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)   Compare the two images of the Nitrogen Cycle.

       What do they have in common?  __________________________________________________________

(5)   What absorbs the atmospheric nitrogen?  __________________________________________________

        ________________________________________________________________________________

 (6)   How do herbivores obtain the nitrogen they need? ___________________________________________

(7)   How is nitrogen returned to the atmosphere? ________________________________________________

       _________________________________________________________________________________

(8)        What role do nitrogen-fixing bacteria play in the Nitrogen Cycle?

_________________________________________________________________________________

              ________________________________________________________________________________

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