Monday, December 7, 2009

Ecology


Today we begin a new unit titled "Ecology." Ecology is the study of the interactions that take place between organisms and their environment. All living things on the planet have developed adaptations that allow them to survive in their environments and organisms have found ways to live in almost every part of the biosphere. Ecologists are people who study these organisms and spend a lot of time asking questions about what influences their ability to survive. For example, an ecologist might study the warty newt and discover that it's warty complexion is due to a "milky, acrid-smelling substance" that is used to discourage predators from feasting on them. That ecologist might go on to ask the question, "what part of the warty newts diet influences the milky, acrid-smelling substance?" Since the warty newt is endangered, understanding its diet may help to keep it from going extinct.

BlogWork

Go to the following website: National Geographic

On the right side is a menu for all of the animals that National Geographic has in their data base. Pick one or two animals and read about them.

After reading about the animal, write four questions about the animal as if you are an ecologist studying it.


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alligator Gar

Where did they originate?

Why are the Alligator Gar eggs poisonous to humans?

Are these alligator gar bigger then crocodiles?

How come we do not know if they attack humans?

Are these alligators ever albino?

DIGGY DOG D

Eve X3 said...

I chose the hedgehog as the animal.

1.) why don't hedgehogs live in the united states?

2.) why are hedgehogs eye sight so bad?

3.) how can they live in such dramatic changes of climate like hedgehogs from deserts and very cold places.

4.)is there a reason why they eat there babies only when the nest is disturbed?

Bob \ said...

Questions for african elephant

1.How fast can they run

2.When did they first appear

3.How old can on be before it dies

4.Whats the difference between a african elephant and a different kind

The adolescent juvenile said...

The Jaguar

Why are such beautiful creatures hunted with no signifigant penalties?

Why are these cats not repelled by water?

The Wolf

Why are wolves so often accused of attacking humans when they really do no such thing?

Why were the wolves hunted to near extinction in the lower 48 states?

Jade! said...

Beaver

1.)-why do they weight so much???

2.)-why don't the beavers eat fish???

3.)-how do they know to build dams???

4.)-how do the live for 24 years???


-Jade!

loves horses said...

African wild dog

Where do they live?

How many babies does the female have?

How many in a pack?

What do they eat?

Unknown said...

Arctic Fox
1. What temperature is too hot or too cold for them?
2. What is their predator?
3. What is their life span?
4. How long will it follow a polar bear before it gets a meal?

RE said...

Lynx
how does the fact that their rarly seen afect them?
what other animals depened on them?
how many of their young survive?
does their enviorment afect their pop.?

☠☣☢B-Square and Dan Rock like scientist☺♻✡☠ said...

Snow Leopard. I picked it because my two cats are domestic leopards. Don't believe me ask Mike L.

-Why are they not in America?
-Why do they have to be so cute?
-Why are they called snow leopards?
-Are they bread from normal leopards?

Unknown said...

Domestic Dog

What happened to the dogs that didn't originate from the South Asian wolf?

If there are so many breeds, and they all look different, how do they all have things in common, esp. with wolves, foxes, jackals?

Why did some behaviors change but some didn't

Can dogs understand each other's barking?

Which breeds were entirely created or exist, due to humans?

homework is crazy said...

bottlenose dolphin

1)how do you train a dolphin?

2)how many babys can they have at once?

3)whan other water animals are they friends with if there are friends with any?

4)are they friends with any land animals?

O_o I (pronoused E, soon im just say I) said...

Domestic Dog

How long have dogs been on earth?

Were dogs ever hated by Man kind?

Can dogs also become Herbivore?

Are dogs really color blind?

What dose the Mama dog lick off the new born baby dog?

brooke said...

Geographic Cone Snails

1) why is the mouth always open?/is the mouth alway open?

2) can it live on land?

3) because of the mouth being open is it like a hole in the bodies or it that how they breath?

Richard said...

I have 3 questions about that of the komodo dragon.

1. what makes it's spit so poisonous

2. what types of animals does it eat