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Module 5 Lesson 2 Progress Check

Prompt

Read p.105-112. Answer the "Check Your Progress" questions (p.112 #1, 2, 3, 4, 6*).

*For #6, "your community" could mean as small as your neighborhood, or as big as the county/town you live in.

Response

  1. Describe what happens when species cannot adapt to ecosystem changes that are too fast.

When species can't adapt to rapid changes, they risk extinction. This loss can destabilize an ecosystem by disrupting food chains and habitat structures. Other species dependent on them can also suffer, leading to a cascading effect.

  1. Explain three ways that anthropogenic changes threaten biodiversity.

Anthropogenic changes like habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change jeopardize biodiversity. Urbanization can lead to habitat loss, pollutants can harm wildlife, and climate change can make habitats uninhabitable, forcing species migrations or causing extinctions.

  1. Choose one of the factors that threaten biodiversity and suggest one way in which biodiversity can be preserved in a real-life scenario.

Habitat Destruction: To combat this in places like Eden Shores, Hayward, CA, city planners can integrate green spaces, urban parks, and green corridors within urban areas to serve as habitats.

  1. Summarize hw the over harvesting of a single species, such as the fish eaten by sea lions, can affect an entire ecosystem.

Overharvesting one species can disrupt an ecosystem's balance. For example, if fish that sea lions eat are overharvested, sea lions might face food scarcity. This could lead to their decline and subsequently affect other interconnected species in the ecosystem.

  1. Survey your community to identify at least five threats to biodiversity and suggest ways in which biodiversity can be preserved.

Within my neighborhood, threats include urbanization, pollution, invasive species, water misuse, and light pollution. Solutions might include sustainable urban planning, enforcing anti-littering laws, managing invasive species, promoting water conservation, and designing environmentally-friendly lighting.