growth rate of the protozoans.

Data and ObservationsThe graph shows the effect of temperature on the growth rate of Colpidium and Paramecium.

Think Critically

1. Describe the differences in population growth for the two species.

2. Evaluate What could be the next step inthe researcher’s investigation?

*Data obtained from: Jiang, L. and Kulczycki, A. 2004. Competition, predation, and species responses to environmental change. Oikos 106: 217–224.

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 39 4/24/06 9:52:24 AM



Section 2.12.1 Assessment1. Biotic factors are alive. Abiotic factors are not alive.2. Answers will vary according to location and student choices. All

answers should include the following levels: organism, popula-tion, biological community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

3. Answers will vary. Sample answer: my family and my dogs.4. Answers will vary depending on student choices. All answers

should clearly distinguish between a habitat (which is an area) and a niche (which is a role).

5. Experiments will vary. Students may try to determine if the green algae provides the sloth with camouflage or the sloth provides the green algae with a habitat.

6. Use the modifiable rubric found on your

TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM to assess writing assignments. Stories will vary, but students should note a broad range of organisms from all kingdoms.

Self-Check Quiz biologygmh.com

Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Clarify a Misconception Many students think parasites always kill their hosts. ASK STUDENTS: What para-sites of humans cause disease, but usually do not cause death? Stu-dents may know of some parasites, such as ticks and lice. Explain that even many harmful parasites, such as tapeworms, often don’t cause death.

Formative AssessmentEvaluation Have students dif-ferentiate between the three cat-egories of symbiosis and give an example of each. The three catego-ries are mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Examples will vary.

Remediation Give each student three index cards. Have them write the types of symbiosis explained in this section on one side and make a visual cue on the other side. One helpful way for students to visualize is to use plus and minus signs. For example, with mutualism, both organisms benefit, so it can be rep-resented with �/�. Parasitism: �/�, and commensalism: �/0 (0 can represent no effect.) Then allow students to trade cards with the code side up and identify the type of symbiosis. Have students use the cards to quiz each other on these relationships.

Section 22..11 AssessmentSection Summary◗◗ Ecology is the branch of biology in

which interrelationships between organisms and their environments are studied.

◗◗ Levels of organization in ecological studies include individual, population, biological community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.

◗◗ Abiotic and biotic factors shape an ecosystem and determine the com-munities that will be successful in it.

◗◗ Symbiosis is the close relationship that exists when two or more species live together.

Understand Main Ideas1. Compare and

contrast biotic and abiotic factors.

2. Describe the levels of organiza-tion of an organism that lives in your biome.

3. List at least two populations that share your home.

4. Differentiate between the habi-tat and niche of an organism that is found in your community.

Think Scientifically

5. Design an experiment that determines the symbiotic relation-ship between a sloth, which is a slow-moving mammal, and a species of green algae that lives in the sloth’s fur.

6. Write a short story that demonstrates the dependence of all organisms on other organisms.

■ Figure 2.10 This heart from a dog is infected with internal parasites called heartworms. Internal parasites depend on a host to supply their nutrients and habitat.

Commensalism Look back at Figure 2.9. This time, think about the relationship between the lichens and the tree. The lichens benefit from the relationship by gaining more exposure to sunlight, but they do not harm the tree. This type of relationship is commensalism. Commensalism (kuh MEN suh lih zum) is a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed.

The relationship between clownfish and sea anemones is another example of commensalism. Clownfish are small, tropical marine fish. Clownfish swim among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones without harm. The sea anemones protect the fish from predators while the clown-fish eat bits of food missed by the sea anemones. This is a commensal rela-tionship because the clownfish receives food and protection while the sea anemones are not harmed, nor do they benefit from this relationship.

Parasitism A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of another organism is parasitism (PER us suh tih zum). Par-asites can be external, such as ticks and fleas, or internal, such as bacteria, tapeworms, and roundworms, which are discussed in detail in Chapters 18 and 25. The heartworms in Figure 2.10 show how destructive parasites can be. Pet dogs in many areas of the United States are treated to prevent heartworm infestation. Usually the heartworm, the parasite, does not kill the host, but it might harm or weaken it. In parasitism, if the host dies, the parasite also would die unless it quickly finds another host.

Another type of parasitism is brood parasitism. Brown-headed cow-birds demonstrate brood parasitism because they rely on other bird spe-cies to build their nests and incubate their eggs. A brown-headed cowbird lays its eggs in another bird’s nest and abandons the eggs. The host bird incubates and feeds the young cowbirds. Often the baby cowbirds push the host’s eggs or young from the nest, resulting in the survival of only the cowbirds. In some areas, the brown-headed cowbirds have significantly lowered the population of songbirds through this type of parasitism.

D

032-040_C02_S1_869510.indd 40 4/24/06 9:52:28 AM



Section 2 • Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem 41

Section 2.22.2

BL OL AL Organisms Need Energy ASK STUDENTS: What is the process by which autotrophs con-vert light energy into chemical energy? photosynthesis In Section 2, students will learn how energy flows in one direction through an ecosystem. Have students read carefully to learn the reason why energy cannot be recycled through a system.

Reading StrategyOL AL Activate Background Vocabulary SAY TO STUDENTS: Four of the vocabulary words for this sec-tion end in the suffix –vore. This suffix comes from the Latin word vora, meaning “eat” or “devour.” ASK STUDENTS: How can this help you understand the meaning of these words? Each has something to do with eating. Lead a discussion in which students try to work out the meanings of each of the new vocabulary terms.

Critical ThinkingAL Evaluate Have students evaluate the benefits of being an autotroph or heterotroph. Autotrophs can produce their own food, so they do not rely on other organisms for food sources. Hetero-trophs rely on other organisms for food, including autotrophs and other heterotrophs.

Hearing Impaired When students with hearing difficulties are in the class-room, be sure that the lighting is ade-quate. Good lighting will allow students to see your lips and facial expressions clearly, which will help with their understanding.

For more tips, see pages 14T–15T.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.11 carnivore and herbivore

Section 22..22

Objectives

◗ Describe the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

◗ Identify the ultimate energy source for photosynthetic producers.

◗ Describe food chains, food webs, and pyramid models.

Review Vocabularyenergy: the ability to cause change; energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed

New Vocabularyautotrophheterotrophherbivorecarnivoreomnivoredetritivoretrophic levelfood chainfood webbiomass

Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem


Real-World Reading Link When you eat a slice of pizza, you are supplying your body with energy from the Sun. You might be surprised to learn that the Sun is the original source of energy for your body. How did the Sun’s energy get into the pizza?

Energy in an EcosystemOne way to study the interactions of organisms within an ecosystem is to follow the energy that flows through an ecosystem. Organisms differ in how they obtain energy, and they are classified as autotrophs or heterotrophs based on how they obtain their energy in an ecosystem.

Autotrophs All of the green plants and other organisms that pro-duce their own food in an ecosystem are primary producers called autotrophs. An autotroph (AW tuh trohf) is an organism that collects energy from sunlight or inorganic substances to produce food. As you will learn in Chapter 8, organisms that have chlorophyll absorb energy during photosynthesis and use it to convert the inorganic substances carbon dioxide and water to organic molecules. In places where sun-light is unavailable, some bacteria use hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide to make organic molecules to use as food. Autotrophs are the foundation of all ecosystems because they make energy available for all other organisms in an ecosystem.

Heterotrophs A heterotroph (HE tuh roh trohf) is an organism that gets its energy requirements by consuming other organisms. Therefore, heterotrophs also are called consumers. A heterotroph that eats only plants is an herbivore (HUR buh vor) such as a cow, a rabbit, or grasshopper. Heterotrophs that prey on other heterotrophs, such as wolves, lions, and lynxes, shown in Figure 2.11, are called carnivores(KAR nuh vorz).

■ Figure 2.11 This lynx is a heterotroph that is about to consume another heterotroph.Identify What is an additional classification for each of these animals?

VOCABULARYACADEMIC VOCABULARY

Foundation:a basis upon which something stands or is supported. Autotrophs provide the foundation of the food supply for other organisms.

041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 41 4/24/06 2:44:39 PM




See FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources, MiniLab worksheet.

A rubric for evaluating MiniLabs is found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM.

Est. Time 30 min

Safety Precautions Approve lab safety forms before work begins.

Teaching Strategy Students could work on this lab individu-ally or in small groups.

Analysis1. Herbivores: grey squirrels, grasshop-

pers, meadow voles, crayfishes; car-nivores: none; omnivores: raccoons, red foxes, muskrats; detrivores: crayfishes

2. Sample answer: Removing the white oak from the system would force other animals, such as meadow voles, to eat the red clover, so there would be less clover for the musk-rats to eat. Furthermore, raccoons would no longer have white oak to eat, so they may increase their con-sumption of muskrats.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.12 Decomposers are important to ecosys-tems because they break down dead organisms and detritus so that produc-ers can reuse the nutrients stored there.

BL OL AL Autotrophs Bring in a piece of sod or grow some grass in a pot. Pet grass can also be purchased at pet stores. Also, place a jar or beaker containing pond water with algae at the front of the room. ASK STUDENTS: What do the grass and the algae have in common? Answers will vary. Sample answer: Grass and some algae are green. Moreover, they are both autotrophic organisms that carry on photosynthesis. Discuss with students how these producers provide energy for different ecosystems. Est. time: 5 min

In addition to herbivores and carnivores, there are organisms that eat both plants and animals, called omnivores (AHM nih vorz). Bears, humans, and mockingbirds are examples of omnivores.

The detritivores (duh TRYD uh vorz), which eat fragments of dead matter in an ecosystem, return nutrients to the soil, air, and water where the nutrients can be reused by organisms. Detritivores include worms and many aquatic insects that live on stream bottoms. They feed on small pieces of dead plants and animals. Decomposers, similar to detritivores, break down dead organisms by releasing digestive enzymes. Fungi, such as those in Figure 2.12, and bacteria are decomposers.

All heterotrophs, including detritivores, perform some decomposi-tion when they consume another organism and break down its body into organic compounds. However, it is primarily the decomposers that break down organic compounds and make nutrients available to pro-ducers for reuse. Without the detritivores and decomposers, the entire biosphere would be littered with dead organisms. Their bodies would contain nutrients that would no longer be available to other organisms. The detritivores are an important part of the cycle of life because they make nutrients available for all other organisms.

Models of Energy FlowEcologists use food chains and food webs to model the energy flow through an ecosystem. Like any model, food chains and food webs are simplified representations of the flow of energy. Each step in a food chain or food web is called a trophic (TROH fihk) level. Autotrophs make up the first trophic level in all ecosystems. Heterotrophs make up the remain-ing levels. With the exception of the first trophic level, organisms at each trophic level get their energy from the trophic level before it.

■ Figure 2.12 This fungus is obtaining food energy from the dead log. Fungi are decomposers that recycle materials found in dead organisms.Explain why decomposers are important in an ecosystem.

Construct a Food WebHow is energy passed from organism to organism in an ecosystem? A food chain shows a single path for energy flow in an ecosystem. The overlapping relationships between food chains are shown in a food web.

Procedure1. Read and complete the lab safety form.2. Use the following information to construct a food web in a meadow ecosystem:

• Red foxes feed on raccoons, crayfishes, grasshoppers, red clover, meadow voles, and gray squirrels. • Red clover is eaten by grasshoppers, muskrats, red foxes, and meadow voles.• Meadow voles, gray squirrels, and raccoons all eat parts of the white oak tree.• Crayfishes feed on green algae and detritus, and they are eaten by muskrats and red foxes.• Raccoons feed on muskrats, meadow voles, gray squirrels, and white oak trees.

Analysis1. Identify all of the herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritivores in the food web.2. Describe how the muskrats would be affected if disease kills the white oak trees.

041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 42 4/24/06 2:44:52 PM 041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 43 4/24/06 2:44:55 PM


Section 2 • Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem 43

Food Chains Using available living materials such as algae, mosquito larvae, and minnows, or using photos that have been cut from magazines, show students a food chain that con-tains at least three links. Est. time: 10 min

Develop ConceptsBL OL AL Discuss SAY TO STUDENTS: In the previous section, you learned about predatory relationships. ASK STUDENTS: What kind of animal is a predator? Students may say that predators are carnivores. A few might be less specific and say con-sumers. If students say all consumers are predators, point out that herbi-vores and scavengers are consumers that are not predatory. Can an ani-mal be a predator and not be a carnivore? Yes, some omnivores might be predatory at least part of the time.

Develop ConceptsOL Clarify a Misconception ASK STUDENTS: Does a food chain have an end? Answers will vary. Explain the important conser-vation law of physics: that both matter and/or energy are neither created nor destroyed over time— they merely change form, and their sum remains the same. Students will learn more about recycling of nutrients in the next section.BL Show students examples of food chains and food webs before asking the question.

Interactive Figure Students can interact with the food web art at biologygmh.com.

041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 42 4/24/06 2:44:52 PM

Food chains A food chain is a simple model that shows how energy flows through an ecosystem. Figure 2.13 shows a typical grassland food chain. Arrows represent the one-way energy flow which typically starts with autotrophs and moves to heterotrophs. The flower uses energy from the Sun to make its own food. The grasshopper gets its energy from eating the flower. The mouse gets its energy from eating the grasshopper. Finally, the snake gets its energy from eating the mouse. Each organism uses a portion of the energy it obtains from the organism it eats for cellular processes to build new cells and tissues. The remaining energy is released into the surrounding environment and no longer is available to these organisms.

Food webs Feeding relationships usually are more complex than a single food chain because most organisms feed on more than one spe-cies. Birds, for instance, eat a variety of seeds, fruits, and insects. The model most often used to represent the feeding relationships in an eco-system is a food web. A food web is a model representing the many interconnected food chains and pathways in which energy flows through a group of organisms. Figure 2.14 shows a food web illustrat-ing the feeding relationships in a desert community.

■ Figure 2.14 A food web is a model of the many ways in which energy flows through organisms.

■ Figure 2.13 A food chain is a simplified model representing the transfer of energy from organism to organism.

Interactive Figure To see an animation of a food web in a desert environment, visit biologygmh.com.

041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 43 4/24/06 2:44:55 PM





Section 2.22.2 Assessment1. Autotrophs and heterotrophs both require energy, but autotrophs

collect energy from sunlight or from inorganic substances to pro-duce food. Heterotrophs get energy by consuming other organisms.

2. Sample answer: grass ➝ zebra ➝ lion3. A family dog is a heterotroph. A dog is also an omnivore because

commercial dog food contains both animal and plant products.4. Sample answer: As the Sun produced less and less energy, the pro-

ducers would have less and less energy to capture. Consumers would have fewer producers to eat, and the available producers

would be small. Carnivores would have fewer consumers to eat. When the Sun burned out, the system would stop.

5. Answers will vary, but all food webs should include producers, herbivores, carnivores, and detrivores.

6. The pyramid should show grass (100 percent available energy) at the lowest level, followed by caterpillar (10 percent available energy), tiger beetle (1 percent available energy), lizard (0.1 per-cent available energy), snake (0.01 percent available energy), and roadrunner (0.001 percent available energy) at the top.

Skill PracticeOL AL Visual Literacy ASK STUDENTS: How do the three ecological pyramid models in Figure 2.15 compare? All three models show how matter and energy move through an ecosystem. BL In small groups, have students fill in a Venn diagram using the three ecological pyramids.

Writing SupportEL BL OL COOP LEARNSummary Writing After read-ing and discussing the section, have students work in small groups to brainstorm 5 –10 impor-tant terms from the section. Then, have them say a sentence using each term while one student writes down each sentence.

Formative AssessmentEvaluation ASK STUDENTS: Compare and contrast a food chain and a food web. Food chains show how energy moves through an ecosystem. A food web shows how food chains interact. Remediation Model food chains and food webs with students. Organize students into teams of four. Each team of four represents a different food chain. Once the chains are established, invite the teams to form a food web in which everyone is connected to at least one other person.


Ecological pyramids Another model that ecologists use to show how energy flows through ecosystems is the ecological pyramid. An ecological pyramid is a diagram that can show the relative amounts of energy, bio-mass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Notice in Figure 2.15 that in a pyramid of energy, approximately 90 percent of all energy is not transferred to the level above it. This occurs because most of the energy contained in the organisms at each level is consumed by cellular processes or released to the environment as heat. Usually, the amount of biomass—the total mass of living matter at each trophic level—decreases at each trophic level. As shown in the pyramid of numbers, the relative number of organisms at each trophic level also decreases because there is less energy available to support organisms.

Pyramid of Numbers In a pyramid of numbers, each level represents the number of individual organisms consumed by the level above it.

Pyramid of Energy In a pyramid of energy, each level represents the amount of energy that is available to that trophic level. With each step up, there is an energy loss of 90 percent.

Pyramid of Biomass In a pyramid of biomass, each level represents the amount of biomass consumed by the level above it.

■ Figure 2.15 Ecological pyramids are models used to represent trophic levels in ecosystems.

Section 22..22 AssessmentSection Summary◗◗ Autotrophs capture energy from the

Sun or use energy from certain chem-ical substances to make food.

◗◗ Heterotrophs include herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritivores.

◗◗ A trophic level is a step in a food chain or food web.

◗◗ Food chains, food webs, and ecological pyramids are models used to show how energy moves through ecosystems.

Understand Main Ideas1. Compare and con-

strast autotrophs and heterotrophs.

2. Describe the flow of energy through a simple food chain that ends with a lion as the final consumer.

3. Classify a pet dog as an autotroph or heterotroph and as an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore. Explain.

4. Evaluate the impact on living organisms if the Sun began to pro-duce less energy and then finally burned out.


5. Use a Model Create a simple food web of organisms in your community.

6. Draw an energy pyramid for a food chain made up of grass, a caterpillar, tiger beetle, lizard, snake, and a roadrun-ner. Assume that 100 percent of the energy is available for the grass. At each stage, show how much energy is lost and how much is available to the next trophic level.

041-044_C02_S2_869510.indd 44 4/24/06 2:44:58 PM



Section 3 • Cycling of Matter 45

Section 2.32.3

BL OL AL Nutrient Cycle SAY TO STUDENTS: In the last section, you learned that energy flows in one direction through an ecosystem and much of the energy becomes unavail-able at each trophic level. This is not true of essential nutrients. ASK STUDENTS: What would happen if matter was bound in living matter and never recycled? Nutrients would eventually be depleted and life would cease. What does it mean to say that matter is recycled? Matter moves from one liv-ing thing to another, or to the abiotic parts of the biosphere and back into the biotic parts.

Develop ConceptsEL BL OL COOP LEARNUse Models Have students read Section 2.3 in small groups and make models of the cycles pre-sented. They can draw pictures on paper or construct three-dimensional models using various types of materials.

Writing SupportBL OL Summary Writing Have students write one or two paragraphs to summarize each nutrient cycle. Tell them to use the new vocabulary terms in their summaries. AL Have students use an analogy, such as clothes stored, worn, and laundered, for the cycle.

Reading Check Cycling makes nutrients available for other organisms to use.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.16 Nutrients con-tinue to be recycled by wastes from the cows as well as when humans or predators eat the cattle.

Nutrients Show product labels from a variety of cereal boxes, soup cans, and other food. Point out on the labels where the nutrient content of the food is listed, and indicate which nutrients are biological, such as carbohydrates and protein, and which are biogeo-chemicals, such as calcium and phosphorus. Est. time: 10 min

Section 22..33

Objectives

◗ Describe how nutrients move through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem.

◗ Explain the importance of nutrients to living organisms.

◗ Compare the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients.

Review Vocabularycycle: a series of events that occur in a regular repeating pattern

New Vocabularymatternutrientbiogeochemical cyclenitrogen fixationdenitrification

Cycling of Matter

Essential nutrients are cycled through biogeochemical processes.

Real-World Reading Link Do you recycle your empty soda cans? If so, then you know that materials such as glass, aluminum, and paper are reused. Organisms and natural processes in the environment also cycle nutrients and make them available for use by other organisms.

Cycles in the BiosphereEnergy is transformed into usable forms to support the functions of an ecosystem. A constant supply of usable energy for the biosphere is needed, but this is not true of matter. The law of conservation of mass states that matter is not created or destroyed. There fore, natural proc-esses cycle matter through the biosphere. Matter—anything that takes up space and has mass—provides the nutrients needed for organisms to function. A nutrient is a chemical substance that an organism must obtain from its environment to sustain life and to undergo life processes. The bodies of all organisms are built from water and nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

In most ecosystems, plants obtain nutri-ents, in the form of elements and compounds, from the air, soil, or water. Plants convert some elements and compounds into organic mol-ecules that they use. The nutrients flow through organisms in an ecosystem such as the ecosystem shown in Figure 2.16. The green grass captures substances from the air, soil, and water, and then converts them into usable nutrients. The grass provides nutrients for the cow. If an organism eats the cow, the nutrients found in the cow are passed on to the next consumer. The nutrients are passed from producer—the green grass—to consumers. Decomposers return the nutrients to the cycle at every level.

The cycling of nutrients in the biosphere involves both matter in living organisms and physical processes found in the environment such as weathering. Weathering breaks down large rocks into particles that become part of the soil used by plants and other organisms. The exchange of matter through the biosphere is called the biogeochemical cycle. As the name suggests, these cycles involve living organisms (bio), geologi-cal processes (geo), and chemical processes (chemical).

Reading Check Explain why it is important to living organisms that nutrients cycle.

■ Figure 2.16 Nutrients are cycled through the biosphere through organisms. In this example, the grasses are the producers and begin the cycle by capturing energy from the Sun. Explain how nutrients continue to be cycled through the biosphere in this photo.

D

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 45 4/24/06 10:16:27 AM



Develop ConceptsBL OL Discuss Have students discuss what they know about the water cycle. Introduce and explain the concept of transpiration.

Develop ConceptsAL Clarify a Misconception Many students think that the same molecules of water cycle endlessly through the water cycle. ASK STUDENTS: How many times can an intact molecule of water cycle in the abiotic parts of the water cycle? forever; infinitely How many times do the same water molecules cycle through the biotic parts of the water cycle? Intact water molecules don’t cycle through living things, with the excep-tion of some water that could be brought from the roots of plants and lost directly through stomata in tran-spiration. Photosynthesis and respira-tion break down the water molecules taken in and use the oxygen and hydrogen to make other mol ecules. Help students understand that water molecules form in the atmosphere and that water does not always move quickly in the cycle or in the sequence shown on the page. For example, snow falling on a glacier might freeze and be locked into the glacier for hundreds of years.

Interactive Figure Students can interact with the water cycle art at biologygmh.com.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.17 The largest reserves of water are the oceans.

Reading Check Three processes in the water cycle are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

English Learners Students with lim-ited English language proficiency could have problems understanding the main ideas of a lesson. Provide these students with an overview in the form of a KWL chart, Venn diagram, or other graphic organizer.

For more tips, see pages 14T–15T.

The water cycle Living organisms cannot live without water. Hydrologists study water found underground, in the atmosphere, and on the surface of Earth in the form of lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, ice caps, and oceans. Use Figure 2.17 to trace processes that cycle water through the biosphere.

Water is constantly evaporating into the atmosphere from bodies of water, soil, and organisms. Water in the atmosphere is called water vapor. Water vapor rises and begins to cool in the atmosphere. Clouds form when the cooling water vapor con-denses into droplets around dust particles in the atmosphere. Water falls from clouds as precipitation in the form of rain, sleet, or hail, transfer-ring water to the Earth’s surface. As you can see in Figure 2.17, ground-water and runoff from land surfaces flow into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, only to evaporate into the atmosphere to continue the water cycle. Approximately 90 percent of water vapor evaporates from oceans, lakes, and rivers; about 10 percent evaporates from the surface of plants through a process called transpiration. You will learn more about tran-spiration in Chapter 22.

All living organisms rely on freshwater. Freshwater constitutes only about 3 percent of all water on Earth. Water available for living organ-isms is about 31 percent of all freshwater. About 69 percent of all fresh-water is found in ice caps and glaciers, which then is unavailable for use by living organisms. Even ocean-dwelling organisms rely on freshwater flow-ing to oceans to prevent high saline content and maintain ocean volume.

Reading Check Identify three processes in the water cycle.

■ Figure 2.17 The water cycle is the natural process by which water is continuously cycled through the biosphere.Infer What are the largest reservoirs of water on Earth?

VOCABULARYWORD ORIGIN

Biogeochemical cyclecomes from the Greek word biosmeaning life, geo meaning earth, and kyklos, meaning circle, along with the Latin word chemicus, meaning chemical.

Careers In biology

Hydrologist A hydrologist studies water processes, such as the distri-bution in nature, the water flow in a dam or river, or the water flow in a sewer or a city drinking-water system. For more information on biology careers, visit biologygmh.com.

Interactive Figure To see an animation of the water cycle, visit biologygmh.com.

D

D







Interactive Figure Students can interact with the carbon cycle art at biologygmh.com.

A rubric for evaluat-ing Foldables is found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM.

Going Further Have students draw a Venn diagram on the back of their Foldables to compare the nitrogen cycle and the phosphorus cycle. Diagrams will vary, but might include overlapping zones such as “absorbed into organisms” and “returned to the environment when organism decomposes.”

Skill PracticeBL OL AL Visual Literacy SAY TO STUDENTS: Look closely at Figure 2.18 and read the caption. ASK STUDENTS: Where in the carbon-oxygen cycle do you see carbon and oxygen intertwined? Carbon and oxygen are found together in CO2, carbonate rock, fossil fuels, and in living material. Stress the fact that life on Earth, as it is presently under-stood, could not have evolved without the presence of carbon and oxygen.

Critical ThinkingBL OL AL Predict ASK STUDENTS: Based on your understanding of the carbon cycle, predict what might happen if large areas of tropical rain for-est continue to be cleared. Carbon dioxide would continue to build up in the atmosphere without the plants that use the CO2 for photosynthesis.

■ Caption Question Fig. 2.18 Carbon moves form the abiotic parts of the ecosystem to the biotic parts of the ecosystem when producers convert carbon dioxide into food.

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 46 4/24/06 10:16:33 AM

The carbon and oxygen cycles As you will learn in Chapter 6, all living things are composed of molecules that contain carbon. Atoms of carbon form the framework for important molecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Oxygen is another element that is important to many life processes. Carbon and oxygen often make up molecules essen-tial for life, including carbon dioxide and simple sugar.

Look at the cycles illustrated in Figure 2.18. During a process called photosynthesis, discussed in Chapter 8, green plants and algae convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and release oxygen back into the air. These carbohydrates are used as a source of energy for all organisms in the food web. Carbon dioxide is recycled when autotrophs and heterotrophs release it back into the air during cellular respiration. Carbon and oxygen recycle relatively quickly through living organisms.

Carbon enters a long-term cycle when organic matter is buried underground and converted to peat, coal, oil, or gas deposits. The car-bon might remain as fossil fuel for millions of years. Carbon is released from fossil fuels when they are burned, which adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

In addition to the removal of carbon from the short-term cycle by fossil fuels, carbon and oxygen can enter a long-term cycle in the form of calcium carbonate, as shown in Figure 2.19. Calcium carbonate is found in the shells of plankton and animals such as coral, clams, and oysters. These organisms, such as algae, fall to the bottom of the ocean floor, creating vast deposits of limestone rock. Carbon and oxygen remain trapped in these deposits until weathering and erosion release these elements to become part of the short-term cycle.

■ Figure 2.18 The diagram shows how carbon and oxygen cycle through the environment.Describe How does carbon move from the abiotic to the biotic parts of the ecosystem?

■ Figure 2.19 The white cliffs in Dover, England are composed almost entirely of calcium carbonate, or chalk. The calcium and oxygen found in these cliffs are in the long-term part of the cycle for calcium and oxygen.

Interactive Figure To see an animation of the carbon cycle, visit biologygmh.com.

Incorporate information from this section into your Foldable.

C

S

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 47 4/24/06 10:16:35 AM






See FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources, MiniLab worksheet.

A rubric for evaluat-ing MiniLabs is found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM.

Est. Time 30 min

Safety Precaution Approve lab safety forms before work begins.

Teaching Strategies• Water samples and a nitrate test

kit can be purchased from bio-logical supply companies.

• This could also be done as a demonstration to save time and materials.

• Encourage students to think about how household practices, such as fertilizing the lawn, con-tribute to nitrate pollution.

Analysis1. The samples probably contained

different amounts of nitrate because different water sources are going to contain different levels of contamination.

2. Sample answer: agricultural activi-ties and lawn maintenance

3. Sample answer: An increase in algae could cause an algal bloom, which can cause human health problems.

Interactive Figure Students can interact with the nitrogen cycle art at biologygmh.com.

Mineral Cycles Display an empty fertilizer carton or bag. Show students the label that lists the amount of each mineral. Instruct students how to read the contents of the fertilizer. Point out the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the fertilizer. Tell students that applying large quantities of fertil-izer to an area adds excess biochemicals to the food web. Est. time: 5 min

The nitrogen cycle Nitrogen is an element found in proteins. The largest concentration of nitrogen is found in the atmosphere. Plants and ani-mals cannot use nitrogen directly from the atmo-sphere. Nitrogen gas is captured from the air by species of bacteria that live in water, the soil, or grow on the roots of some plants. The process of capture and conversion of nitrogen into a form that is useable by plants is called nitrogen fixation. Some nitrogen also is fixed during electrical storms when the energy from lightning bolts changes nitrogen gas to nitrates. Nitrogen also is added to soil when chemical fertiliz-ers are applied to lawns, crops, or other areas.

Nitrogen enters the food web when plants absorb nitrogen compounds from the soil and convert them into proteins, as illustrated in Figure 2.20. Con-sumers get nitrogen by eating plants or animals that contain nitrogen. They reuse the nitrogen and make their own proteins. Because the supply of nitrogen in a food web is dependent on the amount of nitrogen that is fixed, nitrogen often is a factor that limits the growth of producers.

Nitrogen is returned to the soil in several ways, also shown in Figure 2.20. When an animal urinates, nitrogen returns to the water or soil and is reused by plants. When organisms die, decomposers transform the nitrogen in proteins and other compounds into ammonia. Organisms in the soil convert ammonia into nitrogen compounds that can be used by plants. Finally, in a process called denitrification, some soil bacteria convert fixed nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas, which returns it to the atmosphere.

■ Figure 2.20 Nitrogen is used and reused as it is cycled continu-ously through the biosphere.

Test for NitratesHow much nitrate is found in various water sources? One ion containing nitrogen found in water can be easily tested—nitrate. Nitrate is a common form of inorganic nitrogen that is used easily by plants.

Procedure 1. Read and complete the lab safety form. 2. Prepare a data table to record your observations.3. Obtain the water samples from different sources that are provided by your teacher. 4. Using a nitrate test kit, test the amount of nitrate in each water sample.5. Dispose of your samples as directed by your teacher.

Analysis1. Determine Did the samples contain differing amounts of nitrate? Explain.2. Identify What types of human activities might increase the amount of nitrate in the water? 3. Infer What problems could a high nitrate level cause considering that nitrates also increase the

growth rate of algae in waterways?

Interactive Figure To see an animation of the nitrogen cycle, visit biologygmh.com.

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 48 4/24/06 10:16:38 AM

◗

◗

◗

◗

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 49 4/24/06 10:16:41 AM





Interactive Figure Students can interact with the phosphorus cycle art at biologygmh.com.

Reading StrategyEL BL OL Modeling The nitro-gen cycle on the previous page and the phosphorus cycle on this page are often difficult for students to comprehend. Read these two pages aloud or call on students to read individual paragraphs aloud. Stop frequently to check for understanding. Share your own visualization or connections while reading to demystify the concepts. Modeling helps students under-stand how to construct meaning from the text.

Formative AssessmentEvaluation Have students draw the steps of the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles. Have them label each step of each cycle. See Figures 2.18, 2.20,and 2.21 in this sec-tion for reference.

Remediation Have students work in pairs to draw each step of each cycle on an index card. When they are finished, have students shuffle the cards together and put the steps for each cycle in sequence.

Section 2.32.3 Assessment1. water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus2. Answers will vary, but should clearly demonstrate how cycles are

related and how they differ. 3. Answers will vary, but should illustrate all the ways organisms

can obtain nutrients.4. In the biotic cycle, phosphorus is cycled from the soil to producers

and then from producers to consumers. When an organism dies, decomposers return the phosphorus to the soil. In the abiotic cycle, phosphorus erodes from rocks that contain phosphorus.

The phosphorus goes into the soil and groundwater. The phos-phorus forms sediments, which form new rock.

5. Sample experiment: Under controlled conditions, add varying amounts of the fertilizer to areas of grass. The ideal amount of fertilizer to add will be the amount that helped a patch of grass grow best.


045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 48 4/24/06 10:16:38 AM

Section 22..33 AssessmentSection Summary◗◗ Biogeochemical cycles include the

exchange of important elements between the abiotic and biotic parts of an ecosystem.

◗◗ The carbon and oxygen cycles are closely intertwined.

◗◗ Nitrogen gas is limited in its ability to enter biotic portions of the environment.

◗◗ Phosphorus and carbon have short-term and long-term cycles.

Understand Main Ideas1. List four important

biogeochemical processes that cycle nutrients.

2. Compare and contrast two of the cycles of matter.

3. Explain the importance of nutri-ents to an organism of your choice.

4. Describe how phosphorus moves through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem.


5. Design an Experiment Suppose a particular fertilizer con-tains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The numbers on the fertil-izer’s label represent the amounts of each element in the fertilizer. Design an experiment to test how much fertilizer should be added to a lawn for the best results.

The phosphorus cycle Phosphorus is an element that is essential for the growth and development of organisms. Figure 2.21 illustrates the two cycles of phosphorus—a short-term and long-term cycle. In the short-term cycle, phosphorus as phosphates in solution, is cycled from the soil to producers and then from the producers to consumers. When organ-isms die or produce waste products, decomposers return the phosphorus to the soil where it can be used again. Phosphorus moves from the short-term cycle to the long-term cycle through precipitation and sedimentation to form rocks. In the long-term cycle, weathering or erosion of rocks that contain phosphorus slowly adds phosphorus to the cycle. Phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, may be present only in small amounts in soil and water. Therefore, phosphorus often is a factor that limits the growth of producers.

■ Figure 2.21 The phosphorus cycle has a short-term cycle and a long-term cycle.

Interactive Figure To see an animation of the phosphorus cycle, visit biologygmh.com.

R

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 49 4/24/06 10:16:41 AM






Purpose Students will describe ways in which damming a river impacts the ecosystem. Students will evalu-ate the pros and cons of damming a river in terms of the biological, economic, and recreational impacts on the area. C.4, F.3, F.5, F.6

Anticipatory GuideASK STUDENTS: Why do peo-ple build dams? Sample answers: for flood control, or hydroelectric power What are some positive side effects of building a dam? the creation of lakes and recreation areas around the lakes, flood control, and hydroelectric power In this feature, students will learn how damming a river impacts the ecosystem as well as the economic gains that can result from a dam.

Background The Glen Canyon Dam project has not been without controversy. Some say that it was the building of the Glen Canyon Dam that kicked off the original environ-mental movement back in the early 1960s because of how it would affect the Colorado River.

BiologyDEBATE in

Collaborate This is an example of a real-world situation that has both posi-tive and negative effects. If a dam is necessary, careful planning—including ecological modeling and impact studies—can minimize its damage to the ecosystem. Have students research both sides of the issue and come to class prepared to debate either side. After students debate the issue, have the class vote on which side was the most persuasive. Discuss the results as a class.

To Dam or Not to Dam The Glen Canyon area is a popular location for white-water rafting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking. The Glen Canyon area also is the location of a controversial dam, the Glen Canyon Dam. It was built between 1956 and 1963 in Arizona on the Colorado River. The dam holds and releases water from Lake Powell.

Economic benefits The Glen Canyon Dam provides electricity to many rural communities. It also provides water to California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. Lake Powell, which is one of the most visited tourist destinations of the southwest, provides jobs for many of the local residents. Millions of tourists visit Lake Powell each year for activities such as hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming.

Impact on flora and fauna The con-struction of the dam has brought economic benefits to the area, but it also has negatively impacted the Colorado River ecosystem. The habitat of native fish has changed as a result of the dam. Three species of fish—the round-tail chub, the bonytail chub, and the Colorado squawfish—have become extinct.

The Lake Powell shoreline now is dominated by a non-native, semidesert scrub known as salt-cedar or tamarisk. The saltcedar outcompetes native vegetation such as the sandbar willow, Gooding’s willow, and fremont cottonwood. Saltcedar collects salt in its tissues over time. This salt eventually is released into the soil, making it unsuitable for many native plants.

Impact on temperature Before the dam was built, the water temperature of the Colorado River ranged from near freezing in the winter to a warm 29°C in the summer. Since the dam was built, the temperature of the water released downstream remains steady at 7–10°C. This temperature is fine for the nonnative trout that are bred for recrea tional activities; however, the native species do not fare as well.

The Bureau of Reclamation has proposed placing a temperature control device on the Glen Canyon Dam that would regulate the water temp erature. Environmentalists suggest that this solution might not solve the problems for the native species because the native species need the fluctuating temperatures that were once part of the river system.

The Glen Canyon Dam has negatively impacted the ecosystem of the Colorado River area, but it has benefited the area economically. How do the costs weigh against the benefits? Biolo gistsface real-world issues like these every day.

The Glen Canyon Dam provides opportunities for recreation to millions of tourists every year. However, it also impacts the Colorado River ecosystem.

Collaborate Form a team to debate whether the recreational and economic opportunities outweigh the costs of damming the Colorado River. Conduct additional research at biologygmh.com prior to the debate.




BioLab 51

See FAST FILE Unit 1 Resources, BioLab worksheet.

A rubric for evaluat-ing BioLabs is found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM.

Est. Time 60 min

Content BackgroundEcologists try to answer questions similar to those asked in this lab: How much habitat is enough for an organism? Can the organism thrive given only islands of habitat within human habitation, or must its habitat be continuous? What other resources and populations must be present to support the organism?

Safety Precautions Approve lab safety forms before work begins. If traveling to a site off school grounds, establish safety and travel rules. Visit the site before taking the students there to determine any possible safety concerns.

Teaching Strategies• Have lab teams prepare appro-

priate data tables before travel-ing to the study site.

• One experimental approach is to have students investigate the effect of doubling the size of the investi-gational area on species diversity.

Alternative Teaching DemoHave students brainstorm what might happen to species diversity as their habitat size is incremen-tally decreased; then have them draw pictures of a habitat decreas-ing in size to provide a visual example.

Analyze and Conclude1. Have each lab team graph their data and then

use the data from all lab teams to prepare a class data table and graph.

2. Often, as the habitat grows larger, the number of different species increases.

3. Accept any reasonable conclusion that is based on data collected.

4. Answers will vary. Encourage students to share ideas about improving the lab. Lab teams in close proximity to each other may note greatly varied data. Life on Earth is not a homogenous layer. It is found in clumps. Thus, even the clumps

of life found in the small neighboring study quadrants of this lab may be vastly different.

5. Answers will depend on the data collected. Generally, as the habitat expands so does the population and diversity, a direct proportion. A habitat will generally become more suitable for life as it expands.

6. Observations and results gathered from one type of habitat in one locale may not hold true for other types of habitats and situations in other locations.

7–8. Answers will vary. For example, if the area undergoes a lot of devel-opment, the results may vary sub-stantially.

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 50 4/24/06 10:16:44 AM

Background: Ecologists know that a major key to maintaining not only indi-vidual species but also a robust diversity of species is preserving the proper habitat for those species.

Question: What effect does increasing the size of a habitat have on the species diversity within that habitat?

MaterialsChoose materials that would be appropriate for

the experiment you plan.

Safety Precautions WARNING: Follow all safety rules regarding travel to and from the study site. Be alert on site and avoid contact, if possible, with sting-ing or biting animals and poisonous plants.

Plan and Perform the Experiment1. Read and complete the lab safety form.2. Form a hypothesis that you can test to

answer the above question.3. Record your procedure and list the mate-

rials you will use to test your hypothesis.4. Make sure your experiment allows for the

collection of quantitative data, which is data that can be expressed in units of measure.

5. Design and construct appropriate data tables.

6. Make sure your teacher approves your plan before you proceed.

7. Carry out the procedure at an appropriate field site.

Analyze and Conclude1. Graph Data Prepare a graph of your data

and the combined class data if it is available.2. Analyze Do any patterns emerge as you

analyze your group and/or class data and graphs? Explain.

3. Conclude Based on your data, was your initial hypothesis correct?

4. Error Analysis Compare your observa-tions and conclusions with your class-mates. Did your observations and conclusions match? If not, what could explain the differences? How could you verify your results?

5. Did the populations and diversity change proportionally as the habitat was expanded? As the habitat expanded, did it become more or less suitable for supporting life?

6. Think Critically Would you expect the same results if you were to perform this experiment in other types of habitats? Explain.

7. Think Critically Would you expect the same results 10 years from now? 20 years from now? Explain your answer.

APPLY YOUR SKILLPresentation Diagram and explain at least one food chain that might exist in the habitat you explored in this lab. To learn more about habitat size and species diversity, visit BioLabs at biologygmh.com.

FIELD INVESTIGATION: EXPLORE HABITAT SIZE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY

045-051_C02_S3_869510.indd 51 4/24/06 10:16:50 AM



Use the ExamView® Assessment Suite CD-ROM to:• create multiple versions of tests• create modified tests with one

mouse click• edit existing questions and add

your own questions• build tests aligned with state

standards using built-in state curriculum tags

• change English tests to Spanish with one mouse click

• track students’ progress using the Teacher Management System

Study GuideFOLDABLESTM The law of conservation

of matter states that under normal cir-cumstances, matter can be neither cre-ated nor destroyed. Through natural cycles, such as the water cycle, the car-bon cycle, and the phosphorus cycle, matter moves through an ecosystem in the form of nutrients. Physical and chemical changes take place during these natural cycles. For example, the carbon in carbon dioxide undergoes a series of reactions and forms new sub-stances throughout the cycle, but mat-ter is neither created nor destroyed.

52 Chapter 2 • Study Guide Vocabulary PuzzleMaker biologygmh.com

Vocabulary PuzzleMaker

For additional practice with vocabulary, have students access the Vocabulary PuzzleMaker online at biologygmh.com.

Students can visit biologygmh.com to:• study the entire chapter online• access Web links for more

information, projects, and activities

• review content online with the Interactive Tutor and take Self-Check Quizzes

• take Chapter Tests and Standardized Test Practice

• use Study to Go to download content onto a PDA

Vocabulary Key Concepts

Section 2.1 Organisms and Their Relationships

• abiotic factor (p. 35)• biological community (p. 36)• biome (p. 36)• biosphere (p. 34)• biotic factor (p. 35)• commensalism (p. 40)• ecology (p. 32)• ecosystem (p. 36)• habitat (p. 38)• mutualism (p. 39)• niche (p. 38)• parasitism (p. 40)• population (p. 36)• predation (p. 38)• symbiosis (p. 39)


• Ecology is the branch of biology in which interrelationships between organisms and their environments are studied.

• Levels of organization in ecological studies include individual, population, biological community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.

• Abiotic and biotic factors shape an ecosystem and determine the communities that will be successful in it.

• Symbiosis is the close relationship that exists when two or more species live together.

Section 2.2Section 2.2 Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem

• autotroph (p. 41)• biomass (p. 44)• carnivore (p. 41)• detritivore (p. 42)• food chain (p. 43)• food web (p. 43)• herbivore (p. 41)• heterotroph (p. 41)• omnivore (p. 42)• trophic level (p. 42)


• Autotrophs capture energy from the Sun or use energy from certain chemical substances to make food.

• Heterotrophs include herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritivores.• A trophic level is a step in a food chain or food web.• Food chains, food webs, and ecological pyramids are models used to show

how energy moves through ecosystems.

SectionSection 2.32.3 Cycling of Matter

• biogeochemical cycle (p. 45)• denitrification (p. 48)• matter (p. 45)• nitrogen fixation (p. 48)• nutrient (p. 45)

Essential nutrients are cycled through biogeochemical processes.• Biogeochemical cycles include the exchange of important elements

between the abiotic and biotic parts of an ecosystem.• The carbon and oxygen cycles are closely intertwined.• Nitrogen gas is limited in its ability to enter biotic portions of the

environment. • Phosphorus and carbon have short-term and long-term cycles.

FOLDABLES Summarize the law of conservation of matter, and explain how it applies to the physical and chemical changes that take place in substances during natural cycles.

Download quizzes, key terms, and flash cards from biologygmh.com.

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 52 4/24/06 10:18:55 AM 052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 53 4/24/06 10:19:00 AM






Chapter 2 • Assessment 53Chapter Test biologygmh.com

Assessment

Section 2.1

Vocabulary Review 1. habitat 2. population 3. ecosystem

Understand Key Concepts 4. B 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B

Constructed Response 9. A habitat is an area where an

organism lives. A niche is a role an organism plays in the habitat.

10. Student responses will vary widely, but may include abiotic factors such as temperature and rainfall.

11. There are extreme difficulties in studying the entire biosphere. It is easier and more economical to study populations, communities, or ecosystems on a local level.

Think Critically 12. Student answers will vary

depending upon the examples they choose. Sample response: A predator-prey relationship exists between starlings that eat worms. The starlings may compete among themselves for the worms. Lice may be parasitic on the skin of the starlings.

13. Each organism benefits from the other, because each organism provides something the other cannot get on its own.

Section 2.2

Vocabulary Review 14. Terms describe organisms that cannot make

their own food. 15. Terms describe relationships in the flow of

energy in an ecosystem. 16. Terms describe organisms that consume

other organisms or the remains of decaying organisms.

17. Terms describe parts of a food web.

Section 2.2

Section 2.3

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 52 4/24/06 10:18:55 AM

Section 2.1

Vocabulary ReviewReplace each underlined word with the correct vocabu-lary term from the Study Guide page.

1. A niche is the place in which an organism lives.

2. The presence of interbreeding individuals in one place at a given time is called a biological community.

3. A group of biological communities that interact with the physical environment is the biosphere.

Understand Key Concepts

4. Which of these levels of organization includes all the other levels?A. community C. individualB. ecosystem D. population

5. Which would be an abiotic factor for a tree in the forest?A. a caterpillar eating its leavesB. wind blowing through its branchesC. a bird nesting in its branchesD. fungus growing on its roots

Use the photo below to answer questions 6 and 7.

6. The insect in the photo above is gathering pollen and nectar for food, but at the same time is aiding in the plant’s reproduction. What does this relation-ship demonstrate?A. predation C. mutualismB. commensalism D. parasitism

7. What term best describes the bee’s role of gathering pollen?A. niche C. parasiteB. predator D. habitat

Use the illustration below to answer question 8.

8. Which type of heterotroph best describes this snake?A. herbivore C. omnivoreB. carnivore D. detritivore

Constructed Response

9. Short Answer Explain the difference between a habitat and niche.

10. Open Ended Describe two abiotic factors that affect your environment.

11. Careers In biology Summarize why most ecologists do not study the biosphere level of organization.

Think Critically

12. Identify an example of a predator-prey relation-ship, a competitive relationship, and a symbiotic relationship in an ecosystem near where you live.

13. Explain why it is advantageous for organisms such as fungi and algae to form mutualistic relationships.

Section 2.2

Vocabulary ReviewExplain how the terms in each set below are related.

14. heterotroph, omnivore, carnivore

15. food chain, food web, trophic level

16. decomposer, heterotroph, carnivore

17. autotroph, food chain, heterotroph

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 53 4/24/06 10:19:00 AM



Chapter Test biologygmh.com54 Chapter 2 • Assessment

Understand Key Concepts 18. B 19. A 20. A 21. D 22. D

Constructed Response 23. Answers will vary. For example:

grass ➝ grasshopper ➝ starling, or something similar. Students should not just say insect or bird, but should name a specific kind.

24. Food webs are more complex than food chains; they are better models for showing energy flow in communities or ecosystems because they can show more detail.

25. 990 calories

Think Critically 26. Posters will vary depending upon

the area of the country where you live. Accept all reasonable food web interactions.

Section 2.3

Vocabulary Review 27. nutrient 28. nitrogen fixation 29. biogeochemical cycle

Understand Key Concepts 30. D 31. B


18. How does energy first enter a pond ecosystem? A. through growth of algaeB. through light from the SunC. through decay of dead fishD. through runoff from fields

19. Which statement is true about energy in an ecosystem?A. Energy for most ecosystems originates from

the Sun.B. Energy most often is released as light from

an ecosystem.C. Energy flows from heterotrophs to autotrophs.D. Energy levels increase toward the top of the food

chain.

Use the illustration below to answer questions 20 and 21.

20. What does the illustration represent?A. a food web C. an ecological pyramidB. a food chain D. a pyramid of energy

21. Which organism in the illustration is an autotroph?A. frog C. foxB. grasshopper D. grass

22. Which is a detritivore?A. cat C. sunflowerB. mouse D. crayfish


23. Open Ended Illustrate a three-step food chain that might occur in your community. Use specific organisms.

24. Short Answer Describe why food webs usually are better models for explaining energy flow than food chains.

25. Short Answer Determine approximately how much total energy is lost from a three-step food chain if 1000 calories enter at the autotroph level.

Think Critically

26. Apply Information Create a poster of a food web that might exist in an ecosystem that differs from your community. Include as many organisms as possible in the food web.

Section 2.3

Vocabulary ReviewEach of the following sentences is false. Make each sentence true by replacing the italicized word with a vocabulary term from the Study Guide page.

27. Because nitrogen is required for growth, it is con-sidered an essential nitrate.

28. Converting nitrogen from a gas to a useable form by bacteria is denitrification.

29. The movement of chemicals on a global scale from abiotic through biotic parts of the environment is a lithospheric process.


30. What is the name of the process in which bacteria and lightning convert nitrogen into compounds that are useful to plants?A. ammonification C. nitrate cyclingB. denitrification D. nitrogen fixation

Use the following diagram to answer question 31.

31. Where is the largest concentration of nitrogen found?A. animals C. bacteriaB. atmosphere D. plants

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 54 4/24/06 10:19:04 AM 052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 55 4/24/06 10:19:08 AM



Chapter Test biologygmh.com Chapter 2 • Assessment 55

32. B 33. A

Constructed Response 34. It is true that the fox depends on

mice for food. However, the mice depend on producers for food. Without the grass, there could be no mice and, therefore, no foxes.

35. Carbon can be converted into different chemical compounds and used first by one organism and then by another before entering the atmosphere for recycling, but the carbon atoms are never created nor destroyed.

36. The decomposers break down tissues and wastes and release nitrogen-containing compounds that are converted to other nitrogen-containing compounds or nitrogen gas.

Think Critically 37. Available phosphorus levels would

increase. These increases could allow greater plant growth and higher animal productivity.

38. Decomposers break down organisms, which allows the phosphorus in the organisms to go back into the ecosystem.

Additional Assessment

Use the modifiable rubric found on your TeacherWorks™ CD-ROM to assess writing assignments.

39. Poems will vary. To receive full credit, students should properly use at least three vocabulary words and explain one of the principles presented in the chapter.

Document-Based QuestionsMohlenbrock, R. H. 2004 –2005. Florida high. Natural History 113: 46–47.

40. Students should produce a food web with the maximum number of possible connections.

41. Organisms hide in the burrows to escape fires. They are effective because they are underground shelters that are out of the way of the fire.

Cumulative Review 42. Science is a body of knowledge based on the

study of nature and its physical setting. Pseudoscience is an area of study that tries to imitate science.

43. A controlled experiment is an investigation in which only one factor, called the indepen-dent variable, is changed at the time. Data is gathered about the changes in the dependent variable. Other experimental conditions are held constant, and a control group might be used for comparision.

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 54 4/24/06 10:19:04 AM

Additional Assessment32. What are the two major life processes that involve

carbon and oxygen?A. coal formation and photosynthesisB. photosynthesis and respirationC. fuel combustion and open burning D. death and decay

33. Which process locks phosphorus in a long-term cycle?A. organic materials buried at the bottom of oceansB. phosphates released into the soilC. animals and plants eliminating wastesD. rain eroding mountains


34. Short Answer Clarify what is meant by the fol-lowing statement: Grass is just as important as mice in the diet of a carnivore such as a fox.

35. Short Answer The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. How does this law relate to the cycling of carbon in an ecosystem?

36. Short Answer Explain the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle.

Think CriticallyUse the illustration below to answer question 37 and 38.

37. Interpret Scientific Illustrations Predict the effect of additional mountain building in the Rocky Mountains on the levels of phosphorus in the surrounding valleys.

38. Explain how decomposers supply phosphorus to soil, groundwater, oceans, lakes, ponds, and rivers.

39. Write a poem that includes vocabulary terms and concepts from the chapter.

Document-Based QuestionsThe following information pertains to an ancient sand dune in Florida that is now landlocked—Lake Wales Ridge. Read the passage and answer the follow-ing questions.Data obtained from: Mohlenbrock, R. H. 2004 –2005. Florida high. Natural History

113: 46–47.

The federally listed animals that live on the ridge are the blue-tailed mole skink, the Florida scrub jay, and the sand skink (which seems to “swim” through loose sand of the scrub). Other animals on the ridge are the eastern indigo snake (which can grow to more than eight feet long, making it the longest nonvenomous snake species in North America), the Florida black bear, the Florida gopher frog, the Florida mouse, the Florida pine snake, the Florida sandhill crane, the Florida scrub lizard, the gopher tortoise, Sherman’s fox squirrel, and the short-tailed snake.

The gopher tortoise is particularly important because its burrows, sometimes as long as thirty feet, serve as homes for several of the rare species as well as many other more common organisms. The burrows also provide temporary havens when fires sweep through the area, or when temperatures reach high or low extremes.

40. Construct a simple food web using at least five of the organisms listed.

41. Explain how the burrows are used during fires and why they are effective.

Cumulative Review

42. Distinguish between science and pseudoscience. (Chapter 1)

43. Describe conditions under which a controlled experiment occurs. (Chapter 1)

052-055_C02_CA_869510.indd 55 4/24/06 10:19:08 AM



Standardized Test Practice biologygmh.com

Standardized Test PracticeMultiple Choice 1. C 6. B 2. B 7. B 3. C 8. A 4. D 9. B 5. A

Short Answer 10. Answers can vary. Possible

answers include the following. Biotic factors: organisms that may be a food source for the worm; organisms that compete with the worm for nutrients. Abiotic factors: amount of water in the soil; temperature of the soil.

11. Answers can vary. Possible answers include the following.

A. Nitrogen cycle: nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen from the air into a form available to the plants.

B. Oxygen cycle: the worm uses oxygen for respiration.

C. Carbon cycle: as plant and animal matter in the soil decompose, carbon dioxide gas is released into the atmosphere.

12. In everyday use, “theory” often means just an idea or an unsupported explanation for something. For scientists, a theory is a way to summarize an idea that is based on many observations and experiments

13. Answers might vary. One possible answer is that scientific knowledge is constantly changing as new discoveries are made. New discoveries may change the way scientists make observations and interpretations, thus expanding scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge will continue to grow because humans are curious and they do not know everything.

56 Chapter 2 • Assessment

1. Which would be considered an ecosystem?A. bacteria living in a deep ocean ventB. biotic factors in a forestC. living and nonliving things in a pondD. populations of zebras and lions


2. Which part of the diagram above relates to carbon leaving a long-term cycle?A. Dissolved CO

2

B. Fuel combustionC. Photosynthesis and respirationD. Volcanic activity

3. Which part of the diagram above relates to carbon moving from an abiotic to a biotic part of the ecosystem?A. Dissolved CO

2

B. Fuel combustionC. Photosynthesis and respirationD. Volcanic activity

4. Which is a scientific explanation of a natural phe-nomenon supported by many observations and experiments?A. factorB. hypothesisC. resultD. theory

5. The mole is the SI unit for which quantity?A. number of particles in a substanceB. compounds that make up a substanceC. number of elements in a substanceD. total mass of a substance

6. Suppose two leaf-eating species of animals live in a habitat where there is a severe drought, and many plants die as a result of the drought. Which term describes the kind of relationship the two species probably will have?A. commensalismB. competitionC. mutualismD. predation

Use the illustration below to answer questions 7–9.

7. Which part of the food web above contains the greatest biomass?A. foxesB. green plantsC. miceD. rabbits

8. Which part of the food web above contains the least biomass?A. foxesB. green plantsC. miceD. rabbits

9. What happens to the energy that the fox uses for maintaining its body temperature?A. It is taken up by decomposers that consume the fox.B. It moves into the surrounding environment.C. It stays in the fox through the metabolism of food.D. It travels to the next trophic level when the fox is

eaten.

Cumulative

Multiple Choice

Standardized Test Practice

056-057_C02_STP_869510.indd 56 5/16/06 2:43:44 PM 056-057_C02_STP_869510.indd 57 5/16/06 2:43:52 PM

056-057_C02_STP_869511.indd 56056-057_C02_STP_869511.indd 56 6/8/06 3:07:15 PM6/8/06 3:07:15 PM


Standardized Test Practice biologygmh.com

14. Eventually all the organisms in the forest would die. Without decomposer organisms to break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil, plants and other organisms could not live. Eventually, most of the available nutrients would be tied up in the dead organisms and would be no longer available to living organisms.

15. Answers can vary. Biologists could try to answer questions about how the organisms live, where they live, how they interact with each other, how they interact with their environment, and where they originated.

Extended Response 16. The drawing clearly shows that the

structure of a bat wing and a bird wing are different and therefore not closely related. A bat’s wing is structurally more similar to a human arm. The multiple bones in the outer part of a bat’s wing are similar to the multiple bones in the fingers of the human hand. In a bird’s wing, the outer bones are few in number.

17. Answers can vary. For example, one experiment is to make movies of bats and birds in flight. Then, compare characteristics, such as the range of wing movement and frequency of wing motion, by doing graphic analysis of the movie frames.

Essay Question 18. Answers can vary, depending on

which substance students choose to write. For example, water is a pos-sible topic. Water cycles through a short-term cycle when it evaporates from bodies of water, forms clouds, and falls back to Earth in the form of precipitation. It can also enter a long- term cycle if it is frozen in glaciers or percolates into inacces-sible areas underground. Water that is part of a long-term cycle is not available to humans for drinking, bathing, fishing, and so on. The only freshwater that is useful to humans is involved in short-term cycles through the biosphere.

Chapter 2 • Assessment 57

056-057_C02_STP_869510.indd 56 5/16/06 2:43:44 PM


10. What are two biotic factors and two abiotic factors that affect a worm found in a situation similar to what is shown in the diagram?

11. Explain the portions of the following biogeochem-ical cycles that are related to the diagram above.A. Nitrogen cycleB. Oxygen cycleC. Carbon cycle

12. Distinguish between the everyday use of the term theory and its true scientific meaning.

13. Evaluate how scientific knowledge changes and how the amount of scientific knowledge grows. Suggest a reason why it probably will continue to grow.

14. Describe how a forest ecosystem might be different without the presence of decomposers and detritivores.

15. Suppose that some unknown organisms are discov-ered in the deep underground of Earth. Give two examples of questions that biologists might try to answer by researching these organisms.

Use this drawing to answer questions 16 and 17.

16. Someone tells you that bats and birds are closely related because they both have wings. Evaluate how this diagram could be used to critique the idea that bats and birds are not closely related.

17. Suppose you form a hypothesis that bats and birds are not closely related and you want to confirm this by comparing the way bats and birds fly. Design an experiment to test this hypothesis.

Essay Question

Various substances or elements on Earth move through long-term and short-term biogeochemical cycles as they become part of different aspects of the biosphere. The amount of a substance that is involved in a long-term cycle has an effect on the availability of that substance for use by humans and other organisms on Earth.

Using the information in the paragraph above, answer the following question in essay format.

18. Choose a substance or element that you know is involved in both long-term and short-term biogeo-chemical cycles. In a well-organized essay, describe how it moves through both types of cycles, and how these cycles affect its availability to humans and other organisms.

Short Answer Extended Response

If You Missed Question . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Review Section . . . 2.2 2.32.3,2.1

1.2 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.2 1.2 2.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 2.3

NEED EXTRA HELP?

056-057_C02_STP_869510.indd 57 6/13/06 2:04:26 PM

056-057_C02_STP_869511.indd 57056-057_C02_STP_869511.indd 57 6/13/06 2:10:17 PM6/13/06 2:10:17 PM


Documents

Chapter 2: Principles of Ecology - Old Bridge Township ... · Safety Precaution Approve lab safety forms before work begins. Teaching Strategies • Cultures of wild-type fruit flies