Investigate Changes in an Ecosystem

Introduction

In previous lessons, you have learned how organisms within an ecosystem interact to get the energy they need to survive. Scientists create models to show how energy moves through ecosystems using food chains and food webs. Each organism is important to the functioning of an ecosystem.

Changes in ecosystems can affect the balance and the ability to survive.

In this lesson, you will focus on how living and nonliving factors can have an effect on the delicate balance of life within an ecosystem.

For this lesson, let’s focus on a high desert ecosystem called the “sagebrush sea”.

Watch

Watch the video below and think about these questions as you view:

Where does most of the water come from in the high desert?
Why is sage referred to as an "anchor" for the ecosystem?
Describe where golden eagles build their nests. How does building nests in that location help the eagles survive and reproduce?
What geologic forces have shaped the sagebrush sea?

Activity: Sagebrush Sea: Video Discussion

Directions:

Read the directions on each slide carefully to complete the task.

When finished copy and paste the URL for your completed work on the Canvas assignment on the next page.

Click "Next" to submit your assignment.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION