Balancing Ecosystems
Resource: Gamescape Episode 1 and Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science.
Complete Episode 1: "Balancing Ecosystems" of Gamescape.
Write a 350- to 700-word letter to the City Council in neighboring Glimmerville. In your letter, explain the situation with the Grass Carp and some of the challenges faced in restoring balance to Sparksville's aquatic ecosystem. Since Glimmerville is experiencing a similar situation, provide advice on how to restore their lake ecosystem. Include the following points in your letter:
• What is ecosystem balance? Which reduction factors and which growth factors impacted ecosystem balance in Episode 1? Describe two ways in which the invasive species and native species impact ecosystem balance.
• Based on Episode 1 and the assigned readings, describe how native and invasive species might affect succession. How might an invasive species impact the natural selection of the native species within a habitat? Describe how native and invasive species affect the flow of energy in an ecosystem?
• Describe four possible solutions to the Grass Carp invasion problem. Describe one advantage and one disadvantage for each solution.
• As you learned in Chapters 5 and 6 of Environmental Science, the flow of energy, species interactions, and natural selection change over time. Since ecosystems and species are in flux, why should humans strive to restore and maintain ecosystem balance? Use one example from Episode 1 and one example from the assigned reading materials to support your points. Why is sustainability important to these environmental concerns?