EnviroQuest Local Threats to Biodiversity and What You Can Do About It

a Web Quest for 9^th & 10^th Grade Biology

by Brian Dempsey

Introduction | Task | Procedure | Ecological Threats | Ecological Problems
Solutions | Grading | References

Introduction

Throughout Earth history, climates have changed, continents have shifted, and over time life has evolved and adapted to new environments. Occasionally impacts from meteors and comets have caused rapid mass extinct ions of species, and although new species evolved to fill unoccupied niches left vacant by the deceased, the evolution of new species through adaptive radiation often took thousands to millions of years. Today the world faces another mass extinction which may rival the demise of the dinosaurs, except the source of this threat is not from outer space, it is from us. As human populations have grown, our demand for land and resources have put pressure on the ecosystems in which we live, often at the expense of other species. In addition, the wastes and byproducts of our civilizations have polluted the air, water and ground. Extinction of life destabilizes ecosystems and ultimately this will impact people.

What can you and I do to prevent or at least slow down the extinction of species in the world? The clear-cutting of rain forests, global warming, acid rain, and the destruction of the ozone layer all contribute to a decrease in biodiversity, but these problems seem remote to many and solutions are complex and global in scale. The ecological challenges facing the world now must be solved here at home in our own communities. What threatens biodiversity in Acton and Boxborough and what can we do to protect our local ecosystems? In this assignment, you will address this question by researching an ecosystem in the area and finding out how specific ecological threats, such as development, pollution, and invasive species, harm local biodiversity. Also, your task is to propose solutions that might prevent or treat such problems.

You will write a thematic essay by researching one of seven ecosystems that are found in Acton and Boxborough. To do this you will:

1) Read about a local ecosystem and describe its abiotic and biotic characteristics

2) Identify ecological threats to the ecosystem you read about

3) Use links provided in this web site to find out how these ecological threats specifically harm the ecosystem you researched

4) Use links provided in this web site and/or use your own insights to come up with solutions that can reduce ecological threats and increase biodiversity in the ecosystem you picked

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 1 - Read About a Local Ecosystem and Describe its Abiotic and Biotic Characteristics

In class you will receive a description of an ecosystem copied from The Nature of Massachusetts. Choose an ecosystem that interests you or one in which you live. For example, if you have many pine and oak trees in your neighborhood, you may want to research an Oak-Conifer Forest. Or if you have a swamp near your house you may want to read about a Red Maple Swamp or a Vernal Pool. Below is a list of common ecosystems in our community. Click on an ecosystem to find out more about it and determine if that environment interests you and/or if you live near it.

Once you select an ecosystem to investigate, carefully read the handout provided in class and outline the abiotic (nonliving - i.e. amount of water, soil type, pH, etc.) and biotic (living - especially species that are common in that environment and those that are rare and endangered) components. After you have outlined the handout and made notes on it, write one paragraph that summarizes the abiotic and biotic characteristics of that ecosystem. This paragraph will be the introduction to your thematic essay.

Common Ecosystems in Acton and Boxborough:

Cultural Grasslands -

 

Oak-Conifer Forest -

 

Vernal Pools -

http://earth.simmons.edu/vernal/pool/vpinfo_1.htm

http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/vernal.html

http://earth.simmons.edu/vernal/pool/vernal_1.htm

 

 

Red Maple Swamp -

http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Wetlands/Swamp/Swamp.html

 

Lakes & Ponds -

http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Wetlands/LakesPonds/LakesPonds.html

http://www.iwla.org/SOS/awm/index.htm

 

 

Rivers & Streams -

http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Wetlands/Rivers/Rivers.html

http://www.iwla.org/SOS/streamdo.html

http://www.iwla.org/SOS/awm/index.htm

 

 

Freshwater Marsh -

http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Wetlands/Marsh/Marsh.html

http://www.iwla.org/SOS/awm/index.htm

 

Step 2 - Identify Ecological Threats to the Ecosystem You Read About

Use the handout on the ecosystem you read about to determine what threatens the biodiversity of that environment. In most cases this is listed under "conservation status." Often these threats are the result of invasive species, pollution, or development. Most ecosystems suffer from a combination of ecological threats stemming from all three categories. Your job is to identify specific kinds of invasive species, pollution and development that cause the most ecological harm. It is important to find threats that cause serious harm to your ecosystem, so do not arbitrarily pick one invasive species, one pollutant and one form of development. If little or no information is available on the handout, or you want to find additional ecological threats for that ecosystem, click the urls provided for your ecosystem above.

Step 3 - Use Links Provided in This Web Site to Find Out How These Ecological Threats Specifically Harm the Ecosystem You Researched

In step 2, you identified several specific types of ecological threats to the ecosystem you read about. In this step your first goal is to find out more about those threats and how they cause ecological problems for your ecosystem. To do this, click on the links provided below. Take some brief notes on these threats when you read about them on the Internet.

Your second goal in step 3 is to determine how these threats cause problems in your ecosystem and therefore reduce biodiversity. Problems created by these ecological threats include habitat fragmentation, eutrophication, biomagnification, and habitat loss. The point is to find a cause and effect relationship between some of the ecological threats you describe and the problems they create for that ecosystem by reducing biodiversity. Read about these environmental problems using the links provided below. Take notes on problems that are relevant to your ecosystem. As in step 1, you will use your notes to write part of your essay. For this part of your essay, the 'body,' write 2-3 paragraphs that explain how certain ecological threats result in specific ecological problem(s). In some cases there may only be one realistic problem that these ecological threats create, while in other ecosystems there might be several environmental problems. Your analysis of this should be based on careful research and reflection of the information.

Ecological Threats:

•  Invasive Species:

  Water Chestnut -

  http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/save/water_chestnut.html

  http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/bb/bb-43.htm

  http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/save/water_chestnut_report.html

   

  Norway Maple -

  http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/ipcnys/ipc_twentyap.html

  http://www.washington.edu/home/treetour/nmaple.html

  http://www.cmi.k12.il.us/Urbana/projects/apple/service/bpark/norwaymaple.html

   

  Oriental Bittersweet -

  http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ceor1.htm 

  http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/ipcnys/ipc_twentyob.html 

  http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/celaorbi.html

   

  Multiflora Rose -

  http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/rosamult.html 

  http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/invasive/factsheets/rose.htm 

  http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/edu/VMG/mrose.html

   

  European Buckthorn -

  http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_and_wildlife/exotics/buck.html 

  http://www.wellesley.edu/Activities/homepage/web/Species/pbuckthorne.html 

  http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/habitat/inv/p7_e.html

   

  Japanese Knotweed -

  http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pocu1.htm 

  http://omega.cc.umb.edu/~conne/jennjim/fjaponica.html 

  http://www.fs.fed.us/na/morgantown/fhp/palerts/jknot/jknot.htm

   

  Phragmites -

  http://www.yale.edu/fes505b/phragmites.html

  http://www.assateague.org/plover/1-96-g.html

  http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/phraaust.html

   

  Purple Loosestrife -

  http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/lysa1.htm

  http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/ans/plpage.htm

  http://pi.cdfa.ca.gov/purpleloosestrife/

   

  Crown Vetch -

  http://www.wellesley.edu/Activities/homepage/web/Species/pvetchcrown.html 

  http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/exotic/vegman/nine.htm 

  http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/corovari.html

   

  Garlic Mustard -

  http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/alpe1.htm 

  http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/invasive/factsheets/garlic.htm 

  http://www.fs.fed.us/na/morgantown/fhp/palerts/garlic/garlic.htm

   

  Eurasian Water Milfoil -

  http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mysp1.htm

  http://www.state.ia.us/fish/news/exotics/milfoil.htm

  http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/myrspi.html

   

  Dutch Elm Disease -

  http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/trees/pp324w.htm#Symptoms 

  http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD3765.html 

  http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod03/01701188.html

   

  Chestnut Blight -

  http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/top.html 

  http://www.uoguelph.ca/~chestnut/chestnut_blight.ht 

  http://www.cosmos-club.org/journals/1997/hagenstein.html

   

  European Starling -

  http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bird_bios/speciesaccounts/eursta.html 

  http://ianrwww.unl.edu/pubs/wildlife/ncr451.htm 

  http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4930id.html

   

  House Sparrow -

  http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/sparrow.htm 

  http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bird_bios/speciesaccounts/houspa.html 

  http://www.yankeegardener.com/birds/house.htm

   

  Wooly adelgid -

  http://ael.er.usgs.gov/groups/gis/hemlock/

  http://www.netstorm.net/~gene/HemlockWoolyAdelgid.htm

  http://www.fs.fed.us/na/morgantown/fhp/hwa/hwasite.html

   

  Gypsy moth -

  http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/gmoth/ 

  http://www.ent.msu.edu/gypsyed/docs/faq.html 

  http://datcp.state.wi.us/static/gypsymoth/

   

  Japanese Beetle -

  http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/japanese-beetle/jbeetle.html 

  http://entweb.clemson.edu/cuentres/cesheets/ornament/ce212.htm 

  http://www.bugwood.caes.uga.edu/html/japanesebeetle.html

   

• Development:

  Roads & highways -

  http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/esi/2000/cr2000/Habitat.htm

  http://www.unibas.ch/dib/nlu/res/ausw/main.e.html

  http://www.cordis.lu/cost-transport/src/cost-341.htm

   

  Parking lots -

  Farms -

  Industry -

  Subdivisions -

  Golf Courses -

  Lawns -

  http://www.geocities.com/johnsankey.geo/depend.html

  http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_alternatives.htm

  http://www.tvwd.org/conservation/lawn_alternatives.htm

   

  Septic systems -

  http://abe.www.ecn.purdue.edu/~epados/farmstead/septics/src/pagec.htm

  http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/sep_intro.htm

  http://plymouth.ces.state.nc.us/septic/98gilliam.html

   

  Underground oil tanks -

   

Ecological Problems (caused by ecological threats which reduce biodiversity):

 

Habitat fragmentation

http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/esi/2000/cr2000/Habitat.htm

http://www.unibas.ch/dib/nlu/res/ausw/main.e.html

http://www.cordis.lu/cost-transport/src/cost-341.htm

 

Eutrophication -

http://www.epa.gov/maia/html/eutroph.html

http://www.nemp.aus.net/about.htm

http://www.umanitoba.ca/institutes/fisheries/eutro.html

 

Biomagnification-

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/2bioma95.html

http://www.cine.mcgill.ca/TF/tfCObm.htm

http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/D/DDTandTrophicLevels.html

 

Habitat loss -

http://www.sierraclub.org/habitat/report/habitatloss.asp

http://www.pirg.org/reports/enviro/wildlife/page2.htm

http://www.estuaries.org/threats.html

Step 4 - Use Links Provided in this Web Site and/or Use Your Own Insights to Come-up with Solutions that can Reduce Ecological Threats and Increase Biodiversity in the Ecosystem You Picked

Now that you understand what threatens the ecosystem you researched and realize what problems are created by those threats, your task in this step is to propose realistic solutions that you could potentially implement yourself. Be modest in your plans; they should be inexpensive and require self-sacrifice and community service. Do not dream-up over-bloated, complex strategies that could not be accomplished by a small group of citizens like yourself. In fact, you might even use your ideas a few years from now when you are a senior for community service responsibilities (see Kay Steeves in the counseling office for details).

I recommend you look into a few of the solutions provided below. Take brief notes on any relevant solutions and incorporate those ideas into one paragraph for your essay which will be your conclusion.

Solutions:

http://www.maths.dundee.ac.uk/~gboswell/hfcc.html

http://www.maths.dundee.ac.uk/~gboswell/hfcc.html

http://www.cordis.lu/cost-transport/src/cost-341.htm

http://www.nwf.org/smartgrowth/fragmentation.html

http://www.traverse.com/nonprof/center/synapse35/lacross.html

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/notes/biblionotes/road-frags.html

http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/mjissues/mjchp_1e.htm

Eutrophication -

http://www.epa.gov/maia/html/eutroph.html

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/water/eutro.htm

http://www.internat.environ.se/index.php3?main=/documents/pollutants/overgod/eutroe.html

http://school.discovery.com/homeworkhelp/worldbook/atozscience/e/187047.html

Biomagnification -

http://www.tapirisat.ca/sitemap/departments/whats_new/itc_contaminants/ITC_s_role_in_NCP_mandates/biomagnification_diagram.html

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/FUNDAMNT/streem/methods2.htm

http://www.naturesstandard.com/bioaccum.html

http://www.mindfully.org/Food/Food-Web-Simply.htm

Habitat loss -

http://www.estuaries.org/threats.html

http://www.pirg.org/reports/enviro/wildlife/page2.htm

http://www.environ.org.uk/information/Nature/habitatloss.htm

Name: ____________________________________

Content (2x)

Mechanics (1x)

Note: Points will be deducted for essays that are longer than 2 pages single-spaced, double-spaced between paragraphs.

Offline Resources:

Alden, Peter, et al.  National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England.  Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1998.

Freeman, Stan and Nasuti, Mike.  The Natural History of Eastern Massachusetts.  Hampshire House Publishing Co., 1998.

Leahy, Christopher, Mitchell, John Hanson and Conuel, Thomas. The Nature of Massachusetts (Massachusetts Audubon Society).  Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1996.

Steel, Jennifer.  Losing Ground: An Analysis of Recent Rates and Patterns of Development and Their Effects on Open Space in Massachusetts - Second Edition (Massachusetts Audubon Society).  Advocacy Department Publications, May 1999.

Online Resources

Declaration of Environmental Rights and Responsibilities

bioethics.net

US FDA / Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)

U.S. EPA Student Center

Welcome to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Homepage

Nature

Living Things: Habitats & Ecosystems 

Biodiversity - public action

Pollution - general public action

Pollution - water quality and chemicals

Public action - examples

Town of Acton homepage

Commenwealths - Acton