Stages in Aquatic ecological Succession

Write the letters of the ponds in order from the youngest, to the oldest.

• B,C,A,D

• A,C,B,D

• D,A,C,B

• B,A,C,D

Black bass and bluegill make their nests on sandy bottoms. In which pond would you find them?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

What will happen to the black bass and blue gill as the floor of the ponds fills with organic debris?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• They move to a different pond

• They reproduce more

• They are replaced by those that lay eggs

• They change to different animals

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Golden shiner and mud minnows lay their eggs on Chara (green algae). In which pond would you find them?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Some amphibians and crayfish can withstand periods of dryness by burying themselves in mud. In which pond(s) would they survive?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Dragonfly nymphs spend their early stages clinging to submerged plants. Then, they climb to the surface, shed their skins, and fly away as dragonflies. Which pond is best suited for dragonflies?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

In which pond will gill breathing snails be replaced by lung breathing snails that climb to the surface to breathe?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Some mussels require a sandy bottom in order to maintain an upright position. In which pond will they die out?

Pond A:

Cattails, bulrushes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

Pond B:

Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

Pond C:

Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

Pond D:

The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Label the following steps for ecological succession shown in the diagram.

• Barren rock, Pioneer Species, Annuals, Perennials, Softwood, Hardwood

• Grass, Trees, Big Trees

• Soil, Perennials, Bushes, Shrubs, Softwood, hardwood

• Perennials, shrubs, Bushes, Softwood, Hardwood

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Biomass is the amount of living material present in an environment. Biodiversity refers to the variety of living things that are present in an ecosystem. Which of the following would you expect to occur over time as ecological succession moves forward?

• increases in both biomass and biodiversity

• decreases in both biomass and biodiversity

• increases in biomass, but decreases in biodiversity

• decreases in biomass, but decreases in biodiversity

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4