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Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?

Unit 2 Louisiana’s Wetland Ecosystems. Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?. Host Researcher. Jacoby Carter, BA in Zoology and Botany Has developed a computer model that helps him study how nutria populations impact the wetlands.

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Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?

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  1. Unit 2 Louisiana’s Wetland Ecosystems Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?

  2. Host Researcher Jacoby Carter, BA in Zoology and Botany Has developed a computer model that helps him study how nutria populations impact the wetlands. Enters data, how much plant life exists and how much plant life each nutria will eat, into the computer model. Using this data Jacoby Carter can determine the number of nutria the plot of land can support. When nutria becomes too high he alerts the wetland managers.

  3. Content Standards A, C, and G Standard A: Science as Inquiry Strand A1-All students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. Standard C: Life Science Strand C3-Students should develop an understanding of regulation and behavior. Strand C4-Students should develop an understanding of populations and ecosystems.

  4. Content Standards A, C, and G Standard G: History and Nature of Science Strand G2-Students should develop an understanding about the nature of science.

  5. Teacher/Student Activity Book Page 54: How are changes to Louisiana’s wetlands impacting the plant and animal communities that live there? Page 63: Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria? Page 65-66: Nutria Masters

  6. Paragraph Shrinking Page 54 Divide into 5 groups. Each group reads only 1 assigned paragraph to present. Complete the following to share with the group: a. Name the “who” or the “what” the paragraph is about. b. Identify two or three important details. c. Shrink the paragraph. State the main idea of the paragraph in a complete sentence, using fifteen words or less.

  7. Objectives •Students will simulate Jacoby Carter’s studies by modeling the impact of different nutria population sizes on marsh vegetation. •Students will examine the balance between the rate at which nutria consume vegetation and the rate at which it grows back. •Students will discover that if vegetation grows back more quickly than it is consumed, the marsh is healthy.

  8. Objectives •Students will discover that if vegetation grows back more slowly than it is consumed, and if nutria completely eat out a plot of land, the marsh is in danger. •Students will understand how the introduction of alien species can impact an environment.

  9. Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria? • Master 2.2 A page 65 • Work in pairs. • Set up marshland by placing 5 dried beans on each plot. • Draw a card from the bag and remove 2 beans from the corresponding number square. • Return card to bag.Repeat for each nutria living on your marshland (4, 8 or 12). If there is only 1 bean in the plot, take one from a neighboring plot. If 0 beans remain, take 2 from another random plot.

  10. Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria? • One month has now passed. Observe the conditions and record your data on your worksheet. • During this month, some plant life grew back. Follow directions below your marsh to replace plants (beans). • Continue for one year and be prepared to share your results with Dr. Jacoby Carter.

  11. Conclusion • Observations: • At the end of 1 year, how many plots were eaten out when nutria population was 4? 8? 12? • Conclusions: • Summarize how the introduction of nutria impacts the wetlands over time. • What would happen to the marshland over a period of years?

  12. Apply Your Knowledge • Digital Lab: • “The Secret Life of the Bayou” • Show What You Know: To Fish or Not To Fish?” • Literature Connection:Swamp

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