Matrix 2: Environmental Impact of Organisms
Labs/ActivitiesBI3.1 Shelterwood Cutting
Shelterwood cutting removes all the mature trees in an area at specified time intervals. Shelterwood cutting occurs in three stages. At stage one, all unwanted trees are removed. Then remaining trees are allowed to grow and seedlings establish themselves. During stage two, many mature trees are removed and the forest is again left alone to grow. At stage three, the remaining mature trees are cut down. By this time, the seedlings have grown into young trees and more new seedlings are growing. Materials: 20 green, brown, red, and yellow plastic chips Time: 20 minutes Procedure: Develop a model of shelterwood cutting. You will need to represent unwanted trees, mature trees, seedlings, and young trees. Think It Over How does the model illustrate that shelterwood cutting provides a sustainable yield? |
Videos and PodcastsLearning about Natural Resources
Reduce, reuse, recycle are meaningless words to students who do not have a clear understanding of the importance of natural resources. In this engaging program, students learn about the three types of natural resources: inexhaustible, renewable, and nonrenewable. The Earth's wide variety of natural resources will be explored as well as how we use each of them in our daily lives. The Garbage Story Visit modern state-of-the-art landfills, incinerators, compost, and recycling facilities and learn how scientists and engineers are using the newest technology to deal with one of society's oldest problems. Explore the health, social, environmental, and economic issues involved in disposing of the over 200 million tons of garbage and trash we throw away every year. Trash Inc: Secret Life of Garbage (43:00) The business of trash has become a 21st century goldmine. CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla goes inside a $52 billion a year industry. Humans and Their Environment (5:47) Discusses the impact of pollution on the environment, how pollution is measured and ideas for reducing pollution. Threats to Biodiversity: Why Should We Care? (24:00) Animal and plant species are becoming extinct at an even faster rate than when the dinosaurs’ disappeared millions of years ago. This threat to biodiversity, the diversity of all living things that inhabit the oceans and continents, is unprecedented. The explosive population growth of humans has put all other species at risk. Contaminants and the Arctic Food Chain The levels of contaminants found in particular animals vary widely depending on where they fit into the Arctic food chain, as described in this video segment. Contaminants in the Arctic Human Population Learn how human populations in the Arctic are affected by industrial contaminants in the food chain. Indian Bats of Carter Cave explores one of the endangered habitats of Indiana bats and describes the benefits of bats to humans. Websites |