“Green” material has high amounts of (1 point)

Question

Responses

magnesium.
magnesium.

phosphorus.
phosphorus.

nitrogen.
nitrogen.

carbon.
Some students decide to plant their own garden. They want to eat a more plant-based diet. For meat, they will buy locally from a butcher. Any remaining plant-based scraps will be composted and used as fertilizer for their garden.

Which part of this plan represents recycling to reduce their waste?

(1 point)
Responses

eating a plant-based diet
eating a plant-based diet

planting a garden
planting a garden

composting scraps
composting scraps

buying locally
buying locally
Plants, bison, elk, and wolves are all members of an ecosystem. The bison and elk are both primary consumers in this ecosystem, while the wolves are a predator. Over time, the bison completely disappear. Give an example of how the ecosystem may respond to this change, and explain how this relates to both resiliency and biodiversity. (4 points)
Beavers, large members of the rodent family in North America, are often referred to as “ecosystem/keystone engineers” by wildlife managers. Ecosystem engineers are described as animals that create, alter, or destroy a habitat. Beavers contribute to river ecosystems by bringing down old and dead trees along riverbanks. They use these trees to make their dams. Although these dams are primarily used for protection and food storage, scientists report that these dams change the surrounding environment in different ways.

Given this information, in three to five sentences, describe a potential benefit that beavers contribute to the ecosystem as keystone engineers and describe a plausible impact that the removal of beavers could have on the surrounding ecosystem.

(4 points)
Some students are trying to convince their parents to let them raise backyard chickens. They want to present a logical argument on how raising your own chickens reduces food waste. In three to five sentences, construct an argument for how raising livestock yourself can help you reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.(4 points)

Answer 1

Question 1: "Green" Material

The "green" material has high amounts of nitrogen.

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Question 2: Recycling to Reduce Waste

The part of the plan that represents recycling to reduce their waste is composting scraps.

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Question 3: Ecosystem Response to the Disappearance of Bison

If the bison completely disappear from the ecosystem, the primary consumers like the elk may experience an increase in population due to reduced competition for food resources. This change could lead to a decrease in plant diversity as the elk overgraze on certain plant species. The ecosystem's resiliency may be compromised as fewer species are available to adapt to changes, negatively affecting biodiversity, which is essential for a stable and healthy ecosystem.

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Question 4: Benefits of Beavers as Keystone Engineers

Beavers contribute to their ecosystems as keystone engineers by creating wetlands through their dam-building activities. These wetlands provide crucial habitats for various plant and animal species, increasing biodiversity and supporting a healthy ecosystem. Conversely, the removal of beavers could lead to the drying out of these wetlands, resulting in habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and potentially negative impacts on water quality as sediments accumulate in the now stagnant water bodies.

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Question 5: Raising Backyard Chickens Argument

Raising backyard chickens can significantly help reduce food waste by allowing families to compost kitchen scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills. Chickens can eat a variety of food scraps, including vegetable peels, stale bread, and grains, transforming waste into valuable eggs and organic fertilizer through their droppings. This not only minimizes waste but also promotes a cycle of reuse, where the fertilizer can enhance the growth of a home garden, creating a closed-loop system that benefits the environment.