Biology and Society: Does Biodiversity Matter?

Biology and Society: Does Biodiversity Matter?
The expanding human population threatens Biodiversity The loss of natural ecosystems © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Healthy ecosystems Wetlands Purify air and water Decompose wastes
Recycle nutrients Wetlands Buffer coastal populations against hurricanes Reduce the impact of flooding rivers Filter pollutants

THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, includes Genetic diversity Species diversity Ecosystem diversity Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Genetic Diversity The genetic diversity within populations of a species is the raw material that makes microevolution and adaptation to the environment possible. Genetic resources for that species are lost if Local populations are lost The number of individuals in a species declines Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Species Diversity Ecologists believe that we are pushing species toward extinction at an alarming rate. The present rate of species loss May be 1,000 times higher than at any time in the past 100,000 years May result in the loss of half of all living plant and animal species by the end of this century Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is ( A Chinese river dolphin Golden toads

Ecosystem Diversity The local extinction of one species can have a negative effect on the entire ecosystem. The loss of ecosystems risks the loss of ecosystem services, including Air and water purification Climate regulation Erosion control Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Coral reefs are rich in species diversity, yet
An estimated 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed by human activities 24% are in imminent danger of collapse Another 26% of coral reefs may succumb in the next few decades if they are not protected Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Causes of Declining Biodiversity
Ecologists have identified four main factors responsible for the loss of biodiversity: Habitat destruction and fragmentation Invasive species Overexploitation Pollution Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Habitat Destruction Biodiversity is threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of habitats by Agriculture Urban development Forestry Mining Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Invasive Species Invasive species have Competed with native species
Preyed upon native species Parasitized native species Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is ( Scotch broom

Overexploitation People have overexploited wildlife by harvesting at rates that exceed the ability of populations to rebound. Excessive harvesting has greatly affected populations of Tigers Whales The American bison Galápagos tortoises Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

Pollution Acid precipitation is a threat to
Forest ecosystems Aquatic ecosystems Aquatic ecosystems may be polluted by toxic Chemicals Nutrients Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. The value of biodiversity may not be obvious to many students. As this chapter notes, biodiversity is inherently valuable on many levels. Class discussions and short assignments that require students to investigate the importance of biodiversity can help to better relate its importance. 2. Frustration can overwhelm concerned students alarmed by the loss of biodiversity. One way to address this is to provide meaningful ways for students to respond to this information. Several related websites are noted in the Teaching Tips below. Teaching Tips 1. Consider referencing some of the following websites for basic ideas on what individuals can do to help address the loss of biodiversity. Conservation International: The Biodiversity Economics Site: Biodiversity Support Program: 2. The bottleneck effect, a consequence of the loss of diversity within a species, is discussed in Chapter 13. 3. You might wish to note the mission of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the purchase and protection of land across the world. The Nature Conservancy’s web site is (

COMMUNITY ECOLOGY An organism’s biotic environment includes
Other individuals in its own population Populations of other species living in the same area An assemblage of species living close enough together for potential interaction is called a community. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Interspecific Interactions
Interspecific interactions are interactions between species. Interspecific Competition Mutualism Predation Herbivory Parasites and Pathogens Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Interspecific Competition (–/–)
In interspecific (between species) competition, the population growth of a species may be limited by The population densities of competing species By the density of its own population Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Mutualism (+/+) In mutualism, both species benefit from an interaction. One example is the mutualistic relationship of coral animals and the unicellular algae that live inside their cells. The coral gains energy from the sugars produced by the algae. The algae gain A secure shelter Access to light Carbon dioxide Ammonia, a valuable source of nitrogen Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Predation (+/–) Predation refers to an interaction in which one species (the predator) kills and eats another (the prey). Numerous adaptations for predator avoidance have evolved in prey populations through natural selection. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Herbivory (+/–) Herbivory is the consumption of plant parts or algae by an animal. Plants have evolved numerous defenses against herbivory, including Spines Thorns Chemical toxins Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Parasites and Pathogens (+/–)
Plants and animals can be victims of Parasites, an animal that lives in or on a host from which it obtains nutrients Pathogens, disease-causing Bacteria Viruses Fungi Protists Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship. (Malaria)

Trophic Structure Trophic structure is the feeding relationships among the various species in a community. A community’s trophic structure determines the passage of energy and nutrients from plants and other photosynthetic organisms To herbivores And then to predators Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Figure 20.15-1 Figure 20.15 Examples of food chains (Step 1) Producers
Plant Phytoplankton A terrestrial food chain An aquatic food chain Figure

Figure 20.15-2 Figure 20.15 Examples of food chains (Step 2) Primary
consumers Herbivore Zooplankton Producers Plant Phytoplankton A terrestrial food chain An aquatic food chain Figure

Figure 20.15-3 Figure 20.15 Examples of food chains (Step 3) Secondary
consumers Carnivore Carnivore Figure Examples of food chains (Step 3) Primary consumers Herbivore Zooplankton Producers Plant Phytoplankton A terrestrial food chain An aquatic food chain Figure

Figure 20.15-4 Figure 20.15 Examples of food chains (Step 4) Tertiary
consumers Carnivore Carnivore Secondary consumers Carnivore Carnivore Figure Examples of food chains (Step 4) Primary consumers Herbivore Zooplankton Producers Plant Phytoplankton A terrestrial food chain An aquatic food chain Figure

Figure 20.15-5 Figure 20.15 Examples of food chains (Step 5)
Quaternary consumers Carnivore Carnivore Tertiary consumers Carnivore Carnivore Secondary consumers Carnivore Carnivore Figure Examples of food chains (Step 5) Primary consumers Herbivore Zooplankton Producers Plant Phytoplankton A terrestrial food chain An aquatic food chain Figure

Detritivores, which are often called scavengers, consume detritus, the dead material left by all trophic levels. Decomposers are prokaryotes and fungi, which secrete enzymes that digest molecules in organic material and convert them into inorganic forms. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Biological Magnification
Environmental toxins accumulate in consumers at higher concentrations up a trophic system in a process called biological magnification. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Food Webs Few ecosystems are as a simple as an unbranched food chain.
Omnivores Eat producers and consumers Form woven ecosystems called food webs Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Species Diversity in Communities
Dominant Species - a species in a community whose population is most abundant or which has the highest biomass. They may control what other species are present within the community. Foundation Species - “ecosystem engineer”; a species that plays a major role in shaping communities by creating and enhancing a habitat that benefits other species. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

A keystone species is a species whose impact on its community is much larger than its total mass or abundance indicates. Experiments in the 1960s demonstrated that a sea star functioned as a keystone species in intertidal zones of the Washington coast. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Disturbances in Communities
Disturbances are episodes that damage biological communities, at least temporarily, by Destroying organisms Altering the availability of resources such as mineral nutrients and water. Examples of disturbances are Storms Fires Floods Droughts Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship. Disturbances may cause The emergence of a previously unknown disease Opportunities for other organisms to grow

Ecological Succession
Disturbances may cause a gradual replacement by other species in a process called ecological succession. Primary succession begins In a virtually lifeless area with no soil In places such as Lava flows or The rubble left by a retreating glacier Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

Secondary succession occurs where a disturbance has
Destroyed an existing community Left the soil intact Examples of secondary succession are areas recovering from Fires Floods Severe storms Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. For many students, understanding ecosystems is like appreciating art. They can see ecosystems and art, but they do not understand the composition, the significance of the components, and the nature of their interactions. The fundamentals introduced in this chapter are new ways to see generally familiar systems. 2. The concept of an ecological niche can be confusing. Ecologist Eugene Odum suggested that an ecological niche is like an organism’s habitat (address) and its occupation combined. 3. Students often mistakenly think that symbiosis is a synonym for mutualism. Mutualism is a form of symbiosis. 4. The expectation that ecosystems are relatively stable is common. Natural disturbances of any sort (fires, earthquakes, floods, or strong storms) are typically viewed as tragic and damaging to ecosystems. Before beginning the topic of ecological disturbances, consider asking your students to briefly respond to news that a state or federal park has a) been burned, b) been struck by high winds and/or lightning, or c) been temporarily flooded. In addition, consider asking what if anything should be done to prevent or repair this damage? Teaching Tips 1. For many students, their interactions with diverse ecosystems have been limited to videos and movies, likely focused on a few species. Before discussing this chapter, consider showing the class a good video (it need not be long) about an ecosystem. The video can then serve as a common experience of the students to which you can refer and relate the content of this chapter. 2. Alternately, you can relate some of the basics of this chapter to a local campus or regional example to which most students are familiar. Perhaps there is a distinct community on your campus: a pond, distinct wooded area, or other part of campus that students would know and could visit with new insight. 3. In human society, a community might be considered about the same as a local population, perhaps all the people living in a town or city. The definition of a biological community is more inclusive, comprising all of the populations of species living close enough together for potential interaction. 4. Examples of interspecific competition are as close as the nearest lawn. Although students may be more likely to think of animal examples, the various grasses and weeds in a lawn reveal different strategies in their competition for sunlight, moisture, and soil. 5. If your class includes students with business interests, they may enjoy the following analogy. To better understand competition, students might think about fast-food restaurants in your region, perhaps those that sell pizzas. Challenge your students to identify strategies employed by these restaurants to compete with each other. As each restaurant makes changes, how do the other restaurants respond? Restaurants changing strategies in response to each other is analogous to coevolution. 6. Students commonly have practice with food webs and food chains. Present a food web (perhaps Figure 20.18) to your class and challenge them to predict the consequences of a decrease or increase in the population of one of the organisms. This activity can help students understand how difficult it is to make precise predictions about these complex systems. 7. Many keystone species have been identified in ecosystems, including sea otters, elephants, freshwater bass, and Pisaster, a sea star noted in Figure Challenge your class to explain how the concept of a keystone species relates to the efforts of conservation biologists. Why might some species be more important to conserve? 8. Before and after images of the impact and recovery of an ecosystem from a natural disaster can be as powerful as any explanation of the process. 9. Challenge your students to think through the adaptive advantage of a warning coloration in a toxic animal. Challenge your students to explain: What is gained if the predator dies? How can such systems evolve is the model is killed in the learning experience? 10. Students who are business-oriented might enjoy this analogy. Many corporate leaders might describe the best business deals as those that are mutualistic, fostering a win-win relationship.

ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY An ecosystem includes
The community of species in a given area All the abiotic factors, such as Energy Soil characteristics Water Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

A simple terrarium is a microcosm that exhibits the two major processes that sustain all ecosystems:
Energy flow, the passage of energy through the components of the ecosystem Chemical cycling, the use and reuse of chemical elements such as carbon and nitrogen within the ecosystem Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Energy flows through ecosystems.
Chemicals are recycled within and between ecosystems. Watch energy flow animation on class website! Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Energy Flow in Ecosystems
All organisms require energy for Growth Maintenance Reproduction In many species, locomotion Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Primary Production and the Energy Budgets of Ecosystems
The amount, or mass, of living organic material in an ecosystem is the biomass. The rate at which an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy to the chemical energy stored in biomass Is primary production Yields about 165 billion tons of biomass per year Different ecosystems vary considerably in their primary production. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Algal beds and coral reefs
Open ocean Estuary Algal beds and coral reefs Desert and semidesert scrub Tundra Temperate grassland Cultivated land Northern coniferous forest (taiga) Savanna Figure Primary production of different ecosystems Temperate broadleaf forest Tropical rain forest 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Average primary productivity (g/m2/yr) Figure 20.26

Ecological Pyramids When energy flows as organic matter through the trophic levels of an ecosystem, much of it is lost at each link in the food chain. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

The energy level available to the next higher level
A pyramid of production illustrates the cumulative loss of energy with each transfer in a food chain. The energy level available to the next higher level Ranges from 5–20% Is illustrated here as 10% Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

The energy available to top-level consumers is small compared to the energy available to lower-level consumers. This explains why Top-level consumers require more geographic area Most food chains are limited to three to five levels Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Chemical Cycling in Ecosystems
Life depends on the recycling of chemicals. Nutrients are acquired and waste products are released by living organisms. At death, decomposers return the complex molecules of an organism to the environment. The pool of inorganic nutrients is used by plants and other producers to build new organic matter. Three important biogeochemical cycles are Carbon Phosphorus Nitrogen Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

The Carbon Cycle The cycling of carbon between the biotic and abiotic worlds is accomplished mainly by the reciprocal metabolic processes of Photosynthesis Cellular respiration Watch Carbon cycle animation on class website! Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Nutrient Pollution The growth of algae and cyanobacteria in aquatic ecosystems is limited by low nutrient levels, especially of phosphorus and nitrogen. Nutrient pollution occurs when human activities add excess amounts of these chemicals to aquatic ecosystems. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Nitrogen runoff from Midwestern farm fields has been linked to an annual summer dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Student Misconceptions and Concerns 1. Without an understanding of the inefficiency of aerobic metabolism and basic physics, students might not understand how chemical energy in food is lost as heat. Consider expanding upon these explanations in the book. 2. The environmental impact of eating farm animals is little appreciated by most students. This chapter section helps explain the basis for the increased environmental costs associated with a high meat diet. 3. Except for prior classes in science, students are unlikely to have understood biogeochemical cycles. Although some transfers between the biotic and abiotic components may be known, such as the benefits of fertilizing plants, the broader concept of the biosphere as a self-cycling system is not appreciated by most students. Pretesting your students over their knowledge can confirm this expectation or reveal levels of understanding not appreciated. Consider asking your students to explain how carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the biosphere. For each substance, create a complete cycle. Teaching Tips 1. Why do food chains and webs typically have only three to five levels? This question is not often considered by students but is addressed directly in this chapter section. This question makes a good discussion before lecturing on the topic of food chains and food webs. 2. The heat generated as a by-product of metabolism is quite evident during strenuous exercise. It is much like the heat produced by a running automobile engine. In both circumstances, heat is a by-product of the fuel burning process. 3. Energy flow through an ecosystem is analogous to the flow of fuel through a car or electricity through a vacuum cleaner. The systems will not work without a steady input. NASA, however, must rely upon some closed systems for its spacecrafts. Students might enjoy investigating the recycling of gases and fluids in these NASA systems. 4. Some students might be interested in eating more proteins and fewer carbohydrates because of some special sort of diet (or fad). Does such a high protein diet require the consumption of more meat? The many sources of plant proteins might be surprising to students. The following Vegetarian Society website describes some of the high protein vegetarian options: 5. As you discuss the importance of the biogeochemical cycles, you might consider explaining the basic label information provided on a container of plant fertilizer. Typically, plant fertilizers contain various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, essential chemicals to growth. 6. Challenge students to explain why the areas of greatest primary production are near the equator. Primary production is a consequence of photosynthesis. Regions near the equator receive the highest levels of solar input. 7. A discussion of the movements of water through your local community might help students better relate to the concepts of biogeochemical cycling at a local level. Students could be asked to consider all of the possible inputs of water into your community and the possible routes of exit. 8. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the roots of soybeans add nitrogen to the soil. Corn does not enjoy this same relationship. By rotating corn and soybean crops, corn crops can use some of the nitrogen fixed by the soybean crop in the previous year. Corn and soybean crop rotation has other benefits. Corn is a monocot and soybeans are dicots. Few pests attack corn and soybeans. Thus, crop rotation also helps to control the pest populations characteristic of each type of plant.

Figure 20.UN04 Autotrophs Heterotrophs Producer Herbivore (primary
consumer) Carnivore (secondary consumer) Energy Light Chemical elements Detritus Figure 20.UN04 Summary: Energy flow in ecosystems Decomposer Inorganic compounds (chemical elements) Figure 20.UN04

Biology and Society: Does Biodiversity Matter?

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