Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability

1. What was one great (and appropriate) thing you did over the Mardi Gras break?

2. What biome would you expect to find the MOST plant and animal species? Explain your reasoning.

3. What biome would you expect to find the FEWEST plant and animal species? Explain your reasoning.Write in complete sentences!

Don’t talk during the Catalyst!

Objectives

By the end of today, all SWBAT…Define biodiversityDescribe benefits of biodiversity

Explain what will happen to an ecosystem if biodiversity is reduced

Agenda

What is biodiversity?Why do we need biodiversity?

Biodiversity ReadingClassworkExit Questions

Biodiversity Definition

Biodiversity is the number of different species that live in an ecosystem Low biodiversity: few species High: many species

HIGH OR LOW BIODIVERSITY??

HIGH or LOW biodiversity??

LOW OR HIGH????

LOW OR HIGH????

LOW OR HIGH???

LOW OR HIGH????

Key Point #1: There are many benefits to preserving biodiversity Benefits: rewards/good things Preserve: protect, keep

=

Biodiversity Reading

Read the Biodiversity article on page complete the classwork

Remember to: Circle key words Underline key facts

3.1 Reading Response Questions

Answer questions 1-4 in ONE complete sentence

1.Paragraph 1 Main Idea: What is biodiversity?

2.Paragraph 2 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

3.Paragraph 3 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

4.Paragraph 4 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

3.1 Reading Response Questions

Answer questions 1-4 in ONE complete sentence

1.Paragraph 1 Main Idea: What is biodiversity?

2.Paragraph 2 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

3.Paragraph 3 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

4.Paragraph 4 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

Many people find nature beautiful

Provides us with food, clothing, medicines, material to sell

Preserves ecosystem stability

The 3 most important benefits are…

Ecosystem stability… What that is!? Stable = things stay the same

Key Point #2: High biodiversity = stable ecosystem, low biodiversity = unstable ecosystem If an ecosystem is unstable, one small

change could cause many species to die If an ecosystem is stable, it does not

change easily

This food web has low biodiversity

Rabbits eat grass. Foxes eat rabbits

Grass

Rabbit

Foxes

This food web has low biodiversity A disturbance hits…A drought happens and kills all the grass.

Grass

Rabbit

Foxes

This food web has low biodiversity What happens to the foxes?

Grass

Rabbit

FoxesHow many species do we have left?

0!BIG change?

This food web has higher biodiversity

Let’s add a few more species to our original ecosystem

Grass

Rabbit

Foxes

Chickens

Lettuce

This food web has high biodiversity A disturbance hits…A drought happens and kills all the grass.

Grass

Rabbit

Foxes

Chickens

Lettuce

This food web has high biodiversity What happens to the foxes?

Population size decreases… a little

BIG change?

Grass

Rabbit

Foxes

Chickens

Lettuce

The food web started with high biodiversity

High biodiversity = stable ecosystem One change… didn’t really do anything!

Complete Classwork

Be thoughtful about your answers

Once you finish, ask me to check your answers. If they’re all correct, move on to the homework.

Closing

There are three primary benefits to biodiversity Beautiful, medicines, ecosystem stability

An ecosystem is stable if it does not change easily when disturbed “Change” = number of species that live

there High biodiversity = more stable Low biodiversity = less stable

Exit Questions: Answer ALL

Read the passage at right to answer the questions below:

How does trawling affect coral reef biodiversity?

Would the coral reef be more or less stable after trawling? Explain why, and be SPECIFIC.

(Hint: describe what happens to all the organisms in the coral reef ecosystem, and use the word “biodiversity.”)

Read the passage at right to answer the questions below:

How does trawling affect coral reef biodiversity?

Would the coral reef be more or less stable after trawling? Explain why, and be SPECIFIC.

(Hint: describe what happens to all the organisms in the coral reef ecosystem, and use the word “biodiversity.”)

Many organisms live in coral reefs, such as plankton and algae, hundreds of species of fish, sea urchins, and eels. All of these organisms depend on the coral to survive: they live inside of it, use it for shelter, eat it, etc.

Trawling is the process of dragging a gigantic rake across the bottom of the ocean floor to scoop up organisms. This is a very good way to catch fish, but has the unfortunate side effect of destroying nearly all the coral in the trawler’s path.

Many organisms live in coral reefs, such as plankton and algae, hundreds of species of fish, sea urchins, and eels. All of these organisms depend on the coral to survive: they live inside of it, use it for shelter, eat it, etc.

Trawling is the process of dragging a gigantic rake across the bottom of the ocean floor to scoop up organisms. This is a very good way to catch fish, but has the unfortunate side effect of destroying nearly all the coral in the trawler’s path.