Journal 2.
ENV 101 – Chapter 5, 6, and 11
Type your reply to each question on a new line following the question. Please do not delete the question. Save the file on your computer, flash drive, or cloud storage before uploading the completed assignment to Blackboard.
Part 1
Chapter 5 and 6.
1. Select a wild terrestrial organism that you are familiar with or that particularly interests you. Answer all of the followingquestions regarding this organism and the biome that it inhabits.
A. Name and describe the biome where this organism is typically found, including a description of temperature and precipitation. Biomes are discussed in Chapter 6.
B. How have humans affected this biome?
C. List 3 biotic and 3 abiotic factors found in its habitat.
D. Describe the organism’s niche.
E. What trophic level does your organism inhabit?
F. Describe a food pyramid or food web that contains your organism, including a producer, herbivore, and carnivore.
G. Identify a keystone species that lives in the same habitat as your organism. Explain why it is a keystone species.
2. Describe how each of the following are related to the concept of natural selection.
A. genetic differences
B. number of offspring
C. death
3. Describe three things that humans have done to alter the carbon cycle, and three things they have done to alter the nitrogen cycle.
4. Describe how a climax community differs from a successional community.
5. Differentiate between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes and include the role of biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the overall health of an aquatic system.
Chapter 11 – Biodiversity
6. Research a species of plant or animal (not the same organism you selected for #1 above) that is found in the eastern U.S.and that is either in danger of becoming extinct or is considered an exotic or invasive species. You must select a species not covered in the text, the lab, or in the assigned videos.
If you chose an endangered species:
a. Name the species and describe where it lives. What biome does it inhabit?
b. Describe what factors are putting it at risk.
c. What are the potential consequences if the species goes extinct? Think about and discuss the impact on food webs and ecological services.
d. What can be done to protect the species?
If you chose an exotic species:
a. Name the species and describe where it lives. What biome does it inhabit?
b. Explain how it came to live in the eastern U.S.
c. What is its effect on the ecosystem? Think about and discuss the impact on food webs and ecological services.
d. What can be done to eradicate or control the species?
Part 2 – In Depth
Chose from one of the following prompts to complete.
1. Read the Issues and Analysis on page 107 of your text entitled “Wildlife and Climate Change”. Note the final paragraph, “Scientists predict that one-fourth of Earth’s species will be headed for extinction by 2050 if the warming trend continues at its current rate.”
Research a species (or group, like fish or reptiles for example) that is facing extinction because of climate change. This must be a different organism than one you researched for inPart 1 of your Journal. Use the resources on Blackboard or Wor-Wic’s database to find a scientific article or source.
Write a brief essay (2-3 paragraphs) that:
• Explains the long-term outlook for this species
• What changes may be in store for its habitat?
• How will these habitat changes affect survival of the species?
• What must change to save it?
You must reference an appropriate scientific resource and include the APA citation.
2. Read “Overfishing of Marine Ecosystems – A Global Disasteron page 110 of your text.
Research a marine species (fish, shrimp, shellfish, etc) that is heavily impacted from human harvesting, either directly or indirectly. This must be a different organism than you researched for Part 1 of your Journal. Use the resources on Blackboard or Wor-Wic’s database to find a scientific article or source.
Write a brief essay (2-3 paragraphs) that:
• Provides background on the size of this fishery, what the catch is used for (food? other?), where it is caught.
• Describes the threat facing this species.
• Describes any efforts that may be underway to protect this species.
• Explain your view on whether this fishery should be protected or not.
You must reference an appropriate scientific resource and include the APA citation.
ENV 101
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