Activity 2.3 – Biosphere and Interconnections

 Concept Maps

Ch. 4: Energy Transfer in Ecosystems (How different species take in and use energy)

Ch. 7: Biodiversity Values (Why biodiversity is important and how it affects the earth)

Ch. 8: Biomes & Ecozones (How different species live in different weather and climate around the world)

  Interconnections:
Biomes play a very heavy role on how an ecosystem will function, as well how the species in an ecosystem will get their energy. In some places different animals and plants get their nutrients from the sun and other animals, but biomes like the arctic taiga wouldn’t have either of those. Species living with certain conditions learn how to adapt to where they’re at to survive, or they’ll die. Through this we see how species can overlap and evolve into new ones, which is why we see animals that usually are in one area pop up in others. Humans have also had a part to play in this, with them starting to tear down a lot of ecosystems and build up cities. Natural resources are beginning to dwindle rapidly in areas, and different biomes’ climates are starting to change because of the atmosphere getting hotter. Humans are “the leading cause of the biodiversity crisis” (Freedman 147) which is because of the extraction of resources from ecosystems.  
Being able to classify certain species within different kingdoms allows us to see similarities between what makes up biodiversity. The 5 kingdoms express just how extensive species can get. From animals all the way to fungi, we see that each organism plays some type of role in helping its ecosystem and other species within it. The plants within the area supply food to some animals, while some animals help out plants like bees taking pollen from flowers. We see from these actions that every species has a role to play in an ecosystem, which is how all three of these chapters connect with one another.

The concept maps that I have created are connected in a couple different ways. One way that they connect is how they all rely on one another. Species in the ecosystems depend on one another to operate a certain way, so that the overall hierarchy within the ecosystem stays intact. The food chains in these environments, as well as the unique functions that each species has to ensure they’re doing their part, or the different ecosystems would fall apart.

Sources Cited:

        Freedman, B. (1970, January 1). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. DalSpace Home. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/74278. 

        LLC, L. K. C. (n.d.). Brainstorming made simple - mind mapping online. Mind Mapping Online - Bubbl.us. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://bubbl.us/.