Ecosystems
n 1993, an interesting example of ecosystem dynamics occurred when a rare lung disease struck inhabitants of the southwestern United States. This disease had an alarming rate of fatalities, killing more than half of early patients, many of whom were Native Americans. These formerly healthy young adults died from complete respiratory failure. The disease was unknown, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the United States government agency responsible for managing potential epidemics, was brought in to investigate. The scientists could have learned about the disease had they known to talk with the Navajo healers who lived in the area and who had observed the connection between rainfall and mice populations, thereby predicting the 1993 outbreak. This pathway provides an in-depth look at ecology of ecosystems, energy flow through ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycles. The pathway also provides vocabulary support for these topics, as well as opportunities for learners to self-assess their understanding by analyzing figures and answering questions.
Topics
- acid rain
- analytical model
- apex consumer
- assimilation
- biogeochemical cycle
- biomagnification
- biomass
- chemoautotroph
- conceptual model
- dead zone
- detrital food web
- ecological pyramid
- ecosystem
- ecosystem dynamics
- equilibrium
- eutrophication
- fallout
- food chain
- food web
- grazing food web
- gross primary productivity
- holistic ecosystem model
- hydrosphere
- mesocosm
- microcosm
- net consumer productivity
- net primary productivity
- net production efficiency
- NPE
- nonrenewable resource
- primary consumer
- primary producer
- residence time
- resilience
- ecological
- resistance
- secondary consumer
- simulation model
- subduction
- tertiary consumer
- trophic level
- trophic level transfer efficiency
- TLTE