DELTASTUDIESCURRICULUM

NightmareatKesterson:

AStudyofanEcosystem,ItsInteractionsandDynamicsintheSanJoaquinValley

HS-LS2-2Usemathematicalrepresentationtosupportandrevise

explanationsbasedonevidenceaboutfactorsaffectingbiodiversityandpopulationinecosystems.

SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationSTEMPrograms

Fundingprovidedby

CaliforniaBay-DeltaAuthority

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HS-LS2-2NightmareatKestersonAcknowledgementsProjectDirectorJudiWilson,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationProjectCoordinatorsHeatherFogg,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationJulieSchardt,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationProjectFacilitatorOlgaClymire,LakeCountyOfficeofEducationPrincipleCurriculumWritersIsabelCuerpo,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictAleatheaLangone,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictOtherCurriculumWritersRashmiAhuja,TracyUnifiedSchoolDistrictJoelF.Hadsall,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictStevenMeredith,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictJohnSteiner,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictLarryTallman,TracyUnifiedSchoolDistrictFieldTestersRashmiAhuja,TracyUnifiedSchoolDistrictAleatheaLangone,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictStevenMeredith,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictLarryTallman,TracyUnifiedSchoolDistrictPaulineThompson,StocktonUnifiedSchoolDistrictReviewersforTechnicalAccuracyJayBell,LodiUnifiedSchoolDistrictOlgaClymire,LakeCountyOfficeofEducationSuzanneDeleon,CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlifeJohnFulton,SanLuisNationalWildlifeRefugeDonnaSnell,CeresUnifiedSchoolDistrict

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JamesStarr,CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlifeSteveStocking,SanJoaquinDeltaCollegeIllustratorCarolDellinger,DellingerDesignLayoutArtistJo-AnneRosen,WordrunnerTechnicalAssistantMelanieNewsome,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationCommunityPartnersSuzanneDeleon,CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlifeJohnFulton,SanLuisNationalWildlifeRefugeLynnHansen,ModestoJuniorCollegeReneeHill,SanJoaquinCountyDepartmentofPublicWorks,SolidWasteDivisionDonnaHummel,U.S.DepartmentofFishandWildlifeDaleSanders,EnvironmentalEducatorJamesStarr,CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlifeSteveStocking,SanJoaquinDeltaCollegeOtherAcknowledgementsDr.FredrickWentworth,Superintendent,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationDr.GaryDeiRossi,AssistantSuperintendent,SanJoaquinCountyOfficeofEducationCaliforniaBay-DeltaAuthority

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Nightmare at Kesterson: A Study of an Ecosystem, Its Interactions and

Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley

Contents NextGenerationScienceStandards 7 Overview 11Storyline 12Introduction 14Phenomenon 15 Exploration1–TheVitalCommodityandtheParticleXinthe 17

MarshlandExplorationn2–CommunityandEcosystemInteractions 25Exploration3–FoodwebintheMarshland 29Exploration4–Reading:NightmareatKesterson 31Exploration5–TheBiologicalAccumulationofSelenium 35

ThroughtheFoodChainExploration6–Reading:TheBiologicalMagnificationof 39

SeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystemExploration7–HistoricalAnalysisofSelenium 43

Poisoning:“TrailofTragedy”StudentHandouts 49California’sEnvironmentalPrinciplesandConcepts 63

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Nightmare at Kesterson: A Study of an Ecosystem, Its Interactions and Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley NextGenerationScienceStandardsWorkingtowardsPerformanceExpectationHS-LS2:Ecosystems:Interactions,Energy,andDynamics:HS-LS2—2Usemathematicalrepresentationtosupportandreviseexplanationsbasedonevidenceaboutfactorsaffectingbiodiversityandpopulationsinecosystemsofdifferentscales.HS-LS2-6Evaluatetheclaims,evidenceandreasoningthatthecomplexinteractionsinecosystemsmaintainrelativelyconsistentnumbersandtypesoforganismsinstableconditions,butchangingconditionsmayresultinanewecosystem.ScienceandEngineeringPractices:DevelopingandUsingModelsModelingin9-12buildsonK-8experiencesandprogressestousing,synthesizing,anddevelopingmodelstopredictandshowhowrelationshipsamongvariablesbetweensystemsandtheircomponentsinthenaturalanddesignedworlds.

• Developamodelbasedonevidencetoillustratetherelationshipsbetweensystemsorcomponentsofasystem.

UsingMathematicsandComputationalThinking• Usemathematicalrepresentationsofphenomenaordesignsolutionsto

supportandreviseexplanations.

ConstructingExplanationsandDesigningSolutions• Design,evaluate,andrefineasolutiontoacomplexreal-worldproblem,

basedonscientificknowledge,student-generatedsourcesofevidence,prioritizedcriteria,andtradeoffconsiderations.

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DisciplinaryCoreIdeas: LS2.C:EcosystemDynamics,Functioning,andResilience

• Acomplexsetofinteractionswithinanecosystemcankeepitsnumbersandtypesoforganismsrelativelyconstantoverlongperiodsoftimeunderstableconditions.Ifamodestbiologicalorphysicaldisturbancetoanecosystemoccurs,itmayreturntoitsmoreorlessoriginalstatus(i.e.theecosystemisresilient),asopposedtobecomingaverydifferentecosystem.Extremefluctuationsinconditionsorthesizeofanypopulation,however,canchallengethefunctioningofecosystemsintermsofresourcesandhabitatavailability.

• Moreover,anthropogenicchanges(inducedbyhumanactivity)intheenvironment—includinghabitatdestruction,pollution,introductionofinvasivespecies,overexploitation,andclimatechange—candisruptanecosystemandthreatenthesurvivalofsomespecies

LS4.D:BiodiversityandHumans

• Humansdependonthelivingworldfortheresourcesandotherbenefitsprovidedbybiodiversity.Buthumanactivityisalsohavingadverseimpactsonbiodiversitythroughoverpopulation,overexploitation,habitatdestruction,pollution,introductionofinvasivespeciesandclimatechange.ThissustainingbiodiversitysothatecosystemfunctioningandproductivityaremaintainedisessentialtosupportingandenhancinglifeonEarth.Sustainingbiodiversityalsoaidshumanitybypreservinglandscapesofrecreationsorinspirationalvalue.

CrosscuttingConceptsCauseandEffect

• Empiricalevidenceisrequiredtodifferentiatebetweencauseandcorrelationandmakeclaimsaboutspecificcausesandeffects.

Scale,ProportionsandQuantity• Thesignificanceofaphenomenonisdependentonthescale,proportion,

andquantityatwhichitoccurs

• Usingtheconceptofordersofmagnitudeallowsonetounderstandhowamodelatonescalerelatestoamodelatanotherscale.

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StabilityandChange• Muchofsciencedealswithconstructingexplanationofhowthings

changeandhowtheyremainstable.

Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy - RST.9-10.8 Assesstheextenttowhichthereasoningandevidenceinatext

supporttheauthor’sclaimorarecommendationforsolvingascientificortechnicalproblem.(HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)

RST.11-12.1 Citespecifictextualevidencetosupportanalysisofscienceandtechnicaltexts,attendingtoimportantdistinctionstheauthormakesandtoanygapsorinconsistenciesintheaccount.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-3),(HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-8)

RST.11-12.7 Integrateandevaluatemultiplesourcesofinformationpresentedindiverseformatsandmedia(e.g.,quantitativedata,video,multimedia)inordertoaddressaquestionorsolveaproblem.(HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)

RST.11-12.8 Evaluatethehypotheses,data,analysis,andconclusionsinascienceortechnicaltext,verifyingthedatawhenpossibleandcorroboratingorchallengingconclusionswithothersourcesofinformation.(HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)

WHST.9-12.2 Writeinformative/explanatorytexts,includingthenarrationofhistoricalevents,scientificprocedures/experiments,ortechnicalprocesses.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-3)

WHST.9-12.5 Developandstrengthenwritingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach,focusingonaddressingwhatismostsignificantforaspecificpurposeandaudience.(HS-LS2-3)

WHST.9-12.7 Conductshortaswellasmoresustainedresearchprojectstoansweraquestion(includingaself-generatedquestion)orsolveaproblem;narroworbroadentheinquirywhenappropriate;synthesizemultiplesourcesonthesubject,demonstratingunderstandingofthesubjectunderinvestigation.(HS-LS2-7)

Mathematics– - MP.2 Reasonabstractlyandquantitatively.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-

4),(HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-7)

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MP.4 Modelwithmathematics.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-4)HSN.Q.A.1 Useunitsasawaytounderstandproblemsandtoguidethesolution

ofmulti-stepproblems;chooseandinterpretunitsconsistentlyinformulas;chooseandinterpretthescaleandtheoriginingraphsanddatadisplays.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-4),(HS-LS2-7)

HSN.Q.A.2 Defineappropriatequantitiesforthepurposeofdescriptivemodeling.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-4),(HS-LS2-7)

HSN.Q.A.3 Choosealevelofaccuracyappropriatetolimitationsonmeasurementwhenreportingquantities.(HS-LS2-1),(HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-4),(HS-LS2-7)

HSS-IC.A.1 Understandstatisticsasaprocessformakinginferencesaboutpopulationparametersbasedonarandomsamplefromthatpopulation.(HS-LS2-6)

HSS-IC.B.6 Evaluatereportsbasedondata.(HS-LS2-6)

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Nightmare at Kesterson: A Study of an Ecosystem, Its Interactions and Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley OVERVIEW UNDERSTANDINGS

• Ecosystemstendtowardstableinteractionsbutchangethroughtimeastheenvironmentanditsinhabitantschange.Humanactivities,evenwhenplanned,canhaveunintendedconsequencespositiveand/ornegative.

ESSENTIALQUESTIONS• HowdohumanactivitiesaffectthehealthoftheSacramento/SanJoaquin

Deltaecosystems?

• Howcanweanalyzechangesinanecosystem,andhowdoweknowtheseweretheresultsofhumanactivity?

KNOWLEDGEANDSKILLSStudentswillknow:

• Thatamarshlandecosystemisfragileandcomplex.• Thatamarshlandecosystemisimpactedbyvarioushumanactivitesand

interests.• Theterm“biologicalmagnification“withrespecttoheavymetalandother

toxicpollutants. Students will be able to:

• Analyzechangesinamarshlandecosystemresultingfromchangesinhumanactivity.

• Recognizetrendsandrelationshipsfromvariousdatasets.• Recognizethescientificfactors/variablespresentwithinamarshland

ecosystem.• Relatethetermbiomasstotheenergypyramid,foodchains,foodwebs,

andproducersandconsumers.• Relatethetermspopulation,community,andecologyindefiningan

ecosystem.

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Nightmare at Kesterson: A Study of an Ecosystem, Its Interactions and Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley StoryLine ThislessonfeaturesthestoryoftheNationalWildlifeRefugeatKestersonandtheeventsthattookplaceinthe1980’s.Itisbasedonthebook,DeathintheMarsh,byTomHarris.ThebookdescribesinadramaticwaytheinteractionsoftheSacramento/SanJoaquinDeltaecosystem,specificallyattheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge.Itshowshowthedelicatebalancecanbedisturbedbythemostunsuspectingandevenwillintentionedactivities.TheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefugewasdesignedasawildlifehabitat,arefugeformigratorybirds.However,itwasfedbyrunofffromwaterusedforirrigation.Selenium,anaturallyoccurringelementandnecessaryforlife,isusuallypresentintraceamountsinsoil,Buttillingthesoiladdedmuchmoreseleniumtothewatersupply.Astheseleniummovedthroughtheecosystem,itaccumulatedinlargeamountsasittraveledupthefoodchains.ThisresultedingruesomeandlifethreateningdeformitiesinbirdsliketheGreatBlueHeron,egrets,ducksandothermigratorybirds.Thefirstactivitythatstudentswilldoistomanipulateandsimulatetheexchangeofenergy,representedbywhiteandblackbeans.Theblackbeans,representingparticleX,orselenium,travelthroughthefoodchainasthewhitebeans,orenergysourceareexchanged.Thelessoncontinuesasstudentsread“TheStoryofKesterson:FoodWebs,FoodChains,andtheDelicateBalanceofNature.”Thereadapassageentitled“NightmareatKesterson”(fromthebookDeathintheMarsh)whichdescribesthefindingsofdeathanddeformityinthefield.Afterthereading,studentscontinuewiththefourthactivitybytakingthedatagatheredfromthepreviousactivityandgraphthemovementofmaterialsfromtheproducestothesecondaryandtertiaryconsumers.Theyareabletoillustrateandvisualizethemovementofenergythroughthetrophiclevels.Anenergymovesthroughtheecosystem,sodoestheselenium.Nowbiologicallyavailable,itaccumulatesinfattytissuesofthebodiesofanimals,andreachesdangerouslyhighlevelsinthetopofthefoodchainpredators,liketheGreatBlueHeron.

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Thefinalreadingis“TheBiologicalMagnificationofSeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystem”wherestudentsreviewthematerialandassesstheirknowledgeandunderstanding.Finally,studentsareaskedtousetheiranalyticalandevaluativeskillstoexploreoptionsandmakedecisions.“Whatwouldyoudoaboutthissituation?”theyareasked.Theyarealsodirectedtowebsitesthatupdatethemontheactualfindingsandactionstakeninthistruestory.Studentsaredrawntoexploreotherecosystemsandsituationswherethebalanceofnatureisdisturbedandtheunexpectedconsequencesthatoccurasaresult.

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Nightmare at Kesterson: A Study of an Ecosystem, Its Interactions and Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley Introduction

MysteriousthingswerehappeningattheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge.Inthelate70'sandearly80’s,Kestersonwasbuiltasahumanmademarsh.Itwasintendedtoencouragemigratorybirds,inparticularwaterfowllikeducks,geeseaswellascranesandegrets,tousethewetlandpreservefornestingduringthewintermonths.Whatbiologistsandnaturalistssawhappeningtheretheycouldnotimmediatelyexplain. Inchicksandembryosofnestingbirdshorribledeformities,likehalfabeak,noeyes,nofeetorwings,werebeingspottedinthenests.Someofthesedeformitiespreventedthechicksfrombeingbornalive.Veryfewwereabletosurviveinthewild.Occasionallyabirthdefectdoesoccurinallspecies,buttheextentofthesedefectswasunprecedentedinnature.Whatcouldbecausingthesedeformities?Wasitsomethingintheirenvironment?Andifso,whatwasit?

ThepurposeofthislessonistoshowtheinterrelationshipsandenvironmentalinfluencesthataffectedawetlandecosystemoftheSacramento-SanJoaquinDelta,inparticulartheKestersonNationalWildlifeReserveintheGreatCentralValleyofCalifornia,alsoknownastheSanJoaquinValley.Byperforminganumberofactivitiesandanalyzingseveralreadings,thestudentwillbegintounderstandthedelicatebalanceinthemarshlandecosystem.Thestudentwilllearnoneexampleofhowhumanactivitiescanimpactthefragilemarshlandecosystem.

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Duck hatchlings found near

their nests exhibit stunted

growth, no eyes, deformed

bones, deformed beaks, and

no wings

Phenomenon

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Exploration 1 The Vital Commodity and the Particle X in the Marshland Materials: Perstudent: Onerolecardforeachstudent Onewhitebeanbag,labeled“WhiteBeans” Oneredbeanbag,labeled“RedBeans”

Perclass: Onejarfullofredbeanslabeled“Supply” Oneemptyjarforredbeanslabeled“Losses” Onejarfullofwhitebeanslabeled“ParticleX”

Chart1:FeedingFrenzyChart2:What’stheBeanPattern?RoleCards

Thepurposeofthisexerciseistodemonstrateenergyflowthroughanecosystem.Donotrevealthispurposeaheadoftime.Whitebeanswillrepresentsome“vitalcommodity”thatistransferredthroughthefoodweb.Usethatphrasethroughouttheactivity,untiltheconceptofenergyflowisintroducedlater.Somestudentswillcatchonquicklyandrealizethatenergyisthevitalcommodity.Whitebeans(particleX)areusedtoshowthemovementofseleniuminthefoodweb.

Tosimulatearealecosystem,morestudentsshouldplaytheroleoftheproducersthanprimaryconsumers;andthereshouldbemoreprimaryconsumersthansecondaryconsumers;andsoon.Foraclassofthirty-four,thefollowingnumbersarerecommended:

Producers: 12students: SaltBush: 3

Astragalussp: 2

Algae: 4

Pickleweed: 3

PrimaryConsumers: 10students: Insects: 3

Worms: 3

Shellfish: 2

Snail: 2

SecondaryConsumers: 6students: Meadowlark: 2

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Harvestmouse: 2

Sparrow: 2

TertiaryConsumers: 4students: Tuleperch: 1

Stripedbass: 1

GreatBlueHeron: 1

NorthernHarrier: 1

QuaternaryConsumers: 2students: Humanbeings: 2

Procedure:

a.Approachanotherstudentandshowyourrolecardstoeachother.b. Ifyourrolecardallowsyoutoeattheorganismsrepresentedbythat

student,youmaytakefromthatstudent5redbeans.

c. Ifthatstudentcaneatyourorganism,youmustgivethem5redbeans.d. Afteryouhaveeaten,youcannoteatagainuntilyouhaveplaced2red

beansinthejarmarked“Losses.”

e. Whoeverisdoingtheeatingmustgetwhitebeansfromthejarmarked“ParticleX”aftereachencounter.Thenumberofwhitebeansmustcorrespondtothateatenorganism’sparticleXnumberfoundontheirrolecard.

f. IfyourencounterwithanotherstudentresultsinNOtransferofbeansbecausethatstudent’sorganismcannoteatyourorganismandviceversa,simplymoveontoanotherstudent.But,aftersuchencounter,place1redbeaninthe“Losses”jar.Bothyouandtheotherstudentshoulddothis.

f. Ifyourroleisaproducer,youmaygotothejarofredbeanslabeled“Supply”andget10redbeansaftereachencounterwithanotherstudent.Nootherstudentsareallowedtoremoveredbeansfromthesupply.Afterremoving10redbeansfromthejar,producersmustgoimmediatelytothe“Losses”jaranddepositoneredbean.Aftereachencounter,youhavetoget3whitebeansfromthe“ParticleX”jar.

g. Ifyoulosealltheredbeansinyourbag,youareDEADandmustwithdrawfromthegame.

h. Tryplayingthegameuntilyouhavetwelvefeedings.Foreachfeeding,youmustrecordyourdatausingChart1:FeedingFrenzy

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ProcedureSummary:Youareeatinganorganism take5redbeansfromtheorganismyou

ateput2redbeansin“Losses”jargetwhitebeansfromParticleXjar(#ofwhitebeansasindicatedontheeatenorganism’srolecard)

Youhavebeeneaten give5redbeanstotheorganismthatateyou

Metbutcan’teatorcan’tbeeaten put1redbeanin“Losses”jar

Producer get10redbeansfrom“Supply”jarafter

eachencounter put1redbeanin“Losses”jar get3whitebeansaftereachencounter

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Chart1:FeedingFrenzy

Iama(n):_________________________________________________________Myroleintheecosystemis:__________________________________________Numberofmeetings/feedings

Organismmet

Roleoforganismmet

No.ofredbeansReceivedLost

No.ofwhitebeansobtained

Indicatethenumberofredandwhitebeansyoustartedwithà

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

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Countthetotalnumberofredandwhitebeansobtained.

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Chart2:What’stheBeanPattern?CopyandprojectChart2.Afterthestudentsaredonefeeding,recordtheirindividualdatabyusingthechartbelow.

Organism Numberofredbeanstostartwith

Numberofstudentsrepresentingtheorganism

Totalnumberofredbeans

tostartwith attheendoftheactivity

Astragalussp. 30x =

Algae 30x =

Pickleweed 30x =

Saltbush 30x =

Insects 15x =

Shellfish 15x =

Snails 15x =

Worms 15x =

Harvestmouse

10x =

Meadowlark 10x =

Sparrow 10x =

GreatBlueHeron

10x =

NorthernHarrier

6x =

Stripedbass 6x =

Tuleperch 6x =

Humanbeing 5x =

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Questions:

1. Whichorganismsfinishedwiththemostredbeans?Indicatetheirrole.Whichgottheleast?Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

2. Whichorganismsfinishedwiththemostwhitebeans?Indicatetheirrole.Whichgottheleast?Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

3. Whatdoesthe“Supply”jarrepresentinarealecosystem?Whywerethealgae,pickleweed,Astragalussp.,andthesaltbushtheonlyorganismsallowedtowithdrawbeansfromthe“Supply”jar?

4. Doyouthinktheharvestmousehasanadvantageinthegameoverthehumanbeings?Whyorwhynot?(Hint:lookatthenumberofredbeanstheyaccumulate?)

5. Humanbeingsarelargerinsizethanthemeadowlark.Yet,humansstartedwithonly5redbeansandthemeadowlarkhad10redbeans.Whatmightthebeansrepresent?

6. Whywerealltheorganismsinthegamerequiredtoplaceredbeansinthe“Losses”jar?

7. Bynow,youprobablyrealizedthatthevitalcommoditybeingpassedonfromoneorganismtoanotherisenergy.Explainhowthebeansrepresentenergyflowthroughthemarshlandecosystem.

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Exploration 2 Community and Ecosystem Interactions AReadingadaptedfrom“EnvironmentalScience–AStudyofInterrelationships” Wm.C.BrownPublishersISBN0-697-13924-7

Wehavecometothinkofinteractinggroupsoforganismsascommunitiesinwhicheachorganismhasaspecificroletoplay(niche).Theremovalofanyrolewouldresultinachangeinthecommunity.Someorganismsplayminorroleswhileothersplaymajorroles,butallarepartofthecommunity.Forexample,thegrassesoftheprairiehaveamajorrolesince,withoutthem,therewouldbenoprairie,butameadowlark,whileitisconspicuousandcolorfulpartoftheprairiescene,haslittletodowithmaintainingaprairiecommunity.

Communitiesaregenerallythoughtofasconsistingofinteractingspecies,butthesespeciesdonotinteractinavacuum.Thesesameorganismsmustinteractwiththephysicalworldaroundthemaswell.Thephysicalworldhasamajorimpactonwhatkindsofplantsandanimalscanliveinanarea.WedonotexpecttoseeabananatreeinthearcticorawalrusintheMississippiRiver.Bananatreesareadaptedtowarm,moist,tropicalareas,andwalrusesrequirecoldoceanwaters.However,organismscanalsohaveanimpactontheirphysicalsurroundings.Treesbreaktheforceofthewind,grazinganimalsformpaths,andearthwormscreateholesinthesoil.Thissystemofinteractingorganismsandtheirnonlivingsurroundingsisfrequentlyreferredtoasanecosystem.Whilethetwoideasofcommunityandecosystemarecloselyrelated,anecosystemisabroaderconceptbecauseitinvolvesthephysicalaswellasthebiologicalrealms.

MajorRolesofOrganisms

Severaldifferentcategoriesoforganismsarefoundinanyecosystem.Producersareabletomakenew,complex,organicmaterialfromtheatomsintheirenvironment.Todothis,theymusthaveasourceofenergy.Innearlyallecosystems,thisenergyissuppliedbythesun,andtheorganismsthatutilizethisenergyareplantsthatcarryonphotosynthesis.Sinceproducersaretheonlyorganismsinanecosystemthatcantrapenergyandmakeneworganicmaterialfrominorganicmaterial,allotherorganismsmustrelyonproducersasasourceoffood,eitherdirectlyorindirectly.Theseotherorganismsarecalledconsumersbecausetheyconsumeorganicmattertoprovidethemselveswithenergyandthe

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organicmoleculesnecessarytobuildtheirownbodies.Primaryconsumersarethosethateatproducers(plants)asasourcefood.Theyarealsoknownasherbivores.Secondaryconsumersorcarnivoreseatotheranimals.Inaddition,manykindsofanimalshavemixeddietsthatincludebothplantsandanimals.Thesekindsofanimalsareusuallycalledomnivores.

Afinalcategoryofconsumersisthedecomposer.Decomposersusenon-livingorganicmatterasasourceoffood.Fungiandbacteriafillthisniche.

EnergyFlowthroughEcosystems

Anecosystemisastable,self-regulatingunit.Tomaintainitself,itmusthaveacontinuousinputofenergy.Theonlysignificantsourceofenergyformostecosystemsissunlightenergy.Producersaretheonlyorganismsthatarecapableoftrappingthisenergythroughtheprocessofphotosynthesisandmakingitavailabletotheecosystem.Theenergyisstoredintheformofchemicalbondsinlargeorganicmoleculessuchascarbohydrates,fats,andprotein.Theenergyinthesemoleculescanbetransferredtootherorganismswhentheorganismsconsumetheplants.Eachstepintheflowofenergythroughanecosystemisknownasatrophiclevel.

Asenergypassesfromonetrophicleveltothenext,someoftheusefulenergyislostduetothesecondlawofthermodynamics.Muchofthislossisintheformoflow-qualityheat,whichdissipatedtothesurroundingstowarmtheair,water,orsoil.Inadditiontothislossofheat,organismsmustexpendenergytomaintaintheirownlifeprocesses.Ittakesenergytochewfood,defendnests,walktowaterholes,orraiseoffspring.Therefore,theamountofenergycontainedinhighertrophiclevelsisconsiderablylessthatthatatlowertrophiclevels.Approximately90percentoftheusefulenergyislostwitheachtransfertothenexthighesttrophiclevels.

Becauseitistechnicallydifficulttoactuallymeasuretheamountofenergycontainedineachtrophiclevel,ecologistsoftenuseothermeasurestoapproximatetherelationshipbetweentheamountsofenergyateachtrophiclevel.Oneoftheseistomeasurethebiomasspresent.Thebiomassistheweightoflivingmaterialinatrophiclevel.Itisoftenpossibleinasimpleecosystemtocollectandweighalltheproducers,herbivores,andcarnivores.Whenthisisdone,theweightsoftenshowthesame90percentlossasonepassesfromonetrophicleveltothenext.

Thepassageofenergyfromonetrophicleveltothenextasaresultofoneorganismconsuminganotherisknownasafoodchain.Whenseveralfoodchainsoverlapandintersect,theymakeupafoodweb.

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Questions:

1.Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenaproducerandaconsumer?2.Nameaproducerthatlivesonlandandoneinwater.3.Definebioavailability.Howdoconsumersgettheirenergy?Explainhowthetwo

questionsrelatetoeachother.4.Nametwoexamplesofthefollowing:

a. herbivoreb. carnivorec. decomposer

5.Explaintheimportanceofdecomposerstotheecosystem.6.Whatisatrophiclevel?7.Whichtrophiclevelisusuallylargest?Why? 8.UsingyourdatafromActivity1:“TheVitalCommodityandtheParticleXinthe

Marshland,”constructthreefoodchainsthatcanbeconnectedinafoodweb.Labelaproducer,herbivore,carnivore,andanomnivore.

9.Whatisbiomass?10.Howdoestheenergy,biomass,orpopulationateachtrophiclevelcomparetothatofthelevelbelowit?

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Exploration 3 Food Web in the Marshland Materials: Chart1:FeedingFrenzy Handout:“OrganismsFoundattheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge” Scissors,glue,crayons

Enlargethetwo“PosterPapers”to11x17foreachstudent

CreateafoodwebusingalltheorganismslistedinyourChart1:FeedingFrenzy.Inordertoconstructyourfoodweb,youmustdeterminetheorganismsyoudealtwithdirectlyandindirectlyduringthelabactivity.1. Organismsyouareinvolvedwithdirectlyaretheorganismsyouate

andtheonesthatateyou.Assignaspecificcolorfortheirfeeding(energytransfer)arrow.

2. OrganismsyouareinvolvedwithindirectlyaretheremainingorganismslistedinChart1:FeedingFrenzy.Theyarefoundinthemarshthatyoudidn’thaveanycontactwithbuttheystillplayanimportantroleinthestabilityofthemarshecosystem.Assignadifferentcolorfortheirfeeding(energytransfer)arrow.

3. Tomakeyourmarshecosystemabitrealistic,createa“marshy”scene.4. Youmustincludealltheproducersinyourfoodweb.5. Don’tforgettoincludetheSUN.

Usethesectiononyourposterpaperlabeled“KestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge–FoodWeb”.

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Exploration 4

Reading: Nightmare at Kesterson Materials:Hand-out:“NightmareatKesterson”

Crayons

Pre-ReadingQuestions:

a. Justfromreadingthetitleofthearticle,whatdoyouthinkhappenedatKesterson?WhatistheimportanceofKesterson?

b. SketchtheoutlineofthestateofCalifornia.Locateandlabelthefollowingareasonyourmap:SanFranciscoBay,LakeTahoe,CentralValley,Sacramento-SanJoaquinRiverDelta,MountDiablo,BearCreekHighSchool,andKestersonNationalWildlifeReserve.Youmaycoloryourmap.

c. What’sintheKestersonmarshthatiscausingthenightmare?

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DeathintheMarshbyTomHarrisAreadingadaptedfrom“DeathintheMarsh”byTomHarris(pp.10-11).“NightmareatKesterson”

Justafternoon,atoneofthelastneststheycheckedthatday,whathadbeenmerelydisquietingbecamechilling.Mostoftheneststheycheckedhadsomeeggs,butinmanyofthemthegrowthswitchofthetinyembryosinsideseemedtohavebeeninexplicablyflippedoffandtheirdevelopmentarrested. Theyhadpaddledorwadedfromonefluorescentflagtothenext,notingtheiridentificationnumberofthenest,whetheritheldanyeggs,and,ifso,theapproximatestageofdevelopment.Theyhadlaboredlikethatintotheearlyafternoon,painstakinglynotingandrecordingeachnest,whetheritwasforgadwalls,mallards,teal,orotherspeciesofducks,includingtheuglyducklingoftheAmericancoot,betterknowntohuntersasmudhensor,becauseoftheirungainlytakeoff,splatterasses.Wadingandshorebirdswerecheckedtoo,includingblack-neckedstilts,avocets,andkilldeer. Then,atnestC-66onOhlendorf’smarshmap,Smith’svoiceboomedthroughthewallofcattails. “Hey,Harry.Youbettercomeandseethis.We’vegotoneoverhere…butitjustdoesn’tlookright.”Indeed. Onetinyhatchlingwasdead,floatinginthewaterbesidethenest.Another,oneoffourinthenestandtheonethatrivetedSmith’sattention,wasstillalive,butonlypartiallyclearofitsshell.Ohlendorfcradleditgentlyashewadedtoshoreforacloserlook. Mistakeshappeninnature,too.Butseldomonthescalehewasabouttodiscover. Heturnedthelimpheadoverandgrimaced.“Noeyes,“hemuttered,“justafacefulloffeathers.Andlookatthebeak.Thelowerhalfismissing.”Whenheremovedthechickfromtheeggshellhefoundthatitsfeetalsoweremissing. Ohlendorfstillgrimaceswhenherecallsthegrotesqueexperience.“Yougetusedtotheodddeformitiesinthewild.Ithappens,”hesaid.“Butmanyofthedeformitieswefoundwerereallystunning.” Mostofthechickswerewithouteyes,theirbeakseithercrossed,corkscrewed,ormissingaltogether.Therewereonlystumpswherewingsshould

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havebeenandmanyhadnolegsatall.“Whenwebeganthestudy,Ididexpectsomereproductiveproblemstosurface,”Ohlendorfsaid.“Butwhenitcamerightdowntothefieldwork,theintensityandtheseverityofthedeformitiesweresurprising.Ihadneverseenanythinglikethatbefore,andI’mstillnotawareofanyotherplacewhereithasbeenasgreat.” Thenightmarishrealityofhisdiscoverylefthimshocked.Ohlendorflookedupathiscompanion.“Well,here’stheevidence,”hesighed,theproofhehadfearedinhand.“Theycan’tdenyitexistsnow.”Smith,stillcuddlingthemisshapenhatchlinginhisthickhands,added,“Idon’tthinkourliveswilleverbethesame.” Eggcountingandsamplecollectingcontinuedanhourlonger,butnothingdispelledOhlendorf’sgrowingunease.Monthslater,aftertediouscalculations,thetruthwouldemerge.Kestersonwouldgodownintheannalsofscienceasoneoftheworstepisodesofbirthdeformityeverrecordedamongwildlifeinthisor,perhaps,anycountry.Anditwouldsendpoliticalshockwavesacrossthewest.

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Post-ReadingQuestions:

1. WhatwasthenightmareatKesterson?

2. Whatorganismswerepredominantlyaffectedbythisnightmare?Explainwhy.

3. ListsomedeformitiesthatOhlendorfobservedatKesterson.

4. Whatmysterioussubstancedoyouthinkisresponsibleforthisnightmare?

5. Attheendofthereading,studentsarerequiredtoillustrateascenethat

depictsthemainideaofthereading.Thecaptionofthereadingmuststate

theproblemthatcontributedtothecontaminationoftherefuge.

Usethesectionlabeled“NightmareatKesterson”inyourposterpapertodoyourillustration.

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Exploration 5

The Biological Accumulation of Selenium Through the Food Chain Studentstracethepathwayofselenium(inorganicandorganic)asittravelsfromonetrophicleveltoanotherinthemarshlandfoodweb.Thisactivitywillillustratebioavailablityandbioaccumulationofseleniumintheecosystem.

Materials: Activity3:FoodWebintheMarshland Chart4:“TheParticleXintheMarshland”Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshland:ProjectChart4.Inordertocompletethedatatablebelow,studentsmustusethecollecteddatafromChart1.

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Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshlandReminder:whitebeans=particleX

Organisms Number of White

Beans to Start With

Number of Students

Representing the

Organism

Number of White Beans

to start with at the end of lab

Producer

Astragalus sp.

5 x =

Algae

5 x =

Pickleweed

5 x =

Salt bush

5 x =

Primary Consumer

Insects

10 x =

Shellfish

10 x =

Snails

10 x =

Worms

10 x =

Secondary Consumer

Harvest mouse

10 x =

Meadowlark

10 x =

Sparrow

10 x =

Tertiary Consumer

Great Blue Heron

15 x =

Northern Harrier

15 x =

Striped bass

15 x =

Tule perch

15 x

=

Quaternary Consumer

Human Being

20 x =

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DataAnalysis1:Once“Chart4:ParticleXintheMarshland”iscompleted,transferthedatacollectedtoyourfoodweb.Dothisbywritingdownthetwonumbersbelowthenameofeachorganismfoundinyourfoodweb.ThefirstnumbershowshowmuchParticleXtheorganismstartedwith;andthesecondnumbershowshowmuchithadaccumulatedafterthetwelfthfeeding.DataAnalysis2: BioaccumulationofParticleX ________QuaternaryConsumer

_________TertiaryConsumer

_________SecondaryConsumer

_________PrimaryConsumer

_________ProducerMarshland’sPyramidofBiomass NumberofParticleX

BioaccumulatedinEachTrophicLevel Step1.Usingyourdatafrom“Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshland,”calculatethetotalnumberofstudentsrepresentingeachtrophiclevelinthefoodweb.Recordyourdatausingthe“PyramidofBiomass.”

Step2.Usingyourdatafrom“Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshland,”tallyupthetotalnumberofParticleXforeachtrophiclevel.Recordyourdatausingthe“PyramidforBioaccumulationofParticleX.”

Step3:FindthetotalnumberofParticleXconcentratedinsideeachorganismineachtrophiclevelandcalculatetheaveragenumber.Tofigurethisout,dividethetotalnumberofParticleXbyitscorrespondingbiomassnumber.Recordyourdataonthelastcolumnshownabove.

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Analysis/ConclusionQuestions:

1. Whatisthepatternthatyouobservedfromthedatacollected?

2. Explainwhytheconcentrationofparticlexshowssuchpatternasitgoesupatrophiclevel.

3. Explainwhyparticlexcan’tbegivenawaybutonlyobtainedbytheorganismdoingthefeeding.

4.WheredoyouthinkparticleXiscomingfrom?Andgoing?

4. ChiefSeattleoncesaid,”Wedidnotweavetheweboflife,wearemerelyastrandinit.Whateverwedototheweb,wedotoourselves.”ExplainwhatChiefSeattle’sstatementisallaboutandrelateyouranswertowhathadhappenedatKesterson.

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Exploration 6

Reading: The Biological Magnification of Selenium in the Marshland Ecosystem Activity6:Reading:TheBiologicalMagnificationofSeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystemMaterials:hand-out:“TheBiologicalMagnificationofSeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystem”

TheBiologicalMagnificationofSeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystem

WhenscientistsbegantestingthewaterandotherenvironmentalconditionsatKesterson to determine the cause of the bird deaths and deformities, they foundextremelyhighlevelsofselenium.Seleniumisanaturallyoccurringelementinthesoil.However,becauseofagriculturaltillingofthesoilandirrigation,seleniumwasbroughttothesurfacewherebeforeitstayedundergroundandwasunavailabletolivingorganisms,except in trace amounts. It is in fact a necessary trace element in our diet. As theseleniumwasbroughttothesurfacesoil,itwascarriedbytheirrigationwaterrun-offinextremelyandunnaturallyhighlevels.

Normally,seleniumwouldremainunavailable,butnowthatitwaspresentinthe

water,acertainspeciesofbacteriawasabletomethylateit,combiningthemetalloidwithmethylgroups,andtherebymakingittentimesmoretoxicandavailableforuptakebyplants.ItwastheAstragalus,aweedknownbycattlementocausedeathincattle.Theycalledit“blindstaggers”or“alkalidisease”anditwascausedbyeatingplantsthatthrivedontheuptakeofseleniuminthesoil.

Findingseleniumintheseplantsatextremelyhighlevelswasoneofthefirst

cluesforscientists.Otherplantswerealsoabletotakeupselenium.Insectsandprotozoanswhichfedofftheplantsweretheneatenbyotheraquaticspeciesofworms,larvae,amphibians,crustaceans,andfish.Eachtimeananimalateanotheranimalwithselenium,theamountwouldincrease.Seleniumaccumulatesinfattytissuesofthebodyandisnoteliminatedinnormalbodywastes.Bythetimeseleniumreachedanimalsatthetopofthefoodchain,theconcentrationwassohighthatitreachedtoxiclevels.Thetoxicitywasenoughtocausebirthdefectsanddeathintheoffspring,inthiscasetheoffspringofthebirdsofthemarsh.

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Therearealsosimilar incidencesof toxicheavymetalpoisoning in theDelta, inparticularthecaseofmercury,Hg.Unusualamountsofmercurywereintroducedintothe ecosystem over 100 years ago. During the 1850's,miners used amethod calledhydraulic mining. Although short-lived because of the massive damage to the riversystems,themercurythatwasusedtoattractthegoldfromthesoildidnotdisappear.Rather, itwashed gradually down from the SierraNevada into theDelta and the SanFranciscoBay.Mercuryinitspuremetalstateisnottoxicbecauseitcannotbetakenupbyalivingcell.However,overtimeacertainspeciesofbacteriawereabletouseittoobtainchemicalenergy,andintheprocess,producedmethylatedmercury.

Methylatedmercuryisbioavailable,thatis,itcanbeusedbylivingcells.Nowthese

bacteria are consumed by protozoans, which are consumed by small crustaceans,mollusks,andotherbottomfeeders inthebay. Fishfeedonthebottomfeeders,andhumansandotheranimalsatthetopoffoodchainfeedonfish. YoumayhaveheardadvisoriesputoutbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandGameadvisingthatyoulimityourfishintaketo8oznomorethanonceamonthfromtheDelta,andthatpregnantwomenshouldnoteatthefish. This isbecausethefishhavemercury intheirbodies,particularlyinthefattytissues.Thelevelsarelow,butasweeatthefish,wemayusethefood source forprotein, andenergy,but themercurywe ingest stays inourbody. Itaccumulatesslowly,overtime.

Thesamethinghappenswithlead.Theseelementsaccumulateinthefattytissue,

sincethosearetissuesdesignedforlongtermstorage.Theyarealsocarriedinthebloodstream.Andtheyaffecttheprocessesofcelldivisionandmeiosis.Ifmistakeshappeninmeiosis,inthegermcellsofthebody,liketheovariesortestes,geneticdefectsshowupintheoffspringofthatindividual.

Andso,thiswasthecaseatKestersonintheSanJoaquinValleyofCalifornia.TheamountofseleniumuptakebyplantscausedbioaccumulationuntiltheanimalsatthetopofthefoodchainliketheGreatEgrets,theGreatBlueHeron,theducksandthegeeseweregreatlyaffectedandtheirpopulationdecreased.Theentirerefugesitewasquarantined,filledin,fencedoff,andmadeofflimitstohumans.

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Questions:

1. IfparticleXisresponsibleforallthedeformitiesatKesterson,explainwhythewaterfowlsareheavilyaffected?(Hint:relatethistotheirniche).

2. Give threeexamplesof “particle x” found inourecosystem that canaffect thebalanceofourecosystem.

3. Whatpartdidweashumansplayinthedisturbanceoftheecosystemat

Kesterson?

4. Whyisitimportantforpeopletobeawareofhowweascommunitiesaffectourenvironment?

5. WhatisournicheintheecosystemoftheDelta?

6. Whatcomparisonscanyoufindbetweentheenvironmentasasystemand

humansocietyasasystem?7. WhatroledidtheAstragalussp.plantsplayintheseleniumnightmare?

8. Definetheterms.a. biomagnificationb. bioavailability

9.Studentsdemonstratetheirunderstandingofthefollowingconcepts

(bioavailability,bioaccumulation,andbiomagnification)byillustratingthebiogeochemicalcycleofselenium.Theirillustrationmustshowthestepbystepprocessandeachstepmustbelabeled.

Studentsusethesectionlabeled“BiogeochemicalCycleofSelenium”intheirposterpapertodotheirillustration.

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Exploration 7

Historical Analysis of Selenium Poisoning: “Trail of Tragedy” Material:Chapter5isadaptedfrom“DeathintheMarsh”byTomHarris

Thisreadingassignmentisnotdoneinitsentiretyinoneclassroomsetting.Iwouldsuggesttotake15minutesoncertaindaystoreadthearticleinclasstogether.Studentsparticipatebyreadingtwoparagraphsatatime.Duringthisthetime,questionscanbeansweredanddiscussionofpertinenttopics(suchasrockformations,indicatorplantspecies,historicalaccountsofseleniumpoisoning,symptomsofseleniumpoisoning,bioavailability,bioaccumulationetc.)cantakeplaceforclarification. Attheendofthereading,studentsarerequiredtodiagram4scenes(withcaptions)fromthearticlethatrepresentsthosemain(four)ideasofthereading.

Usethesectionlabeled“TrailofTragedy”intheirposterpapertodotheillustration.Assessment:Part1:Research:KestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge–ItsFuture!

Ithasbeen20plusyearssincetheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefugecontaminationproblemreceivednationalattention.Yet,federalandstateagencies,privateindustries,farmingcommunities,anduniversitiesstillcannotagreeonalongtermsolutiontothisdrainageproblem.

Studentswillresearchandprepareaone-pagereportononeoftheproposalstocleanupthecontaminationattherefuge.Thereportwillincludethefollowingitems:

1. Theagencywhosubmittedtheproposal.2. Ashortsummarythat

a. explainsthemethodusedtoclean-upthecontaminationb. mentionsaresearchstudydonetosupportandtoshowthat

3. theproposaliseffective.4. Expectedcostontheimplementationoftheproposal.5. Expectedlengthoftimetocompletetheclean-upproject.

Studentsneedtoaffixtheirreportonthesectionoftheirposterpaperlabeled“PossibleSolutions”.

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Part2:Research:BioaccumulationofChemicalsintheEcosystem

Studentswillresearchaspecificcompoundthataccumulatedinanecosystem.Theyareexpectedtodothefollowing:

1. Definebioaccumulation.2. Describewhatisthechemicalandwhatisitusedfor.3. Explainhowitbioaccumulatedinthefoodweb–mustincludethecycleinvolved

intheprocess.4. Describesomeadverseeffectsofthechemicalinthefoodweb.5. Explainsomeoftheevidencecollectedtosupporttheclaimthatthatparticular

chemicalhassomedetrimentaleffectsintheenvironmentandinthefoodweb.

Studentsneedtoaffixtheirreportonthesectionoftheirposterpaperlabeled“BioaccumulationofChemicals”.

Part3:WrittenTest

1. Readthearticletitled“DisappearingMarshlands”anddrawafoodwebbasedontheinformationpresented.Yourfoodwebshouldbemadeupofatleastfour(4)foodchainsandmustincludealltheniches.

2. ExplainhowseleniumismadebioavailabletothewaterfowlsatKesterson.3. Lookingatthefoodwebthatyouhaveconstructedin#1,whichspecieswould

showthegreatestbiologicalmagnificationofselenium.Explainyouranswerusingtrophiclevels.

4. ThefourfactorsthatcontributedtothenightmareatKestersonare:a. GeologyofCaliforniab. Agriculturalpracticesc. CentralValley’sMediterraneanclimated. Thepresenceofbioaccumulatorplants

Usingtheabovefactors,explainhowtheycontributedtothedeformitiesobservedinthewaterfowlpopulations.

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ReadingAssignment:DisappearingMarshlands(fromBSCSBiology:AnEcologicalApproachbyWilliamJCairney,etal.Kendall/HuntPublishing,1998,p.9)

SanFranciscoBaywassurroundedbymarsheswhentheSpanishexplorerGaspardePortolaarrivedin1769.HefoundtheOhloneIndianshuntingdeer,rabbits,andothergameinthetallmarshgrasses.

Throughtheyears,manyofthemarsheshavebeendrainedforvarioushumanpurposes.Somepeopleregardthemarshesaswet,smellyplacesthatlowerpropertyvalues.Manyanimalsandplants,however,liveonlyinthemarshes,andmanyothersdependonorganismsthatlivethere.

Aboutthreedozenstypesofbirdsliveyear-roundinthemarshesincludingducks,grebes,coots,killdeer,avocets,stilts,andclapperrails.Theyfeedonsmallanimalsthatliveinthemud–worms,snails,andshellfish(clams,mussels,oysters,andshrimp).Thesesmallanimals,inturn,eatverysmallmarshproducerssuchasdiatomsandalgae.Theyalsoeatdecayinganimalandplantmattercalleddetritus.

Muchdetrituscomesfromplantsthatcantoleratehighconcentrationsofsalts,suchascordgrass,saltgrass,marshrosemary,alkaliheath,pickleweed,andAustraliansaltbush.Inadditiontoprovidingmaterialsasdetritus,pickleweedactsashosttoaparasiticplantcalledsaltmarshdodder,andtheleavesoftheAustraliansaltbusharethefoodofthecaterpillarsofpygmybluebutterflies,thesmallestbutterfliesinNorthAmerica.

Landbirdssuchassparrows,meadowlarks,andblackbirdscometothemarshtofeedoninsects,andtheymaybecomefoodforlargerbirdsincludingkites,short-earedowls,andmarshhawks.Inthemudalongthewater’sedge,crabsandshrimpprovidefoodformigratorybirdssuchassandpipers,varioustypesofducks,greatblueherons,andgreategrets.Theheronsandegretsalsofeedonmice.Onetypeofmouse,thered-belliedsaltmarshharvestmouse,isanendangeredspeciesthatlivesnowhereelse.Themouseisfoodforhawks,owls,herons,andgulls.

Humansfishforstripedbass,surfperch,Pacificherring,sturgeon,andflounderinthebay,aswellasharvestingitsshellfish.Fishfeedonplants,snails,andsmallshellfish.

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DefinitionsEcosystemtheareawhereorganismsinteractwitheachotherwiththeirphysical

environment.Acommunityanditsphysicalenvironment.Allecosystemshaveasimilarpatternoforganization.

System awholethatismorethanthesumofitsparts.You,acarandasandwich

areallexamplesofsystems.

Photosynthesistheuseofthesun’senergybyplantlifeonEarth;photosynthesisremovescarbondioxidefromtheatmosphereandpackagesitintheformofglucosethatisusedbyplanttoliveandgrow.

Algae allphotosynthetic,plant-likeprotist.BiologicalmagnificationAtrophicprocessinwhichretainedsubstancesbecomemore

concentratedwitheachlinkinthefoodchain,forexample,Se,selenium,orHg,mercury.

Biomass thedryweightoforganicmattercomprisingofagroupoforganismsinaparticularhabitat.

Community alltheorganismsthatinhabitaparticulararea;anassemblageof

populationsofdifferentspecieslivingcloseenoughtogetherforpotentialinteraction.

Communityecologythestudyofhowinteractionsbetweenspeciesaffectcommunity

structureandorganization.

Ecology thestudyofhoworganismsinteractwiththeirenvironments.Ecosystemecologythestudyofenergyflowandthecyclingofchemicalsamongthe

variousbioticandabioticfactorsinanecosystem.

Foodchain thepathwayalongwhichfoodistransferredfromtrophicleveltotrophiclevel,beginningwithproducers.

Foodweb theelaborate,interconnectedfeedingrelationshipsinanecosystem.

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Plankton mostlymicroscopicorganismsthatdriftpassivelyorswimweaklynearthesurfaceofoceans,ponds,andlakes.

Primaryconsumeranherbivore;anorganisminthetrophiclevelofanecosystemthat

eatsplantsoralgae.

Secondaryconsumeramemberofthetrophiclevelofanecosystemconsistingofcarnivoresthateatherbivores.

Tertiaryconsumeramemberofatrophiclevelofanecosystemconsistingofcarnivores

thateatmainlyothercarnivores.

Wetlandanecosystemintermediatebetweenanaquaticoneandaterrestrialone.Wetlandsoilissaturatedwithwaterpermanentlyorperiodically.

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ResourcesRecommendedReading/References

1. Cairney,etal.,BSCSBiology:AnEcologicalApproach,Kendell/HuntPublishing,1998pdfavailableathttps://bscs.org/bscs-biology-ecological-approach

2. Campbell,Reece“Biology,6thEdition,”BenjaminCummings,2002

3. EnvironmentalScience:AStudyofInterrelationships,Wm.C.BrownPublishers(ISBN0697-13924-7)

4. Harris,Tom,“DeathintheMarsh,”IslandPress,1991

5. ArtSussman,Ph.D.,“Dr.Art’sGuidetoPlanetEarth,”ChelseaGreenPublishingCompany,2000

6. Harden,Deborah,R.“CaliforniaGeology”,PrenticeHall,Inc.1998WebsitesUSGS(USGeologicalService)Irrigation:TheKestersonEffect-fromRocktoDuckExcellentpostershowingtheseleniumcycleatKesterson.

https://wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/Selenium/irrigation.htm

SeleniumCaseStudy:KestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge http://www.northtrinitylake.com/water/SeleniumCaseStudy.pdfWaterEducationFoundation:KestersonReservoir http://www.northtrinitylake.com/water/SeleniumCaseStudy.pdfNationalWildlifeFederation:FoodWebsandBioaccumulation https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Food-Webs.aspxFoodWebandBioaccululationlessonplanfromNewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/ifnyfdwebbioacclp.pdf

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Nightmare at Kesterson

STUDENT HANDOUTS

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Questions:

1. Whichorganismsfinishedwiththemostredbeans?Indicatetheirrole.Whichgottheleast?Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

2. Whichorganismsfinishedwiththemostwhitebeans?Indicatetheirrole.Whichgottheleast?Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

3. Whatdoesthe“Supply”jarrepresentinarealecosystem?Whywerethealgae,pickleweed,Astragalusspp,andthesaltbushtheonlyorganismsallowedtowithdrawbeansfromthe“Supply”jar?

4. Doyouthinktheharvestmousehasanadvantageinthegameoverthehumanbeings?Whyorwhynot?(Hint:lookatthenumberofredbeanstheyaccumulate?)

5. Humanbeingsarelargerinsizethanthemeadowlark.Yet,humansstartedwithonly5redbeansandthemeadowlarkhad10redbeans.Whatmightthebeansrepresent?

6. Whywerealltheorganismsinthegamerequiredtoplaceredbeansinthe“Losses”jar?

7. Bynow,youprobablyrealizedthatthevitalcommoditybeingpassedonfromoneorganismtoanotherisenergy.Explainhowthebeansrepresentenergyflowthroughthemarshlandecosystem.

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Activity2:Reading:CommunityandEcosystemInteractions Questions:

1.Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenaproducerandaconsumer?2..Nameaproducerthatlivesonlandandoneinwater.3.Definebioavailability.Howdoconsumersgettheirenergy?Explainhowthetwoquestionsrelatetoeachother.4.Nametwoexamplesofthefollowing:

a.herbivore

b.carnivore

c.decomposer

5.Explaintheimportanceofdecomposerstotheecosystem.

6.Whatisatrophiclevel? 7.Whichtrophiclevelisusuallylargest?Why? 8.UsingyourdatafromActivity1:TheVitalCommodityandthe“ParticleXintheMarshland,”constructthreefoodchainsthatcanbeconnectedinafoodweb.Labelaproducer,herbivore,carnivore,andanomnivore.9.Whatisbiomass?10.Howdoestheenergy,biomass,orpopulationateachtrophiclevelcomparetothatofthelevelbelowit?

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Activity3:FoodWebintheMarshland Materials: Chart1:FeedingFrenzy Hand-out:“OrganismsFoundattheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge” Scissors,glue,crayonsCreateafoodwebusingalltheorganismslistedinyourChart1:FeedingFrenzy.Inordertoconstructyourfoodweb,youmustdeterminetheorganismsyoudealtwithdirectlyandindirectlyduringthelabactivity.1.Organismsyouareinvolvedwithdirectlyaretheorganismsyouateandtheonesthatateyou.Assignaspecificcolorfortheirfeeding(energytransfer)arrow.2.OrganismsyouareinvolvedwithindirectlyaretheremainingorganismslistedinChart1:FeedingFrenzy.Theyarefoundinthemarshthatyoudidn’thaveanycontactwithbuttheystillplayanimportantroleinthestabilityofthemarshecosystem.Assignadifferentcolorfortheirfeeding(energytransfer)arrow.3.Tomakeyourmarshecosystemabitrealistic,createa“marshy”scene.4.Youmustincludealltheproducersinyourfoodweb.5.Don’tforgettoincludetheSUN.Doyourworkonthesectionoftheposterpaperlabeled“KestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge-FoodWeb.”

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Activity4:Reading:NightmareatKesterson Pre-ReadingQuestions:

a.Justfromreadingthetitleofthearticle,whatdoyouthinkhappenedatKesterson?WhatistheimportanceofKesterson?

b.UsingthewatershedmapofCalifornia,locateandlabelthefollowingareas:SanFranciscoBay,LakeTahoe,CentralValley,Sacramento-SanJoaquinRiverDelta,MountDiablo,BearCreekHighSchool,andKestersonNationalWildlifeReserve.Youmaycoloryourmap.c.What’sintheKestersonmarshthatiscausingthenightmare?

Post-ReadingQuestions:1.WhatwasthenightmareatKesterson?2.Whatorganismswerepredominantlyaffectedbythisnightmare?Explainwhy.3.ListsomedeformitiesthatOhlendorfobservedatKesterson.4.Whatmysterioussubstancedoyouthinkisresponsibleforthisnightmare?5.Attheendofthereading,studentsarerequiredtoillustrateascenethatdepictsthemainideaofthereading.Thecaptionofthereadingmuststatetheproblemthatcontributedtothecontaminationoftherefuge.Doyourillustrationonthesectionofyourposterpaperlabeled“NightmareatKesterson.”

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Activity5:TheBiologicalAccumulationofSeleniumThroughtheFoodChainYouwilltracethepathwayofselenium(inorganicandorganic)asittravelsfromonetrophicleveltoanotherinthemarshlandfoodweb.Thisactivitywillillustratebioavailablityandbioaccumulationofseleniumintheecosystem.

Materials: Activity3:“FoodWebintheMarshland” Chart4:“TheParticleXintheMarshland”Chart3:TheParticleXintheMarshland

Inordertocompletethedatatablebelow,youmustusedthecollecteddatafromChart1. Reminder:whitebeans=particleX

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DataAnalysis1:Once“Chart4:ParticleXintheMarshland”iscompleted,transferthedatacollectedtoyourfoodweb.Dothisbywritingdownthetwonumbersbelowthenameofeachorganismfoundinyourfoodweb.ThefirstnumbershowshowmuchParticleXtheorganismstartedwith;andthesecondnumbershowshowmuchithadaccumulatedafterthetwelfthfeedingDataAnalysis2: BioaccumulationofParticleX ________ Quaternary

Consumer ________Tertiary

Consumer ________Secondary

Consumer ________ Primary

Consumer ________ Producer Marshland’sPyramidofBiomass NumberofParticleX

BioaccumulatedinEachTrophicLevel Step1.Usingyourdatafrom“Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshland,”calculatethetotalnumberofstudentsrepresentingeachtrophiclevelinthefoodweb.Recordyourdatausingthe“PyramidofBiomass.”

Step2.Usingyourdatafrom“Chart4:TheParticleXintheMarshland,”tallyupthetotalnumberofParticleXforeachtrophiclevel.Recordyourdatausingthe“PyramidforBioaccumulationofParticleX.”

Step3:FindthetotalnumberofParticleXconcentratedinsideeachorganismineachtrophiclevelandcalculatetheaveragenumber.Tofigurethisout,dividethetotalnumberofParticleXbyitscorrespondingbiomassnumber.Recordyourdataonthelastcolumnshownabove.

Analysis/ConclusionQuestions:

1.Whatisthepatternthatyouobservedfromthedatacollected?2.Explainwhytheconcentrationofparticlexshowssuchpatternasitgoesupatrophiclevel.3.Explainwhyparticlexcan’tbegivenawaybutonlyobtainedbytheorganismdoingthefeeding.4.WheredoyouthinkparticleXiscomingfrom?Andgoing?5.ChiefSeattleoncesaid,”Wedidnotweavetheweboflife,wearemerelyastrandinit.

Whateverwedototheweb,wedotoourselves.ExplainwhatChiefSeattle’sstatementisallaboutandrelateyouranswertowhathadhappenedatKesterson.

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Activity6:Reading:TheBiologicalMagnificationofSeleniumintheMarshlandEcosystem Questions:

1.IfparticleXisresponsibleforallthedeformitiesatKesterson,explainwhythewaterfowlsareheavilyaffected?(Hint:relatethistotheirniche).

2.Givethreeexamplesof“particlex”foundinourecosystemthatcanaffectthebalanceofourecosystem. 3.WhatpartdidweashumansplayinthedisturbanceoftheecosystematKesterson?4.Whyisitimportantforpeopletobeawareofhowweascommunitiesaffectourenvironment?5.Whatcomparisonscanyoufindbetweentheenvironmentasasystemandhumansocietyasasystem?6.WhatroledidtheAstragalusplantsplayintheseleniumnightmare?7.Definetheterms. a.bioaccumulation

b.biomagnificationc.bioavailability

8.Demonstratetheirunderstandingofthefollowingconcepts

(bioavailability,bioaccumulation,andbiomagnification)byillustratingthebiogeochemicalcycleofselenium.Theillustrationmustshowthestepbystepprocessandeachstepmustbelabeled.

Dotheillustrationonthesectionoftheposterpaperlabeled“BiogeochemicalCycleofSelenium.”.

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Activity7:HistoricalAnalysisofSeleniumPoisoning:“TrailofTragedy”Attheendofthereading,youarerequiredtodiagramfourscenes(withcaptions)fromthearticlethatrepresentsthefourmainideasofthereading.Dotheillustrationonthesectionoftheposterpaperlabeled“TrailofTragedy.”

Assessment:

Part1:Research:KestersonNationalWildlifeRefuge–ItsFuture!Ithasbeen30plusyearssincetheKestersonNationalWildlifeRefugecontaminationproblemreceivednationalattention.Yet,federalandstateagencies,privateindustries,farmingcommunities,anduniversitiesstillcannotagreeonalongtermsolutiontothisdrainageproblem.

Youwillresearchandprepareaone-pagereportononeoftheproposalstocleanupthe

contaminationatKesterson.Thereportwillincludethefollowingitems:

a. Theagencywhosubmittedtheproposal.b. Ashortsummarythat

-explainsthemethodusedtoclean-upthecontamination

-mentionsaresearchstudydonetosupportandtoshowthat

theproposaliseffective.

c. Expectedcostontheimplementationoftheproposal.d. Expectedlengthoftimetoruntheclean-upproject.

Youneedtoaffixyourreportonthesectionoftheposterpaperlabeled“PossibleSolutions”.

Part2:Research:BioaccumulationofChemicalsintheEcosystemYouwillresearchaspecificcompoundthataccumulatedinanecosystem.Youareexpectedtodothefollowing:

a. Definebioaccumulation.b. Describewhatisthechemicalandwhatisitusedfor.c. Explainhowitbioaccumulatedinthefoodweb–mustincludethe

cycleinvolvedintheprocess.d. Describesomeadverseeffectsofthechemicalinthefoodweb.e. Explainsomeoftheevidencecollectedtosupporttheclaimthatthat

particularchemicalhassomedetrimentaleffectsintheenvironmentandinthefoodweb.

Youneedtoaffixthereportonthesectionofyourposterpaperlabeled“BioaccumulationofChemicals”.

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Part3:WrittenTest

1.Readthearticletitled“DisappearingMarshlands”anddrawafoodwebbasedontheinformationpresented.Yourfoodwebshouldbemadeupofatleastfour(4)foodchainsandmustincludealltheniches.2.ExplainhowseleniumismadebioavailabletothewaterfowlsatKesterson.3.Lookingatthefoodwebthatyouhaveconstructedin#1,whichspecieswouldshowthegreatestbiologicalmagnificationofselenium.Explainyouranswerusingtrophiclevels.4.ThefourfactorsthatcontributedtothenightmareatKestersonare:

(a) geologyofCalifornia,(b)agriculturalpractices,(c)CentralValley’sMediterraneanclimate,and(d)thepresenceofbioaccumulatorplants.Usingtheabovefactors,explainhowtheycontributedtothedeformitiesobservedinthewaterfowlpopulations.

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California’sEnvironmental Principles & Concepts

Principle I: The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services.

Principle II: The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

Principle III: Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from, and can alter.

Principle IV: The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the long-term functioning of both.

Principle V: Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are based on a wide range of considerations and decision-making processes.