AP Daily: AP Environmental Science (1.1)
Summary
TLDRIn this introductory video to AP Environmental Science, Lisa Bagley explores ecosystems and their interactions. She delves into predator-prey dynamics, emphasizing how resource availability affects species relationships. The video introduces key concepts like biotic and abiotic components, and discusses different types of species interactions, including mutualism, commensalism, and competition. Bagley also guides viewers on interpreting graphical data related to predator-prey oscillations, encouraging critical thinking about ecological relationships.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video is an introduction to ecosystems, focusing on predator-prey relationships and resource availability's influence on species interactions.
- 👩🏫 The instructor, Lisa Bagley, has been teaching AP Environmental Science since 2010 and currently works at West Mesquite High School.
- 🌿 Ecosystems consist of biotic (living organisms) and abiotic (non-living components) parts that interact as a system.
- 🌱 Biotic components include producers, consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores), and decomposers, while abiotic factors encompass sunlight, temperature, and water.
- 🐻 Predator-prey relationships are a type of biotic interaction where predators hunt and kill prey for food, affecting population sizes.
- 🦐 The availability of prey as a resource drives the predator-prey interaction, with predator numbers fluctuating based on prey availability.
- 📊 The video discusses how to interpret graphical stimuli, such as predator-prey oscillations over time, focusing on the descriptive analysis of environmental concepts.
- 🔍 Students are encouraged to observe and explain the lag between prey and predator population peaks and the reasons behind it.
- 🤔 The video prompts students to consider other factors besides predation that might cause fluctuations in predator and prey populations.
- 🎯 The learning objectives (ERT 1.a and ERT 1.8.1) are to connect essential knowledge with science skills required for the AP exam.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video on AP Environmental Science?
-The main focus of the video is on predator-prey relationships and the basic background information on ecosystems, specifically how the availability of resources influences species interactions.
Who is the instructor presenting the video?
-The instructor presenting the video is Lisa Bagley, who has been teaching AP Environmental Science since 2010 and currently works at West Mesquite High School in the Dallas area.
What are the two main components of an ecosystem as described in the video?
-The two main components of an ecosystem are the biotic part, which includes living organisms, and the abiotic part, which includes non-living environmental factors.
What are some examples of biotic components in an ecosystem?
-Examples of biotic components in an ecosystem include producers like plants and photosynthetic algae, consumers such as herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritivores, as well as soil organisms.
What are some examples of abiotic components in an ecosystem?
-Examples of abiotic components in an ecosystem include sunlight, temperature, precipitation, moisture or water levels, and the pH of soil or water.
Why is soil considered both a biotic and abiotic component of an ecosystem?
-Soil is considered both a biotic and abiotic component because it contains living organisms like bacteria and fungi, which contribute to the biotic part, and also provides non-living elements like nutrients and minerals, which are part of the abiotic aspect.
What are the three major categories of species interactions in ecosystems mentioned in the video?
-The three major categories of species interactions in ecosystems mentioned in the video are predator-prey relationships, symbiotic interactions (including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism), and competitive relationships.
What is the definition of a predator-prey relationship in the context of the video?
-A predator-prey relationship is defined as a biotic interaction where a predator hunts and kills its prey, which serves as a food resource for the predator.
How does the availability of prey as a resource influence the predator-prey relationship?
-The availability of prey as a resource influences the predator-prey relationship by affecting the population sizes of both predators and prey. As prey availability fluctuates, the number of predators also changes, often with a lag due to the time it takes for predator populations to respond to changes in prey populations.
What is the significance of the title 'Predator-Prey Oscillations Over Time' in the context of the graph discussed in the video?
-The title 'Predator-Prey Oscillations Over Time' signifies that the graph illustrates how the populations of predators and prey fluctuate regularly over a period, with peaks and valleys that represent changes in their numbers.
What is the importance of understanding predator-prey relationships in the study of ecosystems?
-Understanding predator-prey relationships is important in the study of ecosystems because it helps to explain how species populations are interconnected and how they can influence each other's numbers and behaviors, which in turn affects the overall stability and health of the ecosystem.
Outlines
🌿 Introduction to Ecosystems and Learning Objectives
The video introduces the topic of ecosystems within the context of AP Environmental Science, focusing on predator-prey relationships and the influence of resource availability on species interactions. The instructor, Lisa Bagley, shares her background and sets the stage for the educational journey. The learning objective for this segment is to connect essential knowledge about ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic interactions, with the science skills required for the AP exam. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding how resource availability affects species interactions, which is encapsulated in the enduring understanding and learning objective ERT1.A.
🐾 Predator-Prey Dynamics and Graphical Analysis
This segment delves into the concept of predator-prey relationships, explaining that predators hunt and kill their prey, which is a biotic interaction. The prey serves as a food resource for predators, and the availability of this resource influences the interaction between predator and prey populations. The instructor guides viewers through analyzing a graphical stimulus that illustrates predator-prey oscillations over time, emphasizing the importance of understanding how resource availability, in this case, prey, affects predator populations. The video also touches on the classification of prey and predator species within the trophic structure and encourages students to consider other factors that might cause fluctuations in predator and prey populations beyond predation.
📊 Understanding Predator-Prey Relationships through Graphs
The final paragraph reinforces the key aspects of predator-prey relationships and challenges viewers to describe these relationships when presented in a graphical format. It emphasizes the ability to identify and explain how resource availability, specifically the prey, influences the predator-prey dynamic. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to apply their understanding of these concepts, indicating that if they can successfully identify and describe predator-prey relationships from a graph, they have grasped the material. The instructor expresses gratitude for watching and looks forward to continuing the educational journey in the next video.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ecosystems
💡Predator-Prey Relationships
💡Biotic Components
💡Abiotic Components
💡Resource Availability
💡Symbiotic Interactions
💡Competitive Relationships
💡Graphical Stimulus
💡Trophic Structure
💡Oscillations
Highlights
Introduction to ecosystems and the focus on predator-prey relationships.
Background information on ecosystems and the influence of resource availability on species interactions.
Introduction of the instructor, Lisa Bagley, and her experience teaching AP Environmental Science.
Learning Objective ERT 1a: Connecting essential knowledge with science skills for the AP exam.
Definition of an ecosystem as a community of living organisms interacting with their non-living environment.
Identification of biotic components of ecosystems, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Identification of abiotic factors in ecosystems, such as sunlight, temperature, and water.
Discussion on why soil is considered both a biotic and abiotic component.
Explanation of three major categories of species interactions: predator-prey, symbiotic, and competitive relationships.
Graphical representation of predator-prey relationships and how resource availability influences these interactions.
Essential Knowledge ERT 1.8.1: Understanding predator-prey relationships as a biotic interaction.
Practice with graphical stimuli to analyze predator-prey oscillations over time.
Description of how to approach a graphical stimulus in AP Environmental Science.
Observation of prey and predator population trends and the lag between their peaks.
Consideration of factors other than predation that might cause fluctuations in predator and prey populations.
Assessment of understanding through the ability to identify key aspects of predator-prey relationships and describe them graphically.
Transcripts
hey everyone welcome to topic 1.1
of ap environmental science this is
introduction to ecosystems
in daily video 1 we're going to cover
predator prey relationships
as well as some basic background
information on ecosystems
and we're going to focus on how the
availability of resources
influences species interactions before
we get further into the video i'd like
to introduce myself
my name is lisa bagley i've been
teaching apes since
uh 2010 here in the dallas area i
currently work for mesquite isd
at west mesquite high school and i am
excited to be part of
your educational journey for apes so
here here we go
what are we going to learn today let's
find out
we're going to focus on learning
objective ert
1 a so what is that well
in this video we're going to explore how
to connect
the essential knowledge which is what
you need to know in this course the nuts
and bolts
to the science skills which is how you
have to show what you know
on the actual ap exam we're going to
review some basic characteristics of
ecosystems
focusing on biotic and abiotic
interactions you may be familiar with
those words from previous courses
we're going to begin to explain how the
availability of resources
influences species interactions which
is our learning objective that's the
ert1.a
and we're going to discuss some aspects
of predator prey relationships
so what exactly is an ecosystem well
it's a community of
living organisms that's the biotic part
in conjunction with the non-living
components of their environment
that's the abiotic part and they
interact as a system
ecosystems are the result of both biotic
and
abiotic interactions and that's our
enduring understanding
so you're going to see that enduring
understanding of biotic and abiotic
interactions
as well as our lo our learning objective
about
um how species how resource availability
influences species interactions woven
throughout these videos
so here's a question for you based on
the definition above the definition of
ecosystems
take a look at these scenarios that are
in the fat bubble here and consider
which of them might be an ecosystem
interaction
you can pause your video and take a look
at those be sure to justify your why
based on that definition of an ecosystem
i'll see in a second
so let's talk about some biotic and
abiotic components of ecosystems
the biotic parts of ecosystems are the
living parts
they include things like producers
plants photosynthetic algae
phytoplankton herbivores carnivores
omnivores detritivores and
soil soils in that living category
but we also have abiotic factors in
ecosystems those are the non-living
parts such as sunlight temperature
precipitation
moisture or water levels the ph of
the soil or the water and soil
there it is again in the abiotic factor
list
so consider this why is soil in both the
biotic
and the abiotic lists
let's take a look at the big picture for
species interactions here
interactions in ecosystems between
species can include
three major categories that the college
board would like you to know
the first is predator prey relationships
and if you take a look at
some of the images that are over there
on the side of the this slide
you'll see a grizzly bear with a salmon
in its mouth that is a predator-prey
relationship
interactions can also include symbiotic
interactions such as mutualism
commensalism or parasitism and we'll get
to those in a subsequent video if you
take a look at your
images there we've got a clown fish
hanging out in a sea anemone
that is an example of mutualism we also
can have competitive relationships and
competition can happen between
different species or within a single
species so your final image here
is many different species on an african
savannah
and they are surrounding a resource
there and they may or may not be
competing
over that abiotic resource so again as
we consider
each of these interactions we're going
to try to identify the biotic
or the abiotic resources that are
driving the interaction in each scenario
and we're going to explain how the
availability of those resources
the species interaction because that's
our learning objective
okay time for the nitty gritty this is
essential knowledge ert
1.8.1 it is the first essential
knowledge
piece that is uh in ap environmental
science and this is predator prey
relationships
in the simplest terms predators hunt and
kill
their prey that's what they do this is a
biotic
interaction these are two living species
that are interacting in this
exchange for predators the prey
is a food resource so as we loop back in
to our lesson objective and our enduring
understanding
how do we how does resources drive the
interaction the prey is a resource it's
a food resource for the predators
so the final part of this is as the
availability of the prey fluctuates
the numbers of the predators do as well
and that again goes back to how does the
availability of resources
influence in the interaction something
to
consider as we move forward based on
your prior knowledge of ecosystems
how do we normally classify a prey
species when we're talking
in terms of trophic structure what about
a predator species
you're going to learn more about these
later in unit 1 but i want you to kind
of think about that as we move through
so let's do some practice
we're looking at here a graphical
stimulus
that was pulled up from ap resources so
when i'm talking to students about how
do we approach a graphical stimulus in
ap environmental science there's a
couple of steps that i'd like you to go
to
that will help you understand a
graphical stimulus and help you get to
a better and more thorough answer so the
first thing i'd like you to look at is
what is the title of the graph
the title of the graph in this
particular regard
is predator prey oscillations over time
the title of a graph can actually tell
you a lot about
what is going on in the graph titles
should be descriptive so taking a look
at that's going to give you some
information
you may or may not be familiar with the
word oscillation to oscillate
means to go up and down or have a
regular periodic
um peak and valley over a certain time
period
so once we've looked at the title let's
take a look at the x-axis
and the y-axis in this case it's axes
because there are two y-axis
axises axes so time is across the bottom
here that's our x-axis
and in this particular case time does
not have any um there's no hash marks
there's no
it doesn't tell us years or anything
like that we just know the time is going
from some
time in the past to sometime in the in
the future time is moving uh linearly
from left to right
our um two y axes we've got one that
says prey population size and if we look
at our key here the prey is the solid
line
and then we've got predator population
size and the predator is our dashed line
so now we've got an idea that we're
comparing prey and predator population
sizes across some
type of time period so the final
question that i'd like you to take a
look at for this particular
part of the graph is what is the what
did the the lines look like on this
graph describe the trends that you see
in the populations over time what are
your observations
well the title tells you that that the
lines are oscillating they're going up
and down on
kind of in a regular manner but you can
see that those lines don't completely
overlap
exactly and that the peaks and the
valleys aren't quite the same so we need
to kind of think about that
so overall picture here and i'd like to
draw your attention down to the bottom
of your screen
we are right now doing science practice
1.a which is a description of
environmental concepts and processes
this is a foundational skill for apes
you'll be asked to do this throughout
the ap exam and we're going to practice
this a lot
okay same graph but let's go into it a
little bit further
and when we're looking at this when
we're describing what this graph looks
like
i might say something along the lines of
as the number of
prey increase the number of predators
also increases that's what i'm seeing
there
and as the number of prey decreases the
number of predators also decrease
okay that's fair enough it's right there
uh right there
in front of you um but there's this lag
here so consider
why am i there why is there a lag
between the peak of the prey population
and the peak of the predator population
you can see that the the peaks are
uh they're subsequent but they're not
they don't overlap
the other thing i'd like you to consider
is why is the population size why does
that peak higher for the prey
than for the predator and i want you to
think back to the question that i asked
before
about where those populations fall
on a trophic structure okay
finally when we're taking a look at a
graph like this a fully
realized free response question might
ask you to consider other factors
um something other than predation that
might cause the
population of predators or prey to
fluctuate there are other things in
ecosystems that can cause
changes in predator and prey populations
and you might be asked to consider those
as well all right
so let's check for some understanding
from this video
can you identify the key aspects of
predator prey relationships
can you describe how resource
availability
the prey influences the predator prey
relationship
and can you describe key aspects of the
predator prey relationship if it's shown
in a graphical format
if you can then you got it
congratulations
thanks for watching and i'll see you in
the next video
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