In this portfolio activity, you will design and conduct a simulation to investigate the effects of resource availability on populations. The resources populations need to survive are found in their ecosystems. When there is competition for these resources, not all organisms can get what they need. Look at the ecosystem shown. What resources that plants and animals need can you identify in the photo? What resources are plentiful? Which might be more scarce? In this section, you will identify evidence of the effects of resource availability on organisms and their populations in an ecosystem. A scientific investigation begins with questions. In this investigation, you will be gathering data through simulation. What conditions will you simulate? What questions do you hope to answer?
In the photo, some resources that plants and animals need that can be identified are sunlight, water, and nutrients from the soil. Sunlight appears to be plentiful as the photo shows a clear, bright sky. Water can also be considered plentiful based on the presence of a river or stream in the photo. Nutrients from the soil might be more scarce as it is not explicitly shown in the photo.
For the simulation, one condition that can be simulated is a decrease in the availability of water. This can be done by reducing the water input or increasing the frequency of droughts. Another condition that can be simulated is a decrease in sunlight availability, for example, by reducing sunlight exposure time or increasing cloud cover. The simulation can also introduce competition for resources among different organisms.
Some questions that can be answered through the simulation are:
1. How does a decrease in water availability affect the survival and population sizes of different species in the ecosystem?
2. How does a decrease in sunlight availability affect the growth and reproduction of plants in the ecosystem?
3. What strategies do organisms adopt in response to competition for resources?
4. How does resource availability impact the overall biodiversity and stability of the ecosystem?
5. Are there any species that are more resilient or better adapted to survive under limited resource conditions?
Design and Investigation Portfolio Design an Investigation It's time to design your own investigation. Your investigation will be a simulation of the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations in an ecosystem. So far, you have observed students model competition between wolves for water, prey, and space. You read about a similar investigation that modeled the difference between intraspecific and interspecific competition. You learned how graphs can help display and interpret data. You will use all these ideas as you design your own simulation. Choose a Question to Investigate Designing any investigation starts when you ask a question. Think back to some of the questions you generated about how the original simulation could be expanded. Choose one of these questions or think of a new one. List Materials What materials will you need to perform your simulation? Make a list of these and take time to gather them all before you begin. You might need: beans of different colors a timer cups or bags pencil paper Write a Procedure Write out your procedure and read it aloud to your Learning Coach. Talk through any confusing parts and make adjustments if needed. Look back at the video or text for ideas if you need help. Test Your Simulation Before you use your simulation to collect data, test it out. Use your materials and follow your procedure. Does it work as you intended? If not, take a moment to adjust it.
Question: How does the availability of water affect the population size of wolves in an ecosystem?
Materials:
1. Beans of different colors (to represent wolves)
2. Timer
3. Cups or bags (to represent the ecosystem)
4. Pencil
5. Paper
Procedure:
1. Set up an area to represent the ecosystem by placing cups or bags in a designated space.
2. Label each cup or bag with a number to identify it.
3. Assign a specific number of beans to represent the population of wolves in the ecosystem.
4. Start the timer and allow the wolves to "forage" for resources (represented by beans) in the cups or bags.
5. After a set amount of time, stop the timer and count the number of beans in each cup or bag.
6. Record the data on paper, indicating the number of beans for each cup or bag.
7. Repeat the simulation multiple times, each time altering the amount of water available in the ecosystem. This can be done by removing or adding beans to represent a decrease or increase in water availability.
8. Analyze the data collected, looking for trends or patterns in the population size of wolves based on the availability of water.
Testing the Simulation:
Perform the simulation using the materials and procedure listed above. Observe if the simulation works as intended and if the data collected allows for analysis and interpretation of the effects of water availability on wolf population size. Make any necessary adjustments to the procedure if needed.
What conclusions can you draw from your collected data? How does the evidence support your conclusions? Write a paragraph analyzing the results of your simulation. Then gather the portfolio materials for submission to your teacher. For your portfolio project, you will submit: the materials list for your simulation the written procedure of the simulation your data table your graph your analysis of the results
From the collected data, we can draw conclusions about the effects of water availability on the population size of wolves in the ecosystem. Based on the simulation, it can be observed that when water availability decreases, the population size of wolves also decreases. This can be seen through the trend of fewer beans (representing wolves) found in the cups or bags as the water availability is reduced. This pattern suggests that wolves heavily rely on water as a resource for their survival and reproduction.
The evidence from the simulation supports these conclusions by providing a visual representation of the relationship between water availability and wolf population size. The data collected, recorded in the data table, clearly shows a decrease in the number of beans in the cups or bags as water availability is reduced. Additionally, the graph created using the data further illustrates the trend of declining wolf population size with decreasing water availability. This empirical evidence strengthens the conclusion that water availability has a significant impact on the population dynamics of wolves in the ecosystem.
Portfolio Materials:
1. Materials List:
- Beans of different colors
- Timer
- Cups or bags
- Pencil
- Paper
2. Written Procedure:
- Steps used to perform the simulation
3. Data Table:
- Record of the number of beans in each cup or bag for each trial of the simulation
4. Graph:
- Visual representation of the data collected, showing the relationship between water availability and wolf population size
5. Analysis of Results:
- A paragraph explaining the conclusions drawn from the data and how the evidence supports those conclusions.
Gather these materials and submit them as a portfolio project to your teacher.