Week 15: Ecosystems

Cartoon

In this cartoon, a garden center is rebranding itself as a Carbon Offset Center. Carbon offset is the process of absorbing more carbon to counteract the excess release of carbon from something like burning fossil fuels. Explain why plants and gardens can offset, or absorb excess carbon

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, students will be able to

1. Explain the movement of energy through an ecosystem; from sun to producers, through consumers, decomposers, the role of photosynthesis, cell respiration, chemical bonds,  and  heat.
2. Follow the movement of carbon through an ecosystem: from CO2 to producers, through consumers, decomposers, the role of photosynthesis, cell respiration, organic molecules and  heat.
3. Trace the pathway of water through an ecosystem: from oceans to water vapor, precipitation, surface runoff, groundwater, transpiration, freshwater.
4. Apply the understanding of the carbon cycle to global warming and the climate crisis. 

Study Guide Questions: 

1. If you were trying to feed a large population- which group of organisms will provide the most energy: producers, herbivores, carnivores ?

Make sure to include

• • • Explanation of what are producers, herbivores and carnivores
    • Original source of energy in ecosystem
    • How it is captured (psn)
    • Where it is stored (chemical bonds)
    • What it is used for (cell respiration, building new molecules)
    • Why some is lost (heat)

2. How have humans altered the carbon cycle?  In order to answer this question, you need to first describe the basics of the carbon cycle, followed by indicating which parts are altered by humans and in what ways.

Make sure to include

• • • Description of the carbon cycle
    • What form of carbon do producers use? What do they make with the CO2? What can they do with that glucose ? What happens to the carbon at the end of cell respiration? What kind of organic molecules do they make? And what do they do with them?
    • What form of carbon do consumers use? What do they do with those organic molecules? What happens to the carbon at the end of cell respiration? What kind of organic molecules do they make? And what do they do with them?
    • What are fossil fuels? What happens to that stored carbon when we burn them?
    • How does deforestation impact the carbon cycle? What happens to the carbon embedded in the trees? What happens to the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Powerpoint and Handouts.