Ecology

SCEC: Ecology

SCEC.A: Content

SCEC.A.1: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information for how biotic and abiotic factors interact to affect the distribution of species and the diversity of life on Earth

SCEC.A.2: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate how the stability of an ecosystem depends on energy flow

SCEC.A.3: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate how matter cycles in and out of an ecosystem

SCEC.A.4: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate how organisms interact as individuals and as populations

SCEC.A.5: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explore how populations grow in predictable patterns

SCEC.A.6: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information on how succession occurs following a disturbance to an ecosystem

SCEC.A.7: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to identify and describe Earth’s major aquatic and terrestrial biomes

SCEC.A.8: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the impact of continued human population growth on the demand for Earth’s resources

SCEC.A.9: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the impact of humans to global ecosystems

SCEC.A.10: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how air and water quality affect ecosystems on a global level

SCEC.A.11: obtain, evaluate, and communicate information regarding threats to biodiversity worldwide

SCEC.A.1.a: define ecology

SCEC.A.1.b: develop and use models to illustrate the different levels at which ecology can be studied

SCEC.A.1.c: construct an explanation as to how observation, experimentation, and modeling may all be used to study ecology

SCEC.A.1.d: plan and carry out an investigation using quadrant sampling to collect information about species diversity in a local ecosystem

SCEC.A.1.e: use mathematics and computational thinking to calculate population size using sampling techniques (i.e., T=NA)

SCEC.A.1.f: ask questions to compare and contrast biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems

SCEC.A.2.a: plan and carry out an investigation to demonstrate that producers provide energy for other organisms in an ecosystem

SCEC.A.2.b: ask questions to compare and contrast the role of producers and consumers in an ecosystem

SCEC.A.2.c: develop and use models to predict the flow of energy in the living world by constructing food chains and food webs for various ecosystems

SCEC.A.2.d: develop and use models to demonstrate the distribution of energy and matter in an ecosystem (i.e., energy pyramids, biomass pyramids, pyramids of numbers)

SCEC.A.2.e: use mathematics and computational thinking to investigate the quantity of energy transferred between trophic levels in an energy pyramid

SCEC.A.2.f: construct explanations to explore the importance of primary productivity in ecosystems

SCEC.A.3.a: develop and use models to compare and contrast the carbon, water, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles

SCEC.A.3.b: construct an explanation to describe the flow of matter (i.e., C, H, O, N, P, and S) through biotic and abiotic reservoirs, including human influences

SCEC.A.3.c: engage in argument from evidence to apply the first and second laws of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter to the flow of energy and matter in ecosystems

SCEC.A.3.d: construct an explanation to compare and contrast how energy and matter move through ecosystems differently

SCEC.A.3.e: develop and use models to explore the cycling of matter and flow of energy within and between ecosystems through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration

SCEC.A.4.a: ask questions to differentiate between a habitat and a niche

SCEC.A.4.b: engage in argument from evidence to demonstrate how resource partitioning enables similar species to coexist in a community

SCEC.A.4.c: construct an explanation to demonstrate that resource availability gives structure to a community (e.g., resource partitioning and competitive exclusion)

SCEC.A.4.d: ask questions to compare and contrast intraspecific and interspecific competition

SCEC.A.4.e: construct an explanation to compare and contrast species interactions (e.g., predation, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, and competition), including adaptations that have evolved in response to interspecific selective pressures

SCEC.A.5.a: plan and carry out an investigation to explore the differences between population density and dispersion

SCEC.A.5.b: use mathematics and computational thinking to create survivorship curves

SCEC.A.5.c: analyze and interpret data by using survivorship curves to describe the reproductive strategy of a species

SCEC.A.5.d: use mathematics and computational thinking to describe how changes in a population’s size are determined by immigration, births, emigration, and deaths

SCEC.A.5.e: plan and carry out an investigation to identify the role of limiting factors in population growth

SCEC.A.5.f: ask questions to differentiate between density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors

SCEC.A.6.a: evaluate ecological succession in terms of changes in communities over time and the impact of disturbance on community composition

SCEC.A.6.b: ask questions to compare and contrast primary and secondary successions

SCEC.A.6.c: analyze and interpret data to investigate species diversity as it relates to the stability of ecosystems and communities

SCEC.A.7.a: ask questions to compare and contrast microclimate, climate, and weather

SCEC.A.7.b: analyze and interpret climate graph data to compare and contrast Earth’s terrestrial biomes

SCEC.A.7.c: construct an explanation that identifies the biotic and abiotic characteristics of Earth’s terrestrial and aquatic biomes

SCEC.A.7.d: engage in argument from evidence to relate the role of natural selection to organismal adaptations that are specific to their habitats

SCEC.A.7.e: engage in argument from evidence for how global climate patterns and biogeography affect the distribution and abundance of species on Earth

SCEC.A.8.a: ask questions to investigate Earth’s carrying capacity

SCEC.A.8.b: develop, use, and analyze models that predict population growth

SCEC.A.8.c: engage in argument from evidence to relate rapid growth of human populations to environmental problems

SCEC.A.8.d: ask questions to compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable resources

SCEC.A.8.e: define problems with and design solutions for effective management of Earth’s resources to meet the needs of the future

SCEC.A.8.f: plan and conduct an investigation to explore ecological footprints

SCEC.A.9.a: construct an explanation to describe the sources, environmental impacts, and mitigation measures for major primary and secondary pollutants

SCEC.A.9.b: ask questions to compare and contrast the ecological impact of sustainable and non-sustainable use of resources, including soil, timber, fish and wild game, mineral resources, and nonrenewable energy

SCEC.A.9.c: engage in argument from evidence to explore the consequences of habitat fragmentation and habitat loss on biodiversity

SCEC.A.9.d: plan and carry out an investigation to research the ecological impact of agriculture (i.e., historical and modern) in the environment and its implications for feeding the world’s population

SCEC.A.10.a: construct an explanation to differentiate between types of air and water pollutants

SCEC.A.10.b: define the problems associated with and design solutions for reducing the production of/impact of acid rain to the global water cycle

SCEC.A.10.c: plan and conduct an investigation to illustrate the effect of acid rain on aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems

SCEC.A.10.d: use mathematics and computational thinking to investigate the effects of biomagnification

SCEC.A.10.e: ask questions regarding the role of greenhouse gases in producing the greenhouse effect

SCEC.A.10.f: analyze and interpret data to investigate global warming trends

SCEC.A.10.g: engage in argument from evidence that human activity is contributing to global warming

SCEC.A.11.a: ask questions and investigate factors that lead to the species richness of an ecosystem and describe the importance of biodiversity

SCEC.A.11.b: identify dominant, keystone, foundation, and endangered species and their roles in ecosystems and communities both locally and globally

SCEC.A.11.c: analyze and interpret data regarding species diversity as it relates to the stability of ecosystems and communities

SCEC.A.11.d: define the problems with and design solutions for reducing the impact of habitat fragmentation to local and global ecosystems

SCEC.A.11.e: construct and explanation to demonstrate that introduced species can disrupt stable relationships in an ecosystem

SCEC.A.11.f: ask questions to compare and contrast introduced and invasive species

SCEC.A.11.g: ask questions to investigate how sustainable development manages resources for present and future generations