Overview
In this cluster, students investigate the complex interactions between organisms and their environment. Students identify biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems, and analyze the cycling of matter that takes place within them. This includes an investigation of the transfer of energy that occurs at various consumer levels, the implications of the loss of producers and consumers to the transfer of energy, and the potential for bioaccumulation within an ecosystem. Students explore ecological succession and assess the positive and negative impacts of human interventions on this natural process. Students discuss environmental, social, and economic factors that should be considered in the management and preservation of ecosystems. |
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