|
Framework
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Topic outline
Click the linked topics below for additional
resources
| Ecological Principles |
| 1. Commoner's laws of ecology |
a.
"Everything is connected to
everything else"
b. "Everything must go somewhere"
c. "Nature knows best"
d. "There is no such thing as a free lunch" |
| 2. Energy primer |
a. Definition
b. Laws of energy
c. Types of energy |
| 3. Evolution |
a.
Natural selection
b. Environmental adaptations and ecological
niche
c. Speciation, biodiversity, co-evolution,
extinction
d. Rates of evolution - gradualism vs.
punctuated equilibrium |
| 4. Organismal ecology |
a.
Unit of natural selection –
survival and
reproduction
b. Kingdoms of life and requirements for life
c. Habitat, environmental adaptations, and
ecological niche
d. Homeostasis and feedback regulation –
thermoregulation, osmoregulation, gas
exchange, energetics
e. Cellular metabolism – photosynthesis,
cellular respiration,
chemosynthesis
|
| 5.
Population ecology |
a. Population dynamics – exponential vs.
logistic growth
b. Carrying capacity and limiting factors
c. Population structure –
age, gender,
survivorship
d. Population genetics and genetic diversity |
| 6. Community ecology |
a.
Species interactions – resource
competition, predation,
symbiosis
b. Competitive exclusion principle
c. Niche partitioning and keystone species
d. Species biodiversity
e. Ecological succession – primary vs.
secondary
f. Disturbance |
| 7. Ecosystem ecology |
a.
Matter/Biogeochemical cycles
(biotic/abiotic) – water,
carbon, nitrogen,
phosphorous, sulfur
b. Energy flow – trophic levels, food
pyramids, food webs
c. Thermodynamics – 1st law (conservation
of energy) and 2nd law
(entropy)
d. Biomes – environmental factors influencing
distribution
e. Value of ecosystem services |
| 8.
Biosphere ecology |
a. Global energy flow – solar input,
ocean
currents, air mass circulation
b. Global matter cycling – global
biogeochemical cycles
c. Global biodiversity – species distribution
and abundance
d. Plate tectonics – theory of continental drift
e. Global environmental issues – extinction
crisis, climate
change, etc. |
|
RESOURCES
| Population ecology |
| |
Calculating Populations (activity)
Source:
Greg Rose, Clintonville School District
Activity (MS Word)
Activity (PDF)
This handout and activity help students
understand how to determine population growth and carrying
capacity. The first page lists the different population
equations. The activity consists of practice problems that the
students solve. |
| |
Estimating Populations (activity)
Source: Catalyst Learning Curricula
Activity (PDF) -
pages 3-8
Students perform a capture and recapture activity
to estimate the number of items in a known quantity to observe
the accuracy of this technique. Follow up questions guide
students to brainstorm other population estimating methods. This
is a sample activity from Catalyst Learning Curriculua. |
| |
Estimating Populations (activity)
Source:
Joyce Johnson, Reedsburg School District
Activity (MS Word)
Students estimate grasshopper
population size and conduct a mark and recapture survey to
determine the actual population. |
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