Student WorkbookCalifornia Education and the Environment Initiative

Responding to Environmental Change

Science Standard 7.3.e.

California Education and the Environment InitiativeApproved by the California State Board of Education, 2010

The Education and the Environment Initiative Curriculum is a cooperative endeavor of the following entities:California Environmental Protection Agency

California Natural Resources Agency

California State Board of Education

California Department of Education

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Key Partners:Special thanks to Heal the Bay, sponsor of the EEI law, for their partnership

and participation in reviewing portions of the EEI curriculum.

Valuable assistance with maps, photos, videos and design was provided by the

National Geographic Society under a contract with the State of California.

Office of Education and the Environment1001 I Street • Sacramento, California 95814 • (916) 341-6769

http://www.CaliforniaEEI.org

© Copyright 2011 by the California Environmental Protection Agency© 2018 Third Edition

All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be used or reproduced without

permission from the Office of Education and the Environment.

These materials may be reproduced by teachers for educational purposes.

Lesson 1 Adapting to Environmental Change

Key Unit Vocabulary 2

Adaptive Characteristics and Responses to Change 3

Adapting to Change 5

Lesson 2 What Causes Extinctions? Masters

Extinction Chart 8

About Extinction 9

Lesson 3 Human Population Growth and Extinction

Graphing Population Data 11

Lesson 4 Natural Resources and Extinction

Natural Resources and Extinction 13

Natural Resources Summary 15

Lesson 5 Human-Caused Change in Ecosystems

Changes in Ecosystems 16

Lesson 6 When Species Cannot Adapt: A Discussion

Risk of Extinction 19

Contents

2 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Adaptation: A change in the body or behavior of a species in response to a new environmental condition. Adaptation occurs over several generations.

Adaptive characteristic: A physical or behavioral trait that allows survival in a wide range of conditions (for example, temperature, food supply, or habitat).

Consumption: The process of obtaining energy and matter from a natural system, such as by eating other organisms; the process of using goods produced by natural or human social systems; or, in the context of energy resources, the use and conversion of an energy source from one form to another.

Endangered: The legal status of a plant or animal species that is in danger of becoming extinct.

Evolution: The process by which species develop as a result of a natural selection for beneficial adaptations. Evolution occurs over many generations.

Extinct: No longer existing as a species or subspecies.

Human imprint: The combined effects of human activities on the environment over time.

Natural resources: Materials, such as water, minerals, energy, and soil, that people use from nature and natural systems.

Natural selection: The process by which individuals with advantageous variations survive and reproduce.

Nonnative species: Organisms that were not originally found in an area, but were transported there through human activity.

Nonrenewable resources: Natural resources that are finite and exhaustible, and are not naturally replenished at a rate comparable to the rate at which they are consumed by humans.

Population growth: An increase in the number of individuals of a species.

Resource conservation: The management, protection, and use of resources in a way that can meet current and future needs.

Threatened: The legal status of a plant or animal species that has a small population and may become endangered.

Urban development: The conversion of rural or natural landscapes into cities (urban areas).

Key Unit Vocabulary Lesson 1

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 3

Name: _____________________________________

Adaptive Characteristics and Responses to ChangeLesson 1 | page 1 of 2In

stru

ctio

ns: U

se w

hat y

ou h

ave

lear

ned

from

Cal

iforn

ia C

onne

ctio

ns: Th

e Coy

ote S

ucce

ss S

tory

to c

ompl

ete

the

char

t bel

ow.

Spec

ies:

Coy

ote

Ada

ptiv

e

Cha

ract

eris

tics

Effe

cts o

f Ada

ptiv

e C

hara

cter

istic

sRo

le H

uman

s Pla

y in

the

Surv

ival

of S

peci

es

Cha

nges

to th

e En

viro

nmen

tSp

ecie

s’ R

espo

nse

to

Cha

nge

4 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Adaptive Characteristics and Responses to ChangeLesson 1 | page 2 of 2

Inst

ruct

ions

: Rea

d th

e ar

ticle

s abo

ut th

e ad

aptiv

e sp

ecie

s (C

anad

a go

ose

and

opos

sum

). Th

en c

ompl

ete

the

char

t bel

ow. H

ow h

ave

hum

an c

hang

es to

the

envi

ronm

ent a

ffect

ed e

ach

of th

ese

spec

ies?

Spec

ies:

Can

ada

goos

eA

dapt

ive

C

hara

cter

istic

sEf

fect

s of A

dapt

ive

Cha

ract

eris

tics

Role

Hum

ans P

lay i

n th

e Su

rviv

al o

f Spe

cies

C

hang

es to

the

Envi

ronm

ent

Spec

ies’

Res

pons

e to

C

hang

e

Spec

ies:

Opo

ssum

Name: _____________________________________

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 5

Adapting to Change Lesson 1 | page 1 of 3

Name: _____________________________________

Instructions: Read each question and write the answers in the space provided.

1. What is an adaptation? Give one example. (2 points)

2. What is an adaptive characteristic? Give one example. (2 points)

3. What is natural selection? (1 point)

6 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Adapting to ChangeLesson 1 | page 2 of 3

Name: _____________________________________

Instructions: Read the following description of western gulls. Explain the adaptive characteristics that allow western gulls to live in areas that have been affected by humans by completing the chart on the next page. (15 points)

The western gull lives along the coast of California on cliffs, beaches, harbors, islands, and bays. With its large bill and a digestive system that can digest many kinds of food, the gull can eat a varied diet. The gull floats on the surface of the water, dining on food, such as fish, squid, or sea jellies. It also eats food found on land, including small birds, eggs, and the bodies of dead animals.

Western gull populations are increasing in California, probably because their food sources have increased. The birds hover around fishing boats and enjoy scraps thrown overboard by fish

cleaners. Gulls also find food from trash cans and landfills. Western gulls are intelligent and can change their behavior based on what they learn about their environment. For example, they have learned to use human-made structures, such as boats, docks, and bridges for nesting. Western gulls have also learned to be aggressive around humans, demanding food at beaches, docks, and harbors.

Western Gull

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 7

Name: _____________________________________

Adapting to Change Lesson 1 | page 3 of 3

Spec

ies:

Wes

tern

gul

lA

dapt

ive

C

hara

cter

istic

sEf

fect

s of A

dapt

ive

Cha

ract

eris

tics

Role

Hum

ans P

lay i

n th

e Su

rviv

al o

f Spe

cies

Cha

nges

to th

e En

viro

nmen

tSp

ecie

s’ R

espo

nse

to

Cha

nge

Inst

ruct

ions

: Use

info

rmat

ion

from

the

artic

le a

bout

the

Wes

tern

Gul

l to

com

plet

e th

e fo

llow

ing

char

t. (3

poi

nts e

ach)

8 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Inst

ruct

ions

: Rea

d ab

out y

our a

nim

al in

Ext

inct

Spe

cies

Rea

ding

s, th

en c

ompl

ete

the

rela

ted

row

in th

e ch

art b

elow

.

Des

crib

e th

e A

nim

al

Whe

n D

id It

Liv

e?W

here

Did

It L

ive?

In W

hat K

ind

of

Envi

ronm

ent D

id It

Li

ve?

Wha

t Cha

nges

Too

k Pl

ace

That

Cau

sed

This

Ani

mal

to

Beco

me

Extin

ct?

Spec

ies:

Allo

saur

us

Spec

ies:

Pass

enge

r Pig

eon

Spec

ies:

Woo

lly M

amm

oth

Extinction ChartLesson 2

Name: _____________________________________

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 9

Instructions: Select an extinct species from the Extinct Species Readings and write the animal’s name above the box below. Draw a picture that shows the animal and the factors that may have caused it to become extinct.

Animal: ____________________________________________Drawing (4 points)

About ExtinctionLesson 2 | page 1 of 2

Name: _____________________________________

10 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

About ExtinctionLesson 2 | page 2 of 2

Instructions: Answer the questions in the spaces provided. (3 points each)

What natural factors or environmental changes may have caused this species to go extinct?

What human factors may have caused this species to go extinct?

Name: _____________________________________

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 11

Graphing Population Data

Lesson 3 | page 1 of 2

Instructions: Using a pencil or pen, graph world population over time. Use a different color to graph known bird and mammal extinctions over time. Note which color you use for each type of data. (8 points)

World population (pen or pencil color): ______________________

Known bird and mammal extinctions (pen or pencil color): ________________________

Name: _____________________________________

Instructions: Read each question and write the answers in the spaces provided. (2 points each)

1. Over the past 350 years, when has the rate of population change been the greatest? How is this represented on the graph?

2. Over the past 350 years, when has the rate of extinction been the greatest? How is this represented on the graph?

3. Based on the shape of the curve on the graph, what do you predict will happen to the number of bird and mammal extinctions if the human population continues to grow? Why?

Wo

rld

Po

pu

latio

n (

in m

illio

ns)

Num

ber

of E

xtin

ctio

ns (

Per

50

Yea

rs)

Year

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

01650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

World Population and Known Bird and Mammal Extinctions Since 1650

12 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Graphing Population Data

Lesson 3 | page 2 of 2

Name: _____________________________________

4. Do you think the data you used to create these graphs is completely accurate? Why or why not?

5. Do you think that human population size and extinction rates are related? How?

6. Many more people live in California now than lived here 100 years ago. How do you think this population growth has changed the state’s ecosystems?

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 13

Instructions: With your group, answer the following question and fill in the charts based on the information from your Resource Reading.

Resource:

What is this resource used for?

Instructions: In the chart below, describe the different methods that people use to acquire and process this resource, and how these actions affect ecosystems. Use a new row for each method you describe.

Methods People Use to Acquire and Process this Resource

How this Activity Affects Ecosystems

How this Activity Affects Species

Natural Resources and Extinction

Lesson 4 | page 1 of 2

Name: _____________________________________

14 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Natural Resources and Extinction

Lesson 4 | page 2 of 2

Instructions: In the chart below, describe the different ways that people consume this resource, and how consumption affects ecosystems. Use a new row for each type of consumption you describe.

Ways People Consume this Resource

How this Activity Affects Ecosystems

How this Activity Affects Species

Instructions: In the chart below, describe the different ways that people can reduce resource use. Use a new row for each conservation activity you describe.

Ways People Conserve this Resource

How this Activity Affects Ecosystems

How this Activity Affects Species

Name: _____________________________________

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 15

Natural Resources Summary

Lesson 4

Name: _____________________________________

Inst

ruct

ions

: For

each

reso

urce

stud

ied

in cl

ass,

give

exam

ples

of h

ow p

eopl

e acq

uire

, pro

cess

, or c

onsu

me t

he n

atur

al re

sour

ce ca

n aff

ect e

cosy

stem

s. Ba

se y

our a

nsw

ers o

n yo

ur re

adin

g an

d yo

ur cl

assm

ates

’ rep

orts

. (2

poin

ts ea

ch ce

ll)

Way

s Peo

ple

Acq

uire

, Pr

oces

s, or

Con

sum

e th

is

Res

ourc

e

How

this

Act

ivity

A

ffec

ts E

cosy

stem

sH

ow th

is A

ctio

n

Aff

ects

Spe

cies

How

Hum

ans C

an

Red

uce

Effe

cts o

n Sp

ecie

s and

Ec

osys

tem

s

Res

ourc

e: C

rude

Oil

Res

ourc

e: C

oal

Res

ourc

e: P

aper

Res

ourc

e: F

ish

16 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Changes in EcosystemsLesson 5 | page 1 of 3

Instructions: Fill in the chart below with an example from each ecosystem in the Changes in Ecosystems game. Use the information in the chart to answer the questions on the next page. (1 point per cell)

Ecosystem Give an example of one human activity and why it could put a species at risk of extinction

Give an example of one human activity and why it could increase the population of a species

Describe one characteristic of the ecosystem that affects how it responds to one type of human change

Coastal Dunes

Kelp Forest

High Desert

Name: _____________________________________

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 17

Changes in EcosystemsLesson 5 | page 2 of 3

Name: _____________________________________

Instructions: Human activities have put all three of these ecosystems at risk of being destroyed. Select one of the ecosystems and use the information from the chart on the previous page to answer the questions in the space provided. (3 points each).

Ecosystem: _________________________________________________ 1. What kinds of things do people do to this ecosystem that alter it?

2. Some ecosystems can recover from human actions better than others once those actions are stopped or reversed. What is one thing about this ecosystem that affects how it is able to recover from human actions?

18 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Changes in EcosystemsLesson 5 | page 3 of 3

Name: _____________________________________

3. How can people change their activities to help this ecosystem survive?

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook 19

Risk of Extinction Lesson 6 | page 1 of 2

Name: _____________________________________

Instructions: Read each question and write the answers in the space provided.

1. Look at the species you described as being at high risk of extinction. Why are these species endangered? (4 points)

Instructions: Read the Species Background to find out about each of the five species in California. Next, on the Human Imprint student map, locate the areas where each species lives. Use the information you find there and in the reading to fill in the chart below. (1 point per cell)

Species Describe the level of human change to this animal’s ecosystem (High, Medium, Low, or Varies)

Do you think this species can survive despite these changes?

Do you think this species is at high or low risk of extinction? (High risk means it is endangered)

Salt marsh harvest mouse

Coyote

California least tern

Raccoon

Fresno kangaroo rat

20 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE I Unit 7.3.e. I Responding to Environmental Change I Student Workbook

Risk of Extinction Lesson 6 | page 2 of 2

Name: _____________________________________

2. Give one example of a species that you have learned about in this unit that is threatened or endangered. What kinds of environmental changes are happening to this species’ ecosystem? (3 points)

3. What prevents this species from responding to these changes? (3 points)

4. If a species is at high risk of extinction, what actions can be taken to prevent this from happening? (3 points)

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