|
D. Interdependence of
Organisms
1. The atoms and molecules on
the earth cycle among the living and nonliving components of the biosphere.
a.
Demonstrate an
understanding of how organisms interact with the biosphere as part
of the geochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, water cycles).
b.
.Identify
important nutrient cycles and evaluate how they affect ecosystems.
2. Energy flows
through ecosystems in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores
to carnivores and decomposers.
-
Demonstrate an
understanding of the flow of energy,
beginning with the sun, through various trophic levels.
-
Assess the value of the carbon cycle to the
flow of energy through the ecosystems.
3.
Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and
interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for
hundreds or thousands of years.
a.
Relate the concepts of cooperation and competition to organisms within
an ecosystem.
b.
Evaluate how interrelationships and interdependencies of living things
contribute to the homeostasis of ecosystems.
-
Demonstrate an
understanding of
how living things maintain their high level of order at the expense of
increasing the disorder of their
physical surroundings.
4.Living organisms have the
capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources
are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions
between organisms.
a.
Describe and
give examples of demographic characteristics of populations (e.g., birth and
death rates, age structure, sex ratio).
b.
Give examples
and explain how limiting factors such as water, food, oxygen, and living space
play a role in the stability of ecosystems.
-
Predict how interactions among organisms such
as predation, competition, and parasitism affect population growth.
e.
Demonstrate an
understanding of the characteristics, stages, and implications of
succession on terrestrial ecosystems.
f.
Evaluate dynamic
equilibrium as a result of checks and balances within populations, communities,
and ecosystems.
5. Human beings live within
the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of
population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats
through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is
threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be
irreversibly affected.
a. Identify events
that lead to awareness of environmental concerns such as fish kills, destruction
of the ozone layer, global warming, and the decline of the bald eagle. (H)
b. Discuss the conflicts that could
occur between land developers and conservationists.
(P)
c.
Describe the effects of human overpopulation and activities on the survival of
other species.
d. Debate the consequences of extinction and
the introduction of species within ecosystems.
e. Assess the consequences of
acid rain on ecosystems. (P)
f. Give examples of how
technology has advanced the study of environmental science. (T, P)
Link to SC State Science Standards
(Choose Biology I)
(Acrobat
Reader Version)
|
