APES 2015-2016 (Walnut High School) //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ Class Name: APES 2015-2016 Instructor(s): Kathy May en-us SchoolSitePro <![CDATA[Due: 01/14/2016]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4154906 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/
Did you know that Termites are social insects that are essential decomposers in tropical rain forest ecosystems? Termites may account for up to 95 percent of insect biomass in tropical rain forests! Termites consume vast amounts of dead and decomposing plant material, thanks to the work of mutualistic cellulose-digesting microorganisms that inhabit their guts. In addition to their roles as important decomposers, termites digest plant materials and directly contribute to carbon dioxide and methane emissions into the atmosphere. It is likely that, like many insect species, termites and their symbionts may be sensitive to changes in their microclimate caused by global climate change, especially with regard to temperature and humidity.

LOOK AT THE TABLE BELOW it shows the rate of wood consumption of termites in mg/day/termite at different conditions of temperature and relative humidity. As you know, a warming climate can affect both temperature and relative humidity (moisture). The way you would read the chart is: For example, at 25 degrees and 70% humidity each termite eats .07 mg/day of wood. Got it?
When I save these directions, the chart is altered so just to clarify, temperature is to the far left and relative humidity is the 50%, 70% and 90% and the amount of wood eaten is shown in the middle :)

Relative Humidity
temp                   50%   70%     90%
20°C                   0.04   0.05    0.05
25°C                   0.05   0.07    0.10
30°C                   0.12   0.13    0.27
35°C                   0.09   0.13    0.15
40°C                   0.00   0.00    0.00

(a) Respond to the following using the data in the table above, which gives the rate of wood consumption by termites, in mg per day per termite, under various temperature and relative humidity conditions.
Under optimal conditions, the emission rate of methane by termites is approximately 70 kilograms of CH4 per year per 1,000 termites.

(i) According to the data, what are the optimal temperature and relative humidity for termite activity?

(ii) Given a density of 4.5 × 107 termites per hectare and optimal conditions, calculate the annual amount of methane emitted, in kilograms, by the termites inhabiting a 2,000-hectare tropical rain forest.

(iii) Suppose the temperature increases to 35°C and the relative humidity decreases to 50 percent. Using the data provided, determine the amount of methane, in kilograms, that would be emitted by the termites in the 2,000-hectare tropical rain forest.

(iv) Explain why the population size of termites is also affected by temperature and humidity
.
(b) It has been observed that soon after a tropical rain forest is cleared, termite density increases to an estimated 6.8 × 107 termites per hectare. Thereafter, the termite population size decreases dramatically.

(i) What is the most likely reason that the density of the termites increases when a tropical rain forest is cleared?

(ii) Why do the termite populations eventually decrease dramatically?
]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2016 15:19:52 PST <![CDATA[Due: 01/07/2016]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4146020 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ please finish the Diversity in Ecosystems concept map that we started in class.
how to link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYtoZRmWLBc

]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2016 14:44:41 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/18/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4139170 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ Hi Period 2, just reminding  you to bring your notebooks on Friday, I will be doing a notebook check
]]> Wed, 16 Dec 2015 09:36:29 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/14/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4132734 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/  Hi Folks, the power point for chapter 3 can be found under the Dec. 4th entry, you only need to know the information up to slide that talks about soil, so we will cover soil and everything after that NEXT semester :)
 
1.Consider the biome presentations we did. Please make up a complex food web., using the organisms from any biome you choose, include the names of the organisms and label the producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and third level consumers, also include at least one type of decomposer that would likely be found in the biome. You can use arrows to show energy transfer from organism to organism.
2. Although you already know the formula for respiration, please write it down again and then tell what the end products are if the respiration occurs under anaerobic conditions.
3. Look at the picture of the decomposers on page 61, research one of those decomposers and explain it's role in decomposition.
4. What is HIPPO? And why should we care about biodiversity?
5. Tell me a little bit about the components of soil.
6. Now tell a little bit about what soil does for this planet (p67)
7.Read about soil horizons and soil profiles, what's the difference between them?
8. Make a chart comparing the 5 soil types shown on page 69.

]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2015 15:20:22 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/09/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4127746 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ this is not your homework, this is not due, just a guide for what to study for the final, some of which we are still learning :)
]]> Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:13:12 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/08/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4118657 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/  
Hi! for tonight's homework, please read the following prompt, then google "Healthy Forests Initiative"  or "HFI" (wiki is good for this topic) read up on the purpose of this legislation. Now please respond to the questions below. You are now officially responsible for knowing what HFI is :)
Go ahead a google "clear cutting" too so you know what it means as well.

For decades, forest fires in the United States have been suppressed. In 2003 legislation was passed under the Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) in response to the record-breaking wildfires that had occurred in the early 2000s. Some environmental and conservation groups fear that negative impacts could result if timber companies are encouraged to harvest medium- and large-size trees in federally owned forests while clearing away the smaller trees and underbrush.


(a) Identify TWO characteristics of forests that develop when fires are suppressed, and explain why the practice of fire suppression does not reduce, but actually increases, the risk of intense and extensive forest fires.

(b) The effects of the HFI are expected to extend beyond fire reduction. Excluding fire reduction, describe ONE positive and ONE negative effect likely to result from the implementation of the provisions of the HFI.

(c) Describe TWO ecosystem services provided for humans by forests. Explain how clear-cutting would affect each ecosystem service you describe.

(d) Identify a specific type of plant community or biome (other than a forest) that is naturally maintained by fire. Explain how the fire maintains the community or biome.

]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:08:03 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/07/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4118636 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/  
 
Hi people, please read the following prompt and then respond to the questions. (You might want to print this out....it's complicated) I am having you do this assignment so that you can practice how to do the math, don't use a calculator, use your two best friends, scientific notation and dimensional analysis!!!

"The Fremont School District uses oil to heat school buildings. Go Green! is a new project the district will implement. The superintendent has declared that the district will dedicate itself to reducing its carbon footprint. In addition to taking serious energy-conservation measures, the district is planning to help offset its carbon dioxide emissions by raising money to help conserve a portion of a large tract of forest land adjacent to the high school campus'"

1.  Describe one alternative energy source that would reduce the carbon footprint of the school district. Discuss one environmental benefit (other than reduced CO2 emissions) and one environmental drawback of using the alternative source instead of fuel oil.
2. Identify TWO ecological benefits provided by intact forest ecosystems (other than reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere).
3. Use the assumptions below to answer the questions that follow. For each calculation, show all work.
-The biomass of the forest increases at an annual rate of 2.7 × 105 kg/ha. (ha is hectare, it's a measure of land space)
-The forest biomass is 50 percent carbon by mass.
-Each year the district uses 3.0 × 105  gallons of fuel oil for heating and hot water.
-10 kg of CO2 is produced when 1 gallon of fuel oil is burned.
-1.0 kg of CO2 contains 0.27 kg of carbon.
-The cost of putting 1 ha of the forest into conservancy is $12,000.
(i) Calculate the mass of carbon, in kg, that is accumulated and stored in 1.0 ha of forest in one year.
(ii) Calculate the mass of carbon, in kg, that is emitted by the school as a result of its fuel-oil consumption in one year.
(iii) Calculate the number of hectares of forest the school district needs to conserve in order to offset the carbon released in one year by the school burning its fuel oil.
(iv) Calculate the amount of money the school district must raise for the conservation project.

]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:03:55 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/04/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4122832 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ this is for what we are doing in class today, this is not homework :)
http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/esa.html
 

]]> Fri, 04 Dec 2015 08:47:32 PST <![CDATA[Due: 12/04/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4118620 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ Hello all, for the homework please read and comprehend the following pages in your book: pages 50 to 60. Then please respond to the following questions.
1. Can you please define ecology in your own words.
2. Please put the following in the correct order from the most specific to the most general:
-organism, ecosystem, biosphere, population, community
3. What are some of the important functions that bacteria have on this Earth?
4. Why is the recycling of matter an important part of what sustains life on earth?
5. Looking at the section on page 54 called What Happens to Solar Energy...." how much of the suns energy that reaches the earth plays a part in photosynthesis?
6. In the following phrase, identify both the biotic and abiotic factors " Low phosphorus (a nutrient) content in soil limits the growth of vegetation"
7. What are limiting factors? What would be one important limiting factor for a farmer who was planting corn? What would be the main limiting factor in the desert? 
8. Chose any biome or ecosystem and name it, then tell one likely limiting factor specific to that biome.
9. Where would you find the process of chemosynthesis taking place?
**** I am attaching the power point presentation for this chapter....so you can see ahead of time what we will be talking about.expand description

]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2015 15:16:25 PST <![CDATA[Due: 11/30/2015]]> //www.walnuths.net/homeworkItem4111078 //www.walnuths.net/apps/classes/685132/assignments/ Hi Folks, here is the review game. Happy days off!
]]> Thu, 26 Nov 2015 08:20:40 PST