Science Skills Station

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1 Science Skills Station Objective 1. Interpret and analyze data so to determine the relationship between resource availability and carrying capacity of a population. 2. Identify biotic and abiotic factors that impact the carrying capacity of a population. Skills Utilized Make observations Infer and/or Predict Analyze & interpret data Compare & contrast Determine relationships Graph data Background Information The Kaibab deer are mule deer that live in the Kaibab Plateau Forest in Arizona. In 1904, the deer population was approximately 4,000. Scientists estimated that the area on which the deer lived could support 30,000 deer at the time. To protect the deer, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve in Hunting deer was prohibited in the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve. President Roosevelt wanted to protect the deer. However, natural predators of the deer were hunted and eliminated from the preserve to further protect the deer. By 1920, the deer population dramatically increased. In fact, the population was out of control. Natural grasses diminished because of overgrazing by the deer. As a result, the forest service removed livestock that also grazed on the grasses in the preserve. They wanted to allow more grass for the deer. Despite this effort, the deer s food supply dwindled. By 1923, the deer were near starvation. In 1924, deer hunting was permitted in the preserve. Only 675 deer were killed the first hunting season. However, thousands of deer died from starvation. By 1935, the carrying capacity of the preserve decreased to 10,000 deer. The food supply deteriorated and could no longer support a large population of mule deer. The deer population dramatically decreased but eventually stabilized. Today, the population of Kaibab deer is steady. The forest service issues permits to allow hunting of some deer. They also reintroduced natural predators of the deer into the preserve. By doing so, the deer population is better managed. 7

2 Science Skills Station cont. Activity Directions: The table summarizes the major changes in the Kaibab deer population between 1905 to Graph the data. In your graph, be sure to: Plot year on the x-axis Plot deer population on the y-axis Create a title for your graph and label the axes Create consistent scales for the x and y axis Year Deer Population , , , , , , ,000 Year Deer Population , , , , , , ,000 When finished with the lab, answer the summary questions. Use information from the background reading to help you interpret and analyze the data. Summary Questions: 1. Describe how the deer population changed between 1905 and What biotic and abiotic factors contributed to this change? 2. Describe how the deer population changed between 1924 and What biotic and abiotic factors contributed to this change? 3. How did the deer reproductive rate change between these two time periods? 4. How did the competition between deer change between these two time periods? 5. Scientists predicted the carrying capacity of the Kaibab deer to be 30,000. What happened when the Kaibab deer exceeded the carrying capacity? 6. Why does the deer population decrease to below the predicted carrying capacity (30,000) in 1930? 7. What do you think the deer population in the preserve is today? 8. Do you think human manipulation of the preserve helped or hurt the Kaibab deer? 9. What do you think wildlife management learned from this experience? 8

3 Narrative Station Objective 1. Discuss the limiting factors that determine the carrying capacity of a population. 2. Explain how changes in resource availability impact carrying capacity. Skills Utilized Answer questions relating to a text Determine meaning of key terms Cite textual information Summarize information Analyze data in an illustration Evaluate reasoned judgment Activity #1 Directions: Read Carrying Capacity. Then answer the questions. Questions 1. What is a limiting factor? 2. Give examples of biotic and abiotic limiting factors. 3. What do you think the dotted red line in the illustration represents? How does the population of a species vary across this line? 4. How might a natural disaster impact carrying capacity? 5. If a disease broke out and killed off most of the decomposers in an environment, how might the carrying capacity of the environment change? 6. What can happen to a population if it exceeds its carrying capacity? Activity #2 Directions: Use a computer to access and watch a 4-minute video: Then answer the questions. Questions 1. What can happen to an ecosystem (and its carrying capacity) if the food is destroyed? 2. What can happen when a new species moves into an environment? How does this impact the population of other organisms in the environment? 3. What can cause changes in the carrying capacity of an environment? 4. How important is the food supply to maintaining the carrying capacity of sturgeons? 5. What could decrease the carrying capacity of the sturgeons? 6. How can scientists help maintain carrying capacity and a healthy ecosystem? 9

4 Narrative Station cont. CARRYING CAPACITY Organisms need resources to survive. They also require space to live. There are limited resources and only so much space in an ecosystem. These features are called limiting factors. Limiting factors regulate how many organisms live in an ecosystem. Space, food, oxygen and water are limiting factors. Temperature and precipitation are also limiting factors. Temperature and precipitation determine the climate of an ecosystem, which impacts the organisms that can live in an ecosystem. An ecosystem can support only so large of a population. The maximum population size that an ecosystem can support is called carrying capacity. Limiting factors determine carrying capacity. The availability of abiotic factors (such as water and space) and biotic factors (such as food) dictates how many organisms can live in an ecosystem. Carrying capacity is also impacted by the availability of decomposers. Decomposers break down and recycle dead organisms and organic matter. They prevent dead matter from accumulating and taking up space in an ecosystem. Population Size Time In an ecosystem, the population of a species will increase until it reaches the carrying capacity. Then the population size remains relatively the same. If abiotic or biotic factors change, the carrying capacity changes as well. Natural disasters can destroy resources in an ecosystem. If resources are destroyed, the ecosystem will not be able to support a large population. This causes the carrying capacity to decrease. Human can also alter carrying capacity. Our activities can decrease or increase carrying capacity. We alter carrying capacity when we manipulate resources in a natural environment. If a population exceeds carrying capacity, the ecosystem may become unsuitable for the species to survive. If the population exceeds the carrying capacity for a long period of time, resources may be completely depleted. Populations may die off if all the resources are exhausted. 10

5 Assessment Station Objective Recall concepts, terms and ideas relating to carrying capacity and limiting factors. Skills Utilized Define key terms Explain a concept Classify information Determine relationships List pros & cons Interpret or analyze data Compare and contrast Rank information Make inferences Assessment Direction 1. Answer the following questions. Write down your answers on the recording sheet. 2. There are two bonus questions. If time allows, try to answer these questions. 11

6 Question #1 What is carrying capacity? Label carrying capacity on the graph below. Question #2 Identify four significant limiting factors that determine carrying capacity. Classify the factors as biotic or abiotic. Population Size Time Question #3 Below is a graph of a reindeer population. K represents the predicted carrying capacity. Explain what happens to the reindeer population when it exceeds the carrying capacity. Question #4 How does availability of resources, such as food and water, affect the rate of reproduction? How does the rate change when resources are abundant and scarce?

7 Question #5 How might the carrying capacity of a rabbit population change if more food was available? How might the carrying capacity change differently if less food was available? Question #6 How does predation and availability of food and water impact the carrying capacity of a species differently? Which factor has a greater impact on the carrying capacity of a species? Justify your answer. BONUS Question #7 What could cause a species to increase its population beyond carrying capacity (such as the reindeer population in the graph below)? Why is this detrimental to a species in the long run? BONUS Question #8 A species of fish have begun to overpopulate a lake. The predators of the fish have died out due to disease. Environmental biologists have decided to allow fishing of this species so to help control its population and maintain a healthy ecosystem in the lake. Do you think it s a good idea to allow fishing of this species? What are the pros and cons of allowing this activity?

8 Problem Solving Station Objective 1. Develop and evaluate solutions that manipulate carrying capacity. 2. Discuss the consequences of increasing of decreasing the carrying capacity of a species. Skills Utilized Identify problems Develop possible solutions Evaluate possible solutions Overview An ecosystem can support only so large of a population. The maximum population size that an ecosystem can support is called carrying capacity. Limiting factors determine carrying capacity. The availability of abiotic factors (nonliving things such as water and space) and biotic factors (living things such as predators and food) dictates how many organisms can live in an ecosystem. In an ecosystem, the population of a species will increase until it reaches the carrying capacity. Then the population size remains relatively the same. At this station, you will study two different scenarios in which you will try to manipulate the carrying capacity of a species so to increase or decrease its population in an environment. Follow the directions. Record all data on the recording sheet. Activity #1 A population of bullfrogs is growing out of control near a small pond. Its main predator, a snake species, was killed off by disease. Without this natural predator, the bullfrogs can thrive in and around the pond. The growing frog population is having a negative impact on the quality of the environment and other species living in the area. Directions: 1. What is the problem? 2. What has caused the problem? 3. How could humans alter carrying capacity so the bullfrog population returns to its normal level? Develop several solutions. 4. What would be the best solution to this problem? What are the pros and cons of implementing this solution? 5. What are possible unintended consequences of this solution? 14

9 Problem-Solving Station cont. Activity #2 A population of trout in a lake has significantly declined over the past year. The main source of food for the fish in this lake are aquatic insects. Due to poor climate conditions, there are significantly fewer insects and thus, not enough food to sustain the population of trout in the lake. Trout is a food supply for larger fish in the lake and without enough trout, other fish are negatively impacted in the lake. Directions: 1. What is the problem? 2. What has caused the problem? 3. How could humans alter carrying capacity so the trout population returns to its normal level? Develop several solutions. 4. What would be the best solution to this problem? What are the pros and cons of implementing this solution? 5. What are possible unintended consequences of this solution? 15

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