Exploring Ecosystems Tropical Rainforest Diversity California Academy of Sciences
>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=LHPuo0rwM1w
Trek through a tropical rainforest and explore the incredible diversity of species that call it home. • Come explore the vast interactive network of plants, animal, and insects in tropical rainforests. Fueled by sunlight and rain, rainforests are some of the most diverse energy-rich ecosystems on the planet. • In addition to showcasing live footage from a unique ecosystem, each of the three videos in the Exploring Ecosystems series features an opportunity for students to actively participate in a problem-solving scenario based on an ongoing research project of an Academy scientist like Michelle Trautwein. • As you watch the video, be prepared to pause at key points to participate fully! Explore arthropods, insects like Leafcutter ants (Atta colombica or Atta cephalotes) or katydids (Tettigoniidae), and amphibians like the Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobatidae). • The Tropical Rainforest Diversity video investigates the following questions: • How does the biodiversity within an ecosystem influence the stability of that ecosystem? • How can we make rainforests more resilient to change and human-induced disruptions like deforestation and climate change? • What are the four main layers of the rainforest, and how are the conditions within each allowing certain species to thrive? • Check for Understanding • Which of the three hypothetical rainforest communities was most diverse, and why is that important? Connect your answer to the ideas of species richness and species abundance, being sure to differentiate the two. • Key Scientific Terms • abiotic: non-living • biodiversity: the variety of life on Earth or some other specified geographic region of the planet; the diversity of life occurs at the genetic level, at the species level, at the ecosystem level, and in evolutionary lineages • ecosystem: the community of different species in a particular geographic area and all of their interactions with each other and the physical environment; ecosystems are also called ecological networks • photosynthesis: the process of capturing the energy in sunlight to create energy-rich organic molecules from inorganic molecules; organisms that photosynthesize are called photosynthesizers • species: a distinct type of organism • species richness: the number of different species in a given geographic area • Connections to High School Standards • AP Biology • (1) Justify the selection of mathematical routines to solve problems. • (2) Apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe natural phenomena. • Essential knowledge 4.C.4: The diversity of species within an ecosystem may influence the stability of the ecosystem. • Next Generation Science Standards • DCI: LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience • Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns; Stability and Change • Science and Engineering Practices: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking • Related Reading • Weighing the Rainforest https://www.calacademy.org/explore-sc... • Can you weigh a rainforest? Scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center tell us how they estimate the biomass of rainforests from space in an effort to preserve them. • Toucans in the Forest Ecosystem http://www.calacademy.org/explore-sci... • From the smallest microbe to the fiercest predator to the tallest tree, each species contributes to making its community healthy. Learn how every organism plays a part in ecosystems. • More from the Exploring Ecosystems Series • In this video series, students participate in problem-solving exercises as they explore how species interact with one another and their environment. While the rainforest video covered biodiversity, the below tutorials discuss coastal food web and mutualistic relationships, respectively. • Exploring Ecosystems: Coastal Food Web • Exploring Ecosystems: Coastal Food We... • Enter a kelp forest and explore the various threads that connect species together in food webs. • Exploring Ecosystems: Coral Reef Symbiosis • Exploring Ecosystems: Coral Reef Symb... • Dive beneath the ocean waves and explore the unique and diverse relationships found on a coral reef. • - - • The California Academy of Sciences is the only place in the world with an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and four-story rainforest all under one roof. Visit us online to learn more and to get tickets: http://www.calacademy.org. • Connect with us! • • Like us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/CASonFB • • Follow us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/CASonTwitter • • Add us on Google+: http://bit.ly/CASonGoogle
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