Journal Questions
By Grady Laabs
Sustainable living
What does recycling mean? why should someone recycle?
It keeps the world a healthy place
tin can
glass bottle
wood
paper
apple core
cotton t shirt
pop can
styrofoam truck
diaper
what is the pacific garbage patch?
Define 2 biomes of the world, define an ecosystem found in each and explain the Biotic and Abiotic factors involved.
Very hot summer and very cold winters
Abiotic factors- climate temperature
Deserts- ares of land that are pretty much always dry
Hot all year around
Abiotic Factors- Climate, temperature
Choose any Biome; create a food chain defining the primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, quaternary consumer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, scavenger, and decomposer
What are dead zones in the gulf of Mexico? What causes it? What can stop them?
Nutrient Pollution from humans
Stop polluting
What are keystone species? top predators? not to predators?
Top predators-jaguar
Not top predators- Sea otter
define competitive exclusion? 2 examples
red squirrel grey squirrel
Define the following terms and give 2 examples of each
a. Coexistence- to live with or close to another usually in peace. two plants growing side by side
b. Parasites- an organism that lives through another one. Tapeworms, fleas
c. Mimicry- the close external resemblance of an animal or plant. bees
d. Mutualism- symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved. Zebra, birds
e. Commensalism- an associtaion between two organisms. Cattle, Ducks
Explain the Carbon Cycle and how do humans affect this cycle?
Humans affect the cycle because we mess with the environment by taking out trees and plants
What is global dimming? Where does it usually affect and why is it a problem?
The surface of the Earth
Its not good for the environment
Explain the Greenhouse Effect. How do the carbon cycle and the greenhouse effect go together?
The greenhouse effect is increased when carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
Define endangered species and give an example. How does a species become endangered? What if this species was a keystone species? What would happen to the current ecosystem? Why should humans care about the endangered species?
threats from changing environments or predators are considered threatened
If it was a key stone species that would be a big problem
the current ecosystem would be messed up
We should care because some animals are very important to the environment
define invasive species, give 2 examples how do they affect the ecosystem they are now invasive too. How did the invasive species arrive to their new ecosystem?
Black rat
cotton white fly
The black rat destroys everything
and the cotton fly repopulates really fast
At one time rainforest covered 14% of the Earth’s land surface; today rainforest only cover 6% today; why should a person care about the lost rainforest ground? Why are the rainforest being cut down? What would happen if they all disappeared?
They are being cut down for housing and cities \
We would lose a lot of animals
Why is human overpopulation a major concern? Explain all the resources needed for a human to sustain life.
food, water, shelter, sunlight
Pesticides- what are they, how do they adversely affect the environment, and how does this create problems with the genetic diversity in crop production.
they kill weeds and possibly other things it touches but is not suppose to
It could kill the crops if it isnt suppose to be put on