Station 1 – Overpopulation

1. What is the current approximate human population?

2. What does carrying capacity mean?

3. When an ecosystem exceeds its carrying capacity, what happens?

5. What are some consequences of overpopulation?

6. What factors affect population size?

7. What caused the spike in human population seen in the graph below? What type of growth is shown?

Station 2 – Deforestation

1. What are the 2 main reasons that we cut down so many trees?

2. Give 2 main consequences of deforestation.

3. Besides food and oxygen, what other resource do plants give us that humans rely on?

4. What is the process that plants use to provide us with oxygen called?

5. How does deforestation lower soil quality?

6. The number of different species that live in one area is called ______.

7. How is deforestation related to global climate change?

Station 3 – Acid Rain

1. What are the 2 main chemicals that cause acid rain?

2. What are the 2 main ways that the pollution gets into the atmosphere?

3. How does the air pollution actually become acid rain?

5. TRUE or FALSE – Acid rain only hurts plants and animals that live in bodies of water.

6. How does acid rain affect bridges and buildings?

7. How can we fix the problem of acid rain?

Station 4 – Ozone Depletion

1. What does the ozone layer do for us?

2. What caused the hole in the ozone layer?

3. The chemical that caused the hole in the ozone layer was found in 3 main things, what were they?

4. How is ozone destroyed?

5. In what year were chlorofluorocarbons banned?

6. Scientists feel that the ozone layer will NOT be back to its healthy thickness until the year ______

7. TRUE or FALSE – The ozone layer hole problem taught us that some environmental problems are just too big to solve.

Station 5 – Biomagnification

  1. As pesticides move up a food chain, does their concentration INCREASE or DECREASE?
  1. What was the pesticide that almost killed off the bald eagle called?

3. What happens when chemicals are added into an ecosystem?

4. TRUE or FALSE – Humans can be affected by biomagnifications.

5. When a chemical DOES NOT BREAK DOWN it is called

6. Who in the food chain is MOST affected by biomagnifications?

7. What is a better way to kill a pest (instead of using chemicals)? Why can that method be risky?

Station 6 – Global Warming

1. TRUE or FALSE – Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect are the same thing

2. What are the 2 main causes for Global Warming?

3. Give 3 examples of greenhouse gases.

4. TRUE or FALSE – Spreading diseases are NOT a concern associated with Global Warming.

5. As Global Warming continues, what is going to keep getting stronger?

6. The melting of the polar ice caps will raise sea levels by about ______feet.

7. Why should we be so concerned with Global Warming causing the death of phytoplankton?

Station 7 – Biomes

  1. What is an abiotic factor? What is a biotic factor?
  2. How do scientists distinguish one biome from another?
  3. Describe the different abiotic factors a pine tree would need in order to survive in a temperate forest ecosystem.
  4. Describe the different abiotic factors necessary for a polar bear to survive in the tundra.
  5. What is biodiversity? Give at least three reasons why it is important for the sustainability of an ecosystem.
  6. Explain at least three ways in which humans are reducing biodiversity. BE SPECIFIC!
  7. Explain what an invasive species is and give one example of an invasive species.

Station 8 – Energy

  1. What is a renewable resource?
  1. What is a non-renewable resource?
  1. What are the three types of traditional energy?
  1. Why are we transitioning away from fossil fuels and using more alternative energy sources?
  1. What are the different types of alternative energy that were discussed in class (there are 6).
  2. What are the pros and cons of each type of alternative energy (a chart would be helpful here – name at least one pro and at least one con)?
  3. Explain which is better for use in NC: solar energy or wind energy. Explain your solution.