ECOLOGY PROJECT
Directions: Complete the following activities. You will submit all projects in a
folder. A cover page listing all of the assignments and expected points will be
included in the front of the folder. Any activities completed above that point
range will be considered extra credit. (Up to 10 points) Projects should be typed
and of your best work.
ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1 - Required [Value: 10 points]
Before beginning any other activities, this activity must be completed first.
It will introduce you to basic concepts needed to understand some of the
other activities.
Use text and internet to answer the following questions.
Write down and answer the following questions:
1. Explain what is meant by a biome.
2. Name the 6 major land biomes.
3. Distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors in the environment
4.
5.
6.
7.
and give 3 examples of each.
Distinguish between a food chain and a food web.
Distinguish between interspecific and intraspecific competition.
Explain what is meant by symbiosis and define and give an
example of each of the following symbiotic relationships:
parasitism, commensalism, mutualism.
Explain what is meant by an energy pyramid.
ACTIVITY 2 - BIOMES RequiredYou must complete Part A and Part B of this activity.
PART A. BIOME Scavenger Hunt [Value: 15 points]
Using any resources available, answer the following questions about
biomes.
1. Which biome has the most rainfall and is the warmest?
2. Which biome is the coldest and driest?
3. Which biome has annual rainfall in excess of 2000 mm?
4. Which biome has little rainfall and is hot?
5. What is another name for land biomes?
6. Name 2 biomes that are treeless.
7. Which biome has 2 seasons only?
8. Which biome is the largest terrestrial biome?
9. Name 3 biomes that contain forests.
10. How much rain does a desert biome receive?
11. Which biome covers one-fifth of the Earth's surface?
12. What is the largest desert biome?
13. How much rain does a tropical rain forest receive?
14. Which biome receives less than 50 cm of rain per year?
15. Which biome has the greatest diversity of species?
PART B. BIOME Investigation. [Value: 20 points]
In this assignment, you will investigate a single land biome. Pick any one
you wish. Using any resources available, do the following.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Describe your biome.
Summarize its major biotic and abiotic factors.
Make a chart of the average monthly precipitation for one full year.
Make a chart of the average monthly temperature for one full year.
Make a graph plotting the temperature and precipitation on the
same graph. Be sure to label fully.
Determine the major organisms that live in your biome. Include at
least 2-3 examples of animals, green plants, fungi, bacteria. Be
sure to include their names.
Draw a food web using all the organisms mentioned above.
Construct a pyramid of energy for the biome, using the names of
the organisms you researched.
Name 2 organisms in your biome that illustrate mutualism.
Name 2 organisms in your biome that illustrate commensalism.
Name 2 organisms in your biome that illustrate parasitism.
Give an example of interspecific competition.
USEFUL INTERNET REFERENCES:
1. The World's Biomes
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php
2. Tour of Biomes
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.ht
ml
3. Habitats and Biomes
http://library.thinkquest.org/11922/habitats/habitats.htm
4. Types of Biomes http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
ACTIVITY 3 - - POPULATIONS [Value: 10 points]
Using your textbook and any internet references, answer the following questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define the following terms: population, population growth, biotic potential, limiting
factors.
Explain what is meant by carrying capacity.
Distinguish between density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors
and give an example of each.
Growth curves illustrate how a population is growing in size. State the difference
between an S-curve and a J-curve and explain why they are different.
The data below represent the growth of a population of yeast over a period of 18
hours. Using graph paper, and proper labeling, draw a growth curve to show the
growth of this population. On the X-axis, show the age of the population (in hours)
and on the Y-axis, show the number of yeast cells.
Age of
Number of individual yeast
Population (in
cells
hours)
0
1
1
10
2
18
3
25
4
45
5
65
6
115
7
185
8
270
9
350
10
440
11
500
12
560
13
600
14
625
15
640
16
645
17
650
18
650
6. The data below represent the growth of a population of deer over a
period of 12 years. Using graph paper, and proper labeling, draw a
growth curve to show the growth of this population. On the X-axis,
show the age of the population (in years) and on the Y-axis, show
the number of deer.
Year of
count
Number of
deer
1988 (Year
1)
20
1989
20
1990
22
1991
26
1992
27
1993
28
1994
40
1995
80
1996
128
1997
130
1998
132
1999
133
7. Determine which of the above graphs represents a J-curve and which
one represents an S-curve. Explain your answer.
8. On the S-curve, label (in colored ink) the carrying capacity of this
population.
9. J-curves result only under ideal conditions, which rarely happens in
nature. State three specific things that might prevent the population in your
J-curve from reaching its biotic potential. State whether these limiting
factors are density-dependent or density-independent.
ACTIVITY 4 - [Value: 10 points]
Use the internet to make a collection of at least 5 articles. These articles
should be about the ways humans interact with the environment and
possible consequences of these interactions. Some examples of topics are
woodlot cutting, sustainability, pesticide use, deforestation, etc. For each
article, write a paragraph summarizing the article. This must be written in
your own words. Also, you must include the source of the article and the
date of publication. Articles must be recent - no more than one year old.
ACTIVITY 5 - [Value: 5 points]
You have just won $25 million dollars from a lottery! However, there is a
catch! You must spend 80% of it on ways to help improve the environment.
Decide what environmental issues are of importance to you. Make a chart
or pie graph which shows what environmental issue you are supporting,
whether the problem is local or global, and how much money you would
spend on each issue. Below the chart or graph, explain WHY you made
the choices you did.
ACTIVITY 6 - [Value: 5 points]
Show you care! Design a bumper sticker that supports the environment.
Your bumper sticker MUST MEET the following criteria: - 40 cm by 20 cm made of bristol board or cardboard - colorful and visually appealing and
eye-catching - neat and easy to read.
ACTIVITY 7 - [Value: 5 points]
Construct a crossword puzzle using the crossword generator program from
www.discoveryschool.com. Your puzzle must contain at least 15 clues,
including the following: biome, abiotic, symbiosis, natality, mortality, biotic,
intraspecific, mutualism, ecosystem, population. The other clues can be
any you wish. You must submit a clean copy of the puzzle (one that can be
copied) as well as one with the answers supplied.
ACTIVITY 8 - [Value: 5 points]
Obtain a map of North America or Canada. Color or highlight or label in
some way an area on the map where each of the six land biomes is found.
ACTIVITY 9 - [Value: 10 points]
Explore one of the 10 biomes listed in Chapter 31. List 20 organisms, with
their scientific name, that would be found in the biome. Include a picture of
what the organism looks like.
ACTIVITY 10 - [Value: 5 points]
1. Go to the web site called Tour of Biomes.
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html
2. Scroll to bottom of page. Click on Biome Summary.
3. Scroll to bottom of that page and click on Middle Latitude Food
Chain. This is the Deciduous Forest.
4. Using clip art, create a food web of organisms found there. Use a
producer and at least 3 consumers. Label each stage.
ACTIVITY 11 - [Value: 10 points]
Go to the web site called Food Chains.
http://www.cas.psu.edu/DOCS/WEBCOURSE/WETLAND/WET1/main.html
Do this on-line activity about food chains. Go over the Spring Creek
Watershed, What's the balance of Nature, and complete the 3 On-line
activities: Create Food Chains, Id Food chains, and Solve the link in the
food chain.
ACTIVITY 12 - [Value: 10 points]
Go to the Mader Biology Human Populations Concerns page
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/maderbiology/teach/critical15.html.
Complete the questions at the end of the article.
ACTIVITY 13 - [Value: 10 points]
Using any references available, find 5 careers that are related to the study
of ecology and/or the environment. Give a brief description of each one.
ACTIVITY 14 - [Value: 5 points]
Go to the site called ENERGY AND FOOD CHAINS.
http://www.ksu.ksu.edu/biology/pob/trophic.html. Do the activity described.
NOTE: This activity involves mathematical problem-solving.
ACTIVITY 15 - [Value: 5 points]
Lisa, her brother Tom, and their parents spend the summer months at their
summer home on a very small remote island off the Atlantic coast. They
are the only human inhabitants of this island. However, several other
organisms live there. Lisa's father is an ecologist with the provincial
government and in the summer he grows a vegetable garden. They also
take with them to the island their pet dog, and 2 pet cats.
Throughout the summer, other species visit their home. A family of ground
squirrels live in a burrow near a pine tree in the back yard. A family of deer
often visit in the early morning hours. A pair of chickadees regularly visited
their background feeder, but two sparrows quickly took over the feeder.
Answer the following questions about the known inhabitants of this little
island.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is the habitat of Lisa and her family?
What is the habitat of the ground squirrels?
What is the most likely habitat of the birds?
What is the "niche" of Lisa's father?
What biological phenomenon occurred between the chickadees
and the sparrows?
Name the residents that are: predators, herbivores, omnivores,
autotrophs.
7. The dogs and cats spend a lot of time scratching themselves.
What other residents might exist on this island that were not
mentioned in the story? What is their way of life? What are their
habitats?