Lesson+Plan+3+-+Tritrophic+Interactions

**Grade level: **9-10
 * Title of Activity: Tritrophic Interactions **

**Concept covered in activity: **Tritrophic interactions across multiple ecosystems, and how these interactions mediate the entire ecosystem

**Colorado State Science Standards (2010) ** -Standard 2: Life Science  1.c. Analyze and interpret data from experiments on ecosystems where matter such as fertilizer has been added or withdrawn such as a drought  2.a Analyze and interpret data about the impact of removing keystone species from an ecosystem or introducing non-native species into an ecosystem  2.c Evaluate data and assumptions regarding different scenarios for future human population growth and their projected consequences

**Learning Objectives: **Students will be able to…
 * Graph population data and draw conclusions from the graph
 * Articulate how one species can affect the entire ecosystem
 * Read information from a prompt and highlight relevant information
 * Understand tritrophic interactions in a variety of different contexts

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Focus Question: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">If all the secondary and tertiary consumers are removed from an ecosystem, what would be the long term effects on the primary consumers and primary producers in that ecosystem?

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Materials: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Tritrophic Interactions PowerPoint presentation (see Appendix B1)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Kaibab Deer Story worksheet (1 per student)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Homework sheet (1 half sheet of paper per student)

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Procedure/activity: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Have a few students read what they predicted for the focus question <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Discuss how changes in one trophic level can effect multiple other levels || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-students should take notes on key words from presentation; bottom-up control, top-down control, keystone species <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">-use link [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">to help students see the population dynamics of the system || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Free Response Question **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">: Based on the information about Isle Royal and the population fluctuations of the Balsam Fir, moose, and wolves on the island, make a prediction as to what the different populations will be in 10 years. Support your answer with evidence from the PowerPoint presentation. Will the populations eventually stabilize? Is bottom-up control or top-down control affecting the moose population more? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Allow 10-15 minutes for the students to respond || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Explain the assignment to the students, and allow students to work independently on the worksheet **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Homework: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Have students type up the answer to the following question as a brief homework assignment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-//Using your notes on the moth// Plodia interpunctella //and the parasitic wasp// Habrobracon hebetor //and what we have learned today in class about parasitic relationships, describe the symbiotic relationship between the// P. interpunctella //and// H. hebetor//. Make a hypothesis about what type of ecosystem these insects would thrive in, and support with evidence from your research. Be sure to answer the prompt in complete sentences.// ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Engage ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Have students answer the focus question in their journals
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Explore ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Start PowerPoint presentation on tritrophic interactions **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Explain ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">- At the end of the presentation, have students answer a free-response question in their notebooks:
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Elaborate ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">When students have finished answering the free response question, hand out the Kaibab Deer Story worksheet

** The Kaibab Deer Story **
 * Purpose:**
 * To analyze the methods responsible for the changes in the deer population
 * To understand tritrophic interactions in the environment
 * To graph the Kaibab deer population data

Before 1905, the deer on the Kaibab Plateau were estimated to number about 4000. The average carrying capacity of the range was then estimated to be about 30,000 deer. On November 28th, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve to protect the "finest deer herd in America." Unfortunately, by this time the Kaibab forest area had already been overgrazed by sheep, cattle, and horses. Most of the tall grasses had been eliminated. The first step to protect the deer was to ban all hunting. In addition, in 1907, The Forest Service tried to exterminate the predators of the deer. Between 1907 and 1939, 816 mountain lions, 20 wolves, 7388 coyotes and more than 500 bobcats were killed. Signs that the deer population was out of control began to appear as early as 1920 - the range was beginning to deteriorate rapidly. The Forest Service reduced the number of livestock grazing permits. By 1923, the deer were reported to be on the verge of starvation and the range conditions were described as "deplorable." The Kaibab Deer Investigating Committee recommended that all livestock not owned by local residents be removed immediately from the range and that the number of deer be cut in half as quickly as possible. Hunting was reopened, and during the fall of 1924, 675 deer were killed by hunters. However, these deer represented only one-tenth the number of deer that had been born that spring. Over the next two winters, it is estimated that 60,000 deer starved to death. Today, the Arizona Game Commission carefully manages the Kaibab area with regulations geared to specific local needs. Hunting permits are issued to keep the deer in balance with their range. Predators are protected to help keep herds in balance with food supplies. Tragic winter losses can be checked by keeping the number of deer near the carrying capacity of the range
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">DATA TABLE  ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deer Population   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1905  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1910  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">9,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1915  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">25,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1920  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">65,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1924  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">100,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1925  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">60,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1926  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">40,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1927  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">37,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1928  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">35,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1929  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">30,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1930  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">25,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1931  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">20,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1935  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">18,000   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1939  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: 440.3pt; mso-element-top: .45in; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">10,000   ||
 * Background:** (obtained from [])

** Instructions: **
 * Graph the deer population data on the table below. The year should be on the x-axis, and the population number should be on the y-axis. Be sure to title the graph and label each axis.
 * After graphing the data, answer the questions based off of the graph you created and the background information provided. Answer in complete sentences.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;">Title:


 * 1) What two things did the government do between 1905 and 1907 to protect the deer herd? Were these methods successful? (Use your graph to support your answer)


 * 1) Why do you think the deer population declined after 1924?


 * 1) Why do you think the deer population in 1905 was 4,000 when the carrying capacity for the plateau was estimated to be 30,000?


 * 1) Based off of what you have seen happen to the deer population, what steps would you have taken to manage the deer population in 1920? What about in 1923?


 * 1) Based off of the interactions shown in this study, describe the tritrophic interaction between the producers (grass and vegetation), primary consumers (deer), and secondary consumers (predators of the deer). How are they all dependent upon each other?

This is a graph of the human population on earth. Use this graph to answer the questions below. Answer in complete sentences and support your answers with observations.

6. Why do you think the human population has grown at such a rapid rate in recent history? Think about the limiting factors to populations (like in the Kaibab Deer Story).

7. Make a prediction based off of what you have learned about what will eventually happen to the human population. Make a prediction about what year the human population will begin to decline. Support your answers.

** Homework Question: ** Answer the following question in the space provided below


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Using your notes on the moth //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Plodia interpunctella //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> and the parasitic wasp //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Habrobracon hebetor //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> and what we have learned today in class about parasitic relationships, describe the symbiotic relationship between the //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">P. interpunctella //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> and //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">H. hebetor //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">. Make a hypothesis about what type of ecosystem these insects would thrive in, and support with evidence from your research. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Be sure to answer the prompt in complete sentences //.