Ecology

=Ecology=

Blended Learning Topic
=Specific Instructional Objectives:= 1 Briefly describe the non-cyclical nature of energy flow 2 Explain the terms producer, consumer and trophic level in the context of food chains and food webs 3 Explain how energy losses occur along food chains, and discuss the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels 4 Describe and interpret pyramids of numbers, biomass and *energy 5 Describe how carbon is cycled within an ecosystem 6 Evaluate the effects of ¨  water pollution by sewage and by inorganic waste ¨ pollution due to insecticides including bioaccumulation up food chains and impact on top carnivores 7 Outline the roles of microbes in sewage disposal as an example of environmental biotechnology 8 Discuss reasons for conservation of species with reference to the maintenance of biodiversity, management of fisheries and management of timber production

=Part 1 - Energy flow, food chains and webs= > Access the website at [] > > After you have gone through the topic, do the ** MCQ self-test ** (MCQ) (click on the self-test link on the left of the page) > > Read about ** bizarre facts in Biology (giant worms at the bottom of the ocean) ** and answer the questions that follow as a discussion thread below.
 * 1) ** How do ecosystems work? (from Biology - Life on Earth) **

2. Go through the powerpoint:

=Part 2 - Carbon cycle= 1. Go through the powerpoint:

2. [] [] (with narration) [] (click on Ecology then Nutrient cycling)

3. Video on carbon cycle and global warming

media type="youtube" key="1o4ODWMZq5U" height="344" width="425"

4. Find out how the carbon the NOAA ESRL Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group makes ongoing discrete measurements from land and sea surface sites and aircraft, and continuous measurements from baseline observatories and tall towers. These measurements document the spatial and temporal distributions of carbon-cycle gases and provide essential constraints to our understanding of the global carbon cycle. Carbon cycle green house gasses = =

=Part 3 - Effects of man on the ecosystem=
 * 1) Go through the powerpoint:

2. Watch the following videos: media type="youtube" key="MlwpBuDwdAs" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="oJAbATJCugs" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="RP-sU8i2edo" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="YRh3yH7Hnew" height="344" width="425"
 * ==Deforestation==
 * ==Global warming==
 * ==Global warming==
 * ==Global warming==
 * ==Global warming==
 * ==Coal combustion and acid rain==
 * ==Coal combustion and acid rain==
 * ==Coal combustion and acid rain==
 * ==Coal combustion and acid rain==
 * ==Ozone depletion==
 * ==Ozone depletion==
 * ==Ozone depletion==
 * ==Ozone depletion==


 * ==[|Eutrophication video]==