SC15.ES.3

Science (2015) Grade(s): 09-12 - Environmental Science

Developing and Using Models

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

Students know:

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem results from such factors as availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges as predation, competition, and disease.
Anthropogenic changes in the environment, including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change, can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
Examples of mathematical representations include finding the average, determining trends, and using graphical comparisons of multiple sets of data.
The difference between density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors, examples of each, and how each affects populations and biodiversity within an ecosystem.

Students are able to:

Differentiate between constant and exponential growth.
Use graphs to compare multiple sets of data.
Determine trends in data sets.
Use a variety of graphs and charts, including: (e.g., scatterplots, tables, line graphs, bar graphs, histograms) to evaluate the impact of factors on populations and biodiversity.
Utilize interpolation, extrapolation and statistical analyses to determine relationships between biodiversity and population numbers.
Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies. (ALCOS Mathematics S-IC)
Choose a scale and the origins in graphs (ALCOS Mathematics ALGI. 4.2) in order to accurately compare graphical data.
Determine an appropriate graphic model to display relationships comparing populations by biodiversity.
Describe how factors affecting ecosystems at one scale can cause observable changes in ecosystems at a different scale.

Students understand that:

The number of populations in a given area reflects the biodiversity of that area.
Ecosystems can exist in the same location on a variety of scales, and these populations can interact in ways that may, or may not, significantly alter the ecosystems.
Using the concept of orders of magnitude, a model at one scale relates to a model at another scale.