Short & Long Term Environmental Changes

Effects of

Short & Long Term Environmental Changes

Multiple Select

Environmental change: a change or disturbance of the environment most often caused by human influences and natural ecological processes.

Which do you think are examples of environmental changes?

(Click all that apply)

• Floods

• Droughts

• Fires

• Deforestation

• Overpopulation

Short Term Environmental Changes

• Occurs quickly

• Affects organisms immediately

• Organisms move away or die

Long Term Environmental Changes

• Occurs gradually

• Affects organisms slowly

• Organisms adapt or go extinct

Effects of Environmental changes

YOU will need to determine the effect (results) of the environmental changes.

Think of the environmental change as the "problem"

and the effect is how the organism will try to "fix it"

Open Ended

"If annual rainfall increased and caused ponds in a habitat to become deeper, how, after many generations might the traits of water lilies change?"

What is the environmental change in the question above?

Open Ended

"If annual rainfall increased and caused ponds in a habitat to become deeper, how, after many generations might the traits of water lilies change?"

Which part of the water lily is going to be most affected by the ponds becoming deeper? (Hint: look at the picture)

Multiple Choice

If annual rainfall increased and caused ponds in a habitat to become deeper, how, after many generations might the traits of water lilies change?

• Brighter flowers

• Longer Stems

• Wider leaves

• Thick roots

Effects of Environmental changes

YOU will also need to predict the environmental change that caused the effect (results).

Think of the effect as the "fix" and the environmental change as what could have been the "problem"

Open Ended

"The Resurrection Fern can shrivel up into a ball and remain that way for many years. When moisture is abundant, the dry leaves absorb water and unroll. The plant will turn green and grow. Under which environmental conditions did his adaptation develop?"

What causes the resurrection fern to unroll?

Open Ended

"The Resurrection Fern can shrivel up into a ball and remain that way for many years. When moisture is abundant, the dry leaves absorb water and unroll. The plant will turn green and grow. Under which environmental conditions did his adaptation develop?"

What would cause the fern to shrivel back up into a ball?

Multiple Choice

The Resurrection Fern can shrivel up into a ball and remain that way for many years. When moisture is abundant, the dry leaves absorb water and unroll. The plant will turn green and grow. Under which environmental conditions did his adaptation develop?

• Atmosphere with little carbon dioxide

• High density of many competitor plant species

• Abundant insect pollinators of many varieties

• Climate including periods of prolonged drought

Multiple Choice

A description of the Eastern cottontail rabbit species is below. The environment that supports an Eastern cottontail population is changed due to urban development. Much of the land is cleared and covered in concrete. How is this urban development most likely to affect the population of rabbits?

• The number of gray rabbits will increase because the brown rabbits will turn gray.

• The number of brown rabbits will increase because the gray rabbits will turn brown.

• The number of gray rabbits will increase because predators will see brown rabbits more easily.

• The number of brown rabbits will increase because predators will see gray rabbits more easily.

Multiple Choice

The Dead Sea has a 33% salinity, which makes it inhospitable for many aquatic organisms. During periods of abundant rain, the concentration of salt decreases to a level that certain species of algae can tolerate and they begin to grow. What can be expected when the salinity returns to normal levels?

• Increased algae growth

• Plant life flourishes

• Algae dies off

• Animals return to the area

Multiple Choice

Three-toed tree sloths are mammals which thrive in the jungles of Central and South America. A sloth’s diet is consists entirely of leaves and buds from trees. How will these organisms be affected as rain forests are destroyed by deforestation?

• Most sloths will become carnivores.

• The sloth population will likely decrease.

• Some sloths will start to hibernate.

• A cave-dwelling population will appear.

Multiple Choice

Bank swallows are birds that make their nests on the edges of rivers. In the spring they lay four or five eggs. Bank swallows can’t swim or breathe underwater. What change in these birds will likely be brought about by flooding in their freshwater habitat?

• Laying more eggs in the spring.

• Building nests higher up the banks.

• Eating different kinds of insects.

• Learning to breathe underwater.

Multiple Choice

Catfish have dorsal fin spines to defend against predators and caudal fins, which help to propel the fish through the water. A swim bladder controls how high or low the fish sits in the water and gills allow the fish to breathe by taking oxygen out of the water. Catfish spend most of their lives at the bottom of freshwater lakes and streams. What catfish trait may change, over many generations, if the pond habitat in which it lives becomes significantly shallower?

• Dorsal fin

• Caudal fin

• Swim bladder

• Gills

Multiple Choice

Each year, an area of the Gulf of Mexico becomes very low in oxygen due to excessive runoff from the Mississippi River. How might marine organisms respond to this decrease in oxygen?

• Acquire the ability to breathe carbon dioxide.

• Migrate to an area with more oxygen.

• Establish a niche in a terrestrial ecosystem

• Compete with aquatic plants for space.