Biodiversity & Ecosystem Resilience

[!] STUDY GUIDE: Big Ideas Use to answer form questions

1.Ecosystems are dynamic; populations fluctuate and respond to changes. Students often think ecosystems are stable and unchanging, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

2.Food webs are complex networks; removing one species affects many others. Students often think energy flows in simple linear food chains, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

3.Biodiversity provides ecosystem services, resilience, and stability. Students often think biodiversity is 'nice to have' but not essential, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

DRAW KEY TERMS Google each → Images tab → sketch what you see

Biodiversity

Variety of life in an ecosystem

Ecosystem services

Benefits humans receive from healthy ecosystems

Resilience

Ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbance

Monoculture

Agriculture using a single crop repeatedly

OTHER VOCAB: conservation · species · pollination · food web

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION Your initial thinking

In the 1950s, China launched a campaign to kill sparrows that ate grain. Without sparrows eating insects, locust populations exploded and devastated crops, contributing to a famine that affected millions.

How can one small change collapse an entire ecosystem?

I think...

WRITE AFTER HOOK FORM Reflect before continuing

I learned that...

Station 1 — Biodiversity & Resilience

I observed that...

This shows that...

The key concept is...

WRITE STATION 2 NOTES Complete during Form 3 (Station 2)

Station 2 — Ecosystem Services Valuation

Main idea I observed:

Evidence from my data:

I can apply this by:

Station 2 — Ecosystem Services Valuation

The data shows...

This connects to...

The main idea is...

This connects to what we learned because...

I can apply this by...

DRAW CONCEPT MODEL Show your understanding visually

Draw a model that shows the main concept. Include labels and arrows to explain relationships.

Labels included

Relationships shown

Key terms used

CHECK TEST YOUR THINKING Rate each: FALSE ← 1-2-3-4-5 → TRUE

1. A healthy ecosystem stays balanced on its own and never changes unless humans interfere.

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2. Losing one species in a food web only affects the species directly above and below it.

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3. Biodiversity is mainly about having many beautiful species -- it does not affect ecosystem function.

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4. Ecosystems with higher biodiversity recover from disturbances more quickly than low-biodiversity ecosystems.

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5. Ecosystem services like pollination, water filtration, and soil formation depend on biodiversity.

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Pick any TWO statements -- especially any you rated 2, 3, or 4. Justify your rating with evidence:

Statement #___ -- I rated it ___ because:

THINK SCIENTIST CIRCLE DEBRIEF Reflect after your Scientist Circle discussion

AHA! Moment

The one I changed my thinking most about is...

Remaining Question

I still wonder...

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION REVISIT Final written response

How can one small change collapse an entire ecosystem?

Word Bank: biodiversity · resilience · monoculture · ecosystem services · conservation · species · pollination · food web