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Ecology Webquest

Welcome to the World Wide Eco-Web! Today you are going to embark on an exploration of the essential themes in Ecology. This webquest consists of different sections for each theme. Be sure to type in the websites correctly and answer the questions for each task.

Part I: Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling

Your first assignment is to put together a simple food chain and answer the questions below.

I. FOOD CHAINS

(1) Go to

http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm

and click on “play the game” to begin.

(2) What animals were in your food chain? Place them in the correct order.

________ ---> ___________ ---> __________________ ---> _________ ---> ___________ ---> ________

(3) What 5 things happen if you take the frog out of the food chain?

A. _______________________________________________________________________________________

B. _______________________________________________________________________________________

C. _______________________________________________________________________________________

D. _______________________________________________________________________________________

E. _______________________________________________________________________________________

II. FOOD WEBS

(1) Go to http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html

then choose one of the three food webs (Meadow, Arctic, or Pond) and put the food web

together.

(2) Draw your food web in the space below, by listing the names of the thing or organism and using arrows to show the transfer of energy through the food web:

III. POPULATION ESTIMATION

(1) Go to http://livingclassrooms.org/lbo/popest/algae.html

and click on “here” to estimate the population size of the dots.

(2) Choose a box in the grid with an “average number of cells.

(3) Use the letter and numbers to identify your grid box (for example, B2) Grid = ______

(4) Count the number of cells in your selected grid box. Cell count = __________

(5) Count the total number of grid boxes. Total boxes = ________

(6) Estimate the total population by multiplying the cell count by the total number of grid

boxes. Population Estimate = ____________

(7) What was the actual population size? Actual population size = ___________

IV. NUTRIENT CYCLING

(1) Go to http://library.thinkquest.org/11226/why.htm

and read the information on the Carbon cycle.

(2) Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the website:

In the carbon cycle, plants absorb ___________________ from the atmosphere and use it,

combined with ____________ they get from the soil, to make the substances they need for ____________. The process of _______________________ incorporates the ________ atoms from ___________________ into ____________. Animals, such as the rabbit pictured here, eat the plants and use the __________ to build their own __________. Other animals, such as the _______, eat the ____________ and then use the _________ for their own needs. These animals return __________________ into the air when they ___________, and when they ______, since the carbon is returned to the soil during __________________________.

The carbon atoms in soil may then be used in a ______ plant or small _________________________. Ultimately, the same ____________ atoms can move through many organisms and even end in the same place where it began. Herein lies the fascination of the ___________ cycle, the same atoms can be _______________ for millennia!

(3) Go to the following two websites:

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0008077.html and

http://www.cst.cmich.edu/centers/mwrc/nitrogen.htm and

view the images of the Nitrogen Cycle as well as skim through the descriptions.

(4) The nitrogen cycle is one of a number of cycles during which the chemicals necessary for _________ are _______________. The carbon, sulphur, and phosphorus cycles are others. Since there is only a ______________ amount of these chemicals in the Earth and its ____________________, the chemicals must be continuously ________________ if ________ is to go on.

Most nitrogen is found in the ___________________. The nitrogen cycle is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ________________ or ______________.

Nitrogen is _______________ to all living systems. To become a part of an organism, nitrogen must first be __________ or combined with ___________ or ______________. Nitrogen is removed from the atmosphere by ________________ and nitrogen fixing ______________. During electrical storms, large amounts of ________________ are oxidized and united with ____________ to produce an __________ which is carried to the earth in rain producing ______________. Nitrates are taken up by plants and are converted to _____________.

Then the nitrogen passes through the __________ chain from ___________ to ________________ to _________________. When plants and animals eventually ________, the nitrogen compounds are broken down giving ________________ (ammonification). Some of the ammonia is taken up by the ___________; some is dissolved in ___________ or held in the __________ where ______________ convert it to ______________ (nitrification). Nitrates may be stored in humus or _____________ from the soil and carried to lakes and streams. It may also be converted to free nitrogen (denitrification) and returned to the ________________.

Part II: Impact of Human Activity on Ecosystems

I. CALCULATE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

(1) Go to http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp

and click on the U.S. and choose English.

(2) Answer the questions to the Ecological Footprint Quiz.

If you have any questions about the answers ask your teacher.

(3) Answer these questions based on your Quiz Results:

Food: ________ acres

Mobility: ________ acres

Shelter: ________ acres

Goods/Services: ________ acres

Total Footprint: ________ acres

(4) If everyone lived like you, how many planet Earths would we need? ________ planets

(5) Do you agree or disagree with the results? Why or why not?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Part III: Biomes Around the World

(1) Go to http://mbgnet.mobot.org/ and answer the following questions.

(2) What are the 6 Biomes of the World (from left to right on the screen)?

Tropical __________________, _____________, ____________, ______________, _________________ Deciduous Forest, and Temperate ________________.

(3) Click on one of the six biomes. Write 3 sentences describing the information on that particular biome, including: its name and information dealing with location, plants and animals.

Do not copy word for word!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

(4) What are the 3 Freshwater Ecosystems? _______________ & ______________, ____________ & ____________, and ________________.

(5) What are the 3 Marine Ecosystems? _______________, ___________________ Oceans, and __________________ Oceans.

Modified from website: http://www.teacherweb.com/VA/BaysideHigh/Brumley/ap1.stm