Biodiversity and Types of Species - 1.27-31.25

Monday - January 27



_______ succession needs pioneer species like lichens/mosses to create soil. ________ succession does not need lichens/mosses since the soil is already present.ย 

๐Ÿ‘ succession / primary

๐Ÿ‘Ž soil / mosses

โœ” primary / secondary

โŒ secondary / primary



Alpha Box Warm Up



Keystone Species


Have you ever heard of a keystone?ย 


In architecture itโ€™s the wedge shaped stone at the top of an arch that holds it all together. Without it the arch would collapse.ย 


In ecology its an ______________that helps define an entire ecosystem. It holds the ecosystem together because without the ecosystem would _____________________________________


Greatly impact other community members and the health of the ____________


What were the negative effects of removing the sharks?


Ecosystems depend on keystone species. If we lose keystone species the biodiversity of the ecosystem as a whole will

๐Ÿ‘ rise

๐Ÿ‘Ž fall

โŒ not change




Native Species

  • Naturally found in a specific ecosystem


  • Example: Koalas in Australia


  • May be called indigenous species


  • Humans did not bring in or influence the species distribution


Invasive Species

  • Nonnative organisms that cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health


  • Can be introduced through human activities


  • Have no natural predators and often take over the ecosystem (they invade)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPeg1tbBt0Aย ย ย 



How did carp get into the river?


Why are they considered invasive?


What natural predators do carp have here?


What are people doing about the species?




Tuesday - January 28


Which of the following is NOT true about Invasive Species?


๐Ÿ‘ They typically have a large impact on the environment

๐Ÿ‘Ž They are native to the area.

โœ” They will often have faster reproduction rates

โŒ They commonly lack a predatorย  capable of limiting theirย 

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย survivalย ย 


___________ย  ย  _____________


  • An organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition


  • A good indicator species should also respond to changes relatively quickly and be easy to observe.


  • Canaries have a very responsive metabolism, and when exposed to dangerous gases in coal mines, they react quickly and obviously.ย 


  • Miners would notice right away that something was wrong, because canaries are known for their chirping and singing.ย 


  • Species must be sensitive to foreign disturbances more than others and must be strong enough to survive it.


  • Why do scientists track and study indicator species?



Endemic Species

  • Endemic species are found in only______________________

  • For example, the blue jay is endemic to __________ย  ____________ (broad territory)

  • The Barton Springs salamander is endemic to the mouth of one spring in Austin, Texas. (small territory)

  • Endemic species with highly restricted locations, like the Barton Springs salamander, are particularly vulnerable to extinction. WHY?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=A1FWQvaBoRg&feature=emb_logoย 


A species that is only found in one specific area is called

๐Ÿ‘ Endangered

๐Ÿ‘Ž Indicator

โœ” Keystone

ย โŒ Endemic





What do you already know about the word endangered?



What do you already know about extinction?


____________species- any species which is vulnerable to become endangered in the near future. (more than a few left on Earth, but not many)


____________species: Any species that is at imminent riskย  of extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its critical habitat and genetic variation(a few left on Earth)ย 


___________Species: Any species of animal or plant which no more individuals are aliveย  in the world.


Can a species be endangered and endemic?


Can a species be endemic and native?


Wednesday - January 29 - ELD - no class


Thursday - January 30

Thursday - September 5


Which of the following is true about Endangered Species?



ย ๐Ÿ‘ They are always endemic species.


๐Ÿ‘Ž They are always keystone species.


ย โœ” They are always indicator species.


โŒ They are generally vulnerable before they are threatened



What is the difference in endangered and extinct?


What makes endemics more vulnerable to becoming endangered/extinct?


Why is it especially important we protect keystone species from becoming endangered?


Why is it especially important we protect indicator species from becoming endangered?