6/14/11 Scribe Post

Today in class we:

-Finished taking notes in the Unit 1: Scientific Method Packet

-Did the activity on pages 73-75

In the notes:

TOPIC: Global Warming

-caused by an increase in the atmospheres CO2 levels

-largely due to the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation

-if the global temperature rises by 2 degrees C, then polar ice caos could melt causing sea levels to rise, flooding cities on the shore, and change in rainfall patterns, effecting farming

TOPIC: Ozone Layer Depletion

-caused by the use of chlorofluorocarbons (chemicals used for refridgeration and aerosals)

-Why is this bad?

1). increases amount of skin cancer

2). increases amount of cateracts

3). damages crops

4). increases phytoplakton (plankton that gains energy from the sun)

-in 1987 many nations ended CFC production which wasn't officially followed until 2010

-there's an ozone hole over Antartica that occasionally moves over area of Australia, New Zealand, and South America

-because of this, Australia has the largest skin cancer rate in the world

TOPIC: Biodiversity Crisis

-a decline in Earth's variety of life

-we are losing species: birds, plants, trees, freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals

WHAT CAUSES ALL OF THIS?

1). Habitat destruction- land, wetland, and marine

2). Introduced species-eliminate native species. Ex: Asian Carp outcompeting other freshwater fish in the Illinois rivers

3). Overexploitation- excessive commercial harvest or sport hunting. Ex: whales, dolphins, sea turtles, elephants

TOPIC: Why does biodiversity matter?

-We depend on species for food, shelter, clothing, shelter, oxygen, and soil

-25% of prescription medicines come from plants. Ex: Aloe is used to treat burns and dry skin

-Human populations could be altered by changes in biodiversity

-Field of Conservation Biology: seeks to counter the loss of biodiversity

-Doal: Sustainable developement balancing human needs with the health of the biosphere. Goal is prosperityof human societies and ecosystems that support them

In the activity:

Pages 73- 75

"Environmental Action Simulation"

In this activity we were all paired in groups of 4-5 people. We were to pretend we were part of the Granite City Environmental Action Organization. We were then given a $20,000 grant in which we were supposed to divide amongst several organizations in need of funding. We then wrote paragraphs explaining why we chose to divide the funds this way.

Homework:

-read the articles given by Mrs. Andrews

-answer the questions on the article

Next Scribe: ***Anna***

Scribe Post- 9/13/2011

Today in class we: -Turned in Biome maps

- Went over UP pages 55-64

-Filled in notes on chapter 19 and started on chapter 20.

HW: QUIZ - Thursday CH 18 & 19

Unit 1 TEST on 9/19

Eco issue due 9/23

Read CH 20

Ecology Video on Succession

* Many factors impact an ecosystem

* Ecological succession is a process where a community transforms itself until it is a stable

community

* 2 types of succession

* Primary Succession: No previous vegetation or growth

* Secondary Succession: Previous vegetation/growth

An example of PRIMARY succession:

The image above is PRIMARY succession because there WASN'T previous growth or vegetation.

Here is an example of SECONDARY succession:

The image above is SECONDARY succession because there WAS previous growth/vegetation.

Early Colonizers

* Biotic/Abiotic factors influence succession

* Early colonizers are fast growing forms of vegetation

* Can adapt to amount of sunlight

* Wind dispersed

* Some early colonizers have symbiotic relationships with environment

Thanks,

Mark

Next Scribe:**Will**

Scribe Post 9/12/11 - Biomes

Today we:

• Collected EC Page 62A

• Discussed new homework- UP 65. This is a biome map of the entire globe and a completed version can be found in the textbook on p 429. Some books might not have the map on this page, so look around that area, or use a credible online map.

• For the rest of the class we completed the chart on UP 67-68 and watched short videos that described each type. There were 8 biomes: Tundra, Coniferous Forest, Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Chaparral, Savannah, Desert, and Tropical Rain Forest.

• Tundra: Long, bitter, cold winters, 0-10 degrees Celsius.
• Less than 25 cm of precipitation a year, mostly snow
• Has permafrost layer- Permanently frozen soil
• Animals include wolves, caribou, polar bears. Snow covered land in winter, but many wildflowers, grasses and small shrubs live in the summer.

• Coniferous Forest: Cold winters, short wet summers
• Precipitation: 35-75 cm. mostly snow
• Soil is nutrient poor and acidic because conifers produce acid
• Wolves, moose, bears, with somewhat large, cone making, needled evergreens

• Deciduous Forest: Cold winters, hot summers: -30 to 30 degrees Celsius

• More precipitation than coniferous, so trees are larger (75-125 cm)
  
• Lots of nutrients because of decomposed leaves
• Cardinals, deer, big, broad leaved trees

• Grasslands: 5 to 22 degrees Celsius

• About as much precipitation as a Coniferous Forest (25-75 cm)
  
• Soil is enriched by glacial deposits and decaying matter- good for farmland
• Hawks, gophers, mostly grass with RARE trees

• Chaparral (Temperate Shrublands): Ocean air provide mild rainy winters, long dry summers

• Precipitation: a little less than grasslands (20-60 cm)
• Periodic fires release nutrients, some seeds only germinate after fires
• Animals mostly the same as Grassland, Spiny shrubs with evergreen leaves

• Savannah: Warm all year

• Precipitation: 120 cm, scattered watering holes
• Lion King animals: Giraffes, Lions, Zebras, etc. Grassy, but drought and fire prevent many trees from growing

• Desert: Warm days, cold nights
  
• Barely any rain
• Scavengers, other specialized creatures, Cacti, sparse shrubs because of little moisture

• Tropical Rain Forest: Along the equator, 25 degrees Celsius
  
• Precipitation: 200 Cm
• Fertile but thin level of good soil
• Extreme biodiversity

This should help if you weren't here for class today. Sorry I couldn't include pics for Desert and Tropical Rain Forest, as the program said the file was to big.

See you in class,

Danny N

Next scribe: Mark