Ecosystem Interactions and Population Dynamics

Miss Fati introduces lesson 7 on populations and resources, focusing on how different populations affect each other in ecosystems. The lesson reviews previous findings on moon jelly populations and introduces a digital model to investigate indirect effects and competition. A case study on jelly population explosions near Africa highlights the impact of competition on population changes. The lesson concludes with a discussion on indirect effects and sets the stage for future lessons.

What materials are suggested for taking notes during the lesson?

• A pencil or pen and paper

• A textbook and highlighter

• A laptop and headphones

• A calculator and ruler

What was observed about the zooplankton population in relation to the moon jellies?

• It was increasing around the same time as the moon jellies.

• It had no effect on the moon jelly population.

• It remained stable while the moon jellies increased.

• It was decreasing as the moon jellies increased.

What is the focus question for the investigation using the digital model?

• What is the role of zooplankton in the ecosystem?

• How do sea turtles affect the moon jelly population?

• How does the digital model work?

• How could other populations affect the moon jelly population?

What is competition in an ecosystem?

• When two populations share the same habitat

• When one population preys on another

• When populations migrate to new areas

• When two or more populations use the same resource

What was the manipulated variable in the digital model investigation?

• The number of fur balls

• The number of green leaves

• The number of scale beaks

• The number of sting wings

What effect did removing sting wings have on the fur balls in the digital model?

• The fur ball population was unaffected.

• The fur ball population remained stable.

• The fur ball population decreased.

• The fur ball population increased.

What was the main finding from the article about jelly populations in Africa?

• Jellies and sardines directly consume each other.

• Jellies only increase in stable ecosystems.

• Jellies are unaffected by changes in fish populations.

• Jellies and sardines compete for the same food source.

What caused the jelly population to increase in northern Benguela?

• A decrease in zooplankton population

• A change in ocean currents

• Overfishing leading to fewer sardines

• An increase in sardine population

What is biodiversity a measure of?

• The number of predators in an ecosystem

• The health of an ecosystem

• The size of a single population

• The amount of available resources

What is an indirect effect in an ecosystem?

• A migration of species to a new habitat

• A sudden change in climate conditions

• A chain of causes and effects affecting populations

• A direct interaction between two species