For this project my group and I were tasked with identifying an ecological problem, like environmental or population factors, and creating an action plan to help solve it. Here was our prompt: You will produce: a presentation (Prezi,PowerPoint or Google Slides), paper, or video that presents an action plan that will allow your species to thrive in its current environment and what steps you have done to make change based on your action plan. The action plan must be justified by explaining how humans are impacting your species/population. You must also follow through on part of your action plan to make a difference!
One of the main struggles that my group and I faced for the |
duration of this project was what our action plan would be and how we could actually carry out part of it. My group and I decided to focus our efforts on polar bears and how humans are impacting the Arctic. Here are the driving questions we answered and kept in mind during the project:
1. How do humans have a lasting impact on species or populations and their environment?
Humans have a lasting impact on species/populations and their environments in a few ways. For example industrial building of towns, houses, cities (etc) takes space away from populations to live in. Also pollution from fossil fuels or other waste products, illegal killing of animals and bringing exotic animals into the environment. We are taking away resources and habitats from plants and animals.
2. What can we do to minimize human impact on the environment?
We can minimize human impact on the environment by being more conscientious of waste and cut back from using fossil fuels or plastic objects. Also spreading awareness never hurts to educate more people.
3. How do we humans prioritize the solutions to minimize human impact on the environment given social, environmental, and economic factors?
We do not prioritize solutions to a great extent as humans, and if we do they usually favor us more than the animals because we are looking for more convenience for ourselves. While millions are fighting this cause, the prioritise for most of the world and the mindsets are not very urgent.
We worked diligently to come up with a profitable solution and how we could help out these creatures before it's too late. Keep reading to find out what our solution was!
1. How do humans have a lasting impact on species or populations and their environment?
Humans have a lasting impact on species/populations and their environments in a few ways. For example industrial building of towns, houses, cities (etc) takes space away from populations to live in. Also pollution from fossil fuels or other waste products, illegal killing of animals and bringing exotic animals into the environment. We are taking away resources and habitats from plants and animals.
2. What can we do to minimize human impact on the environment?
We can minimize human impact on the environment by being more conscientious of waste and cut back from using fossil fuels or plastic objects. Also spreading awareness never hurts to educate more people.
3. How do we humans prioritize the solutions to minimize human impact on the environment given social, environmental, and economic factors?
We do not prioritize solutions to a great extent as humans, and if we do they usually favor us more than the animals because we are looking for more convenience for ourselves. While millions are fighting this cause, the prioritise for most of the world and the mindsets are not very urgent.
We worked diligently to come up with a profitable solution and how we could help out these creatures before it's too late. Keep reading to find out what our solution was!
Our Solution and Action Plan
What is currently being done? People are making an effort to reduce fossil fuel emissions which keep the polar bear environment more in tact.
We want to raise money and donate it to non profit organizations that fight for polar bear conservation. More specifically we are going to raise money and use it to adopt polar bears from a non profit organization. We plan on taking action by going out and collecting money door to door in order to adopt the polar bears. This solution could prevent independent symbiosis because the lack of poachers would allow them to flourish in their environment. We also created an instagram page that is an easy way for our peers to be educated by us on human impacts on the environment. Below is a link to the adoption pack that we decided on to give the money we raise to, as well as a photo of our instagram page we created.
What is currently being done? People are making an effort to reduce fossil fuel emissions which keep the polar bear environment more in tact.
We want to raise money and donate it to non profit organizations that fight for polar bear conservation. More specifically we are going to raise money and use it to adopt polar bears from a non profit organization. We plan on taking action by going out and collecting money door to door in order to adopt the polar bears. This solution could prevent independent symbiosis because the lack of poachers would allow them to flourish in their environment. We also created an instagram page that is an easy way for our peers to be educated by us on human impacts on the environment. Below is a link to the adoption pack that we decided on to give the money we raise to, as well as a photo of our instagram page we created.
Of course to keep all of our work and information organized, we created a document that was accessible to everyone to use. In this shared document we kept tabs/checklists of what was needed for each part of the research in terms of the rubric given to us at the beginning. This helped keep us in line and see what was needed to be accomplished each day so we were not wasting time and able to finish our presentation and project on time. Below is the document we used.
At the end of our project work time, we had to present our information to our class. In our presentation we needed to cover these topics: interdependent relationships in our ecosystem, cycles of matter and energy in ecosystems, ecosystem dynamics functioning and resilience, and solutions to our problem. We went more in depth with our explanation of these topics and answering questions, but to give you and idea these were the basics that needed to be covered. We presented this slideshow, that can be found below, on Friday May 17th.
To Better Understand:
The Arctic is a very interesting environment that is part of the Tundra Biome (a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in). Antarctic tundra is usually cold and dry and some have rocky soil and the average winter temperature of arctic tundra is -34 degree Celsius and average summer temperature is 3-12 degree Celsius. Rainfall varies in different regions and precipitation (melting snow) less than 15 inches annually. This relates to our project, because this was the environment/biome that we studied. Below is the organization and definitions for the organization of ecology.
Individual: single living organism
Population: a species that lives in the same habitat Community: populations of different species interacting together Ecosystem: how the communities interacts w/ environment Biome: group of ecosystems that have the same climate or other similarities Biosphere: where all life exists in the world |
Abiotic Factors are physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms and Biotic Factors are the living parts of an environment;biological. Below is a list if both abiotic and biotic factors in the Arctic:
Biotic Factors
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Abiotic Factors
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This relates to our project because these abiotic and biotic factors affect the carrying capacity of the Arctic. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of organisms or individuals that an environment can sustain life for. The abiotic factors limit the growth of a population or can actually deteriorate the habitat/resources which affects the amount of individuals that it can then sustain; these include weather patterns (wind, rain, sunshine). The biotic factors can also affect the carrying capacity because issues like predation or disease can decrease a population.
There are two ways to obtain energy.
Autotroph: Use energy from the environment to create their food. An autotroph is an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
Autotroph: Use energy from the environment to create their food. An autotroph is an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
- Sunlight
- Chemicals
- Herbivore
- Carnivore
- Omnivore
Energy moves through trophic levels/ from one organism to the next since energy cannot be created or destroyed. The 10% rule states that only 10% of energy is transferred to the next organism or to the next trophic level bc the current host needs to use some of that energy for themselves.
Ecological triangle: a pyramid is used to illustrate the structure of the trophic levels in a food chain. There are three types of ecological triangles/pyramids.
The energy transfer from one trophic level to the next, up the food chain, is like a pyramid; wider at the base and narrower at the top. Because of this inefficiency, there is only enough food for a few top level consumers, but there is lots of food for herbivores lower down on the food chain. There are fewer consumers than producers.
Biomass is plant or animal material used for energy production, heat production, or in various industrial processes as raw material for a range of products.
Ecological triangle: a pyramid is used to illustrate the structure of the trophic levels in a food chain. There are three types of ecological triangles/pyramids.
- Pyramid of numbers: compares the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain (#’s decrease as you go up)
- Biomass pyramid: shows the amount of living matter in a food chain. The total dry weight (w/o water) of organisms in a food chain. Mass/area.
- Energy pyramid: shows the energy flow/transport
The energy transfer from one trophic level to the next, up the food chain, is like a pyramid; wider at the base and narrower at the top. Because of this inefficiency, there is only enough food for a few top level consumers, but there is lots of food for herbivores lower down on the food chain. There are fewer consumers than producers.
Biomass is plant or animal material used for energy production, heat production, or in various industrial processes as raw material for a range of products.
The image to the right is a food web which is a series of organisms related by predator-prey and consumer-resource interactions; the entirety of interrelated food chains in an ecological community. The arrows represent the energy that is being transferred from one consumer to the next or producer to consumer. This particular food web is specific to the Arctic and it has organisms from there like ice algae diatoms, killer whales, and of course polar bears.
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This image to the left is a simplified food chain of the Arctic. A food chain is is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and ending at apex predator species, detritivores, or decomposer species. A food chain also shows how the organisms are related with each other by the food they eat. Each level of a food chain represents a different trophic level (The different steps in a food chain or web. Energy moves flows from the bottom to the top levels) .
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Symbiosis is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms; they can be from the same species or different species. The four main types of symbiotic relationships include:
- Mutualism: both of the organisms/individuals benefit. An example of this would be bees and flowers.
- Competition: when two or more organisms rely on the same environmental resource. An example of this would be humans and sharks competing for the limited resource of fish.
- Parasitism: where one individual benefits and the other is harmed. An example of this would be ring-worms using humans or other organisms as a host.
- Commensalism: where one organism benefits greatly and the other is not affected at all. An example of this would be chickens and cows when the chickens eat the bugs the cows walking causes to surface.
Biodiversity is the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. This relates to our project because polar bears are important in biodiversity. If they died off, then the seal population would rise rapidly. If that happened the fish population would substantially decrease. We care about biodiversity, because it maintains balance for our ecosystems and allows for symbiotic relationships.
Populations can grow from increased access to resources, improved weather, and if reproduction rates increase. Limiting factors cause the population growth to decrease such as hurricanes, lack or food/water, not enough space, or torrential rain. There are two types of limiting factors:
Density dependent: population size, competition, resources, and disease; depends on population size
Density independent: does not depend on population size (ie. unusual weather, natural disasters, and some human activities)
Density dependent: population size, competition, resources, and disease; depends on population size
Density independent: does not depend on population size (ie. unusual weather, natural disasters, and some human activities)
The Carbon Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major component of many minerals such as limestone. The image at right shows a simple version of the carbon cycle and how cellular respiration and photosynthesis takes a part in the process of it working(more on that below). Basically the carbon travels from organisms/individuals to plants to the atmosphere, back to plants to the soil (or through waste/decay) and fossil fuels take it back to the atmosphere.
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The Water Cycle is the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration. The image at right shows a simple version of the water cycle. The water cycle is a closed system, which means that the water stays in the same area and no new sources really come into that specific cycle. This relates to our project because the global warming in the Arctic is causing a lot of runoff from the ice and snow and that is destroying the habitats for species like polar bears and other animals or plants.
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The Nitrogen Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. The image at right shows a simple version of the nitrogen cycle. Our atmosphere is made up of around 78% nitrogen, but most is not biologically usable. So special bacteria called "nitrogen fixing bacteria" convert it into usable sources for plants; which are the consumed by humans or other organisms we eat and then obtain the nitrogen. The "denitrifying bacteria" convert the decomposed materials of the plants or organism that consumed the nitrogen back into atmospheric nitrogen (and then the cycle continues).
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Photosynthesis = Two reactions make up photosynthesis the light reaction and the calvin cycle
The light reaction produces energy from solar power (photons) in the form of ATP and NADPH The calvin cycle uses energy from the light reaction to make sugar (glucose) Equations: 6CO2 + 6H2O = C6H12O6 + 6O2 Why needed: makes sugar for plants; food for them. Also produces oxygen for humans/animals Location: occurs in the chloroplast in the thylakoids (1) and stroma (2) What cells do it: chloroplast |
Cellular Respiration = takes place in both plants and animals, this is where ATP is made. Cellular respiration releases chemical energy from sugars and other organic compounds to make ATP when oxygen is present
Has three stages:
1) Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of the cells and is always coccuring and does not require oxygen. 2 ATP are used to start the process, and breaks down glucose into a net of 2 ATP, 2 Pyruvate, and 2 NADH
2) Krebs Cycle occurs in the mitochondria and produces molecules that carry energy to the second stage of cellular respiration. Pyruvate from glycolysis is broken down and some ATP and other energy forms are made. Carbon dioxide is given off as a waste product
3) Electron Transport Chain (ETC) is made of proteins and uses energy from Krebs Cycle and oxygen to make ATP. Water and heat are given off as waste products.
Equations: C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O
Why needed: creates ATP and other energy forms
Location: mitochondria(2&3) and cytoplasm (1)
What cells do it: mitochondria
These processes are related to our project, because these are connected to the cycles mentioned above. The cycles connect to our project, because they show us how matter cycles in the Tundra and other specific biomes in Earth.
Has three stages:
1) Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of the cells and is always coccuring and does not require oxygen. 2 ATP are used to start the process, and breaks down glucose into a net of 2 ATP, 2 Pyruvate, and 2 NADH
2) Krebs Cycle occurs in the mitochondria and produces molecules that carry energy to the second stage of cellular respiration. Pyruvate from glycolysis is broken down and some ATP and other energy forms are made. Carbon dioxide is given off as a waste product
3) Electron Transport Chain (ETC) is made of proteins and uses energy from Krebs Cycle and oxygen to make ATP. Water and heat are given off as waste products.
Equations: C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O
Why needed: creates ATP and other energy forms
Location: mitochondria(2&3) and cytoplasm (1)
What cells do it: mitochondria
These processes are related to our project, because these are connected to the cycles mentioned above. The cycles connect to our project, because they show us how matter cycles in the Tundra and other specific biomes in Earth.
Disturbance of Homeostasis refers to how the regular balance of life has been affected for Polar Bears by humans. There is more polar bears alive now than 50 years ago, but due to climate change there is less ice and food to sustain them. The polar bear’s arctic ecosystem has been affected by humans through the increase in air pollution and ozone depletion as a result. It is causing increased average global temperatures and melting of the polar bears’ icy ecosystem.
Humans are having a major impact on the lives of animals all over the world because our of careless actions. Greenhouse gases are gasses that absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The constant burning of fossil fuels is the primary or most notable cause for the sudden rise in climate change and global warming; human or man made issues is causing the change. The effect of this change is heat gets trapped inside the blanket of greenhouse gases and the Earth becomes too warm. Which leads to unnatural weather changes or patterns that can affect a myriad of species including humans.
This relates to our project, because the reason that Polar bears are endangered is from human impact and the burning of fossil fuels that are destroying their habitat.
Humans are having a major impact on the lives of animals all over the world because our of careless actions. Greenhouse gases are gasses that absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The constant burning of fossil fuels is the primary or most notable cause for the sudden rise in climate change and global warming; human or man made issues is causing the change. The effect of this change is heat gets trapped inside the blanket of greenhouse gases and the Earth becomes too warm. Which leads to unnatural weather changes or patterns that can affect a myriad of species including humans.
This relates to our project, because the reason that Polar bears are endangered is from human impact and the burning of fossil fuels that are destroying their habitat.
Reflection:
Two skills that I utilized during this project were leadership and time management. The first skill are that I performed well in was leadership. A specific example of when I exhibited this skill set was at the beginning of our project. The first day that we were assigned our groups I remember all of my teammates turning to me and asking me what the game plan was. From that point on I was the person who divided up tasks for the day, assigned work at home, and took initiative to keep the team on track for our goal. The second skill that I did well with was time management. A specific example of this skill being utilized was at the end of our project. It was our last working day before our presentations, and my group and I were able to practice our presentation all period and discuss last minute details before the next day because all of our work had been done ahead of schedule. The days before we were all working hard during class as well as at home to get everything done on time and with minimal rushing.
Two skills that I still need to improve upon for the future is communication and collaboration. The first skill that I still need to work on is communicating with my group mates. This became an issue specifically towards the end of our project when no one was communicating what/when we were going to follow through with our donation initiative part of the project. I became very frustrated with my group for not being motivated and for not being straight forward with plans and leaving it all on me to figure out. In the future I will be sure to make time with my groups to sit down and talk about what specifically we want to do and make sure we cover everything in detail as to not cause any confusion/frustration in the future. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. A specific example of when this was an issue was at the beginning of our project. the second work day I noticed that not a lot of work had been done, I take partial responsibility for this happening as I was working outside with one person from our group and the other two members were inside. In retrospect this was not the best idea, because our seperation limited our communication and therefore our productivity. In the future I will be sure to prioritize group work and not separate unless we need to, because that defeats the purpose of doing a group project.
In conclusion, this project was quite enjoyable! I learned a lot about how I should be helping the environment and the action steps I need to take in order to keep our plant and inhabitants healthy and happy. I also became informed of bad habits that humans have and how we are hurting our planet more than helping it; making me become more aware of my actions. I hope that everyone took away the same knowledge and mindset as me and will be making a more mindful effort to conserve Earth.
Two skills that I utilized during this project were leadership and time management. The first skill are that I performed well in was leadership. A specific example of when I exhibited this skill set was at the beginning of our project. The first day that we were assigned our groups I remember all of my teammates turning to me and asking me what the game plan was. From that point on I was the person who divided up tasks for the day, assigned work at home, and took initiative to keep the team on track for our goal. The second skill that I did well with was time management. A specific example of this skill being utilized was at the end of our project. It was our last working day before our presentations, and my group and I were able to practice our presentation all period and discuss last minute details before the next day because all of our work had been done ahead of schedule. The days before we were all working hard during class as well as at home to get everything done on time and with minimal rushing.
Two skills that I still need to improve upon for the future is communication and collaboration. The first skill that I still need to work on is communicating with my group mates. This became an issue specifically towards the end of our project when no one was communicating what/when we were going to follow through with our donation initiative part of the project. I became very frustrated with my group for not being motivated and for not being straight forward with plans and leaving it all on me to figure out. In the future I will be sure to make time with my groups to sit down and talk about what specifically we want to do and make sure we cover everything in detail as to not cause any confusion/frustration in the future. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. A specific example of when this was an issue was at the beginning of our project. the second work day I noticed that not a lot of work had been done, I take partial responsibility for this happening as I was working outside with one person from our group and the other two members were inside. In retrospect this was not the best idea, because our seperation limited our communication and therefore our productivity. In the future I will be sure to prioritize group work and not separate unless we need to, because that defeats the purpose of doing a group project.
In conclusion, this project was quite enjoyable! I learned a lot about how I should be helping the environment and the action steps I need to take in order to keep our plant and inhabitants healthy and happy. I also became informed of bad habits that humans have and how we are hurting our planet more than helping it; making me become more aware of my actions. I hope that everyone took away the same knowledge and mindset as me and will be making a more mindful effort to conserve Earth.