Ecosystems in Action: Cycling of Matter & Energy

Students will know the effects of deforestation on an ecosystem and be able to use data to explain ways that deforestation impacts a stream. 

Students will know how a water chestnut bed impacts dissolved oxygen levels across space and through time and will be able to use graphs to explain these changes.

Students will know the difference between a pulse and a press event with regards to eutrophication and be able to graph the growth of algae over time.

Students will know how an invasive species has changed the Hudson River food web and be able to explain the impact of the zebra mussel on the food web over time.

Students will know the factors that change dissolved oxygen levels and be able to design an experiment to test their ideas.

Students will know how dissolved oxygen enters water and be able to explain at least two variables that affect the amount of dissolved oxygen in water.

Students will know where nitrogen exists and in which forms, and will be able to draw a diagram showing the movement of nitrogen in ecosystems.

Students will know that plants use oxygen underwater and be able to design an experiment that will test this question.

Students will know how an aquatic ecosystem works and be able to collect representative organisms, identify the organism and its trophic level, and create a food web of a local aquatic ecosystem.

Students will know how temperature affects dissolved oxygen and be able to create a graph showing this relationship.