Unit: Ecology Topic: Trophic Cascade Date:
Do Now: What are Trophic Levels and how do these interact with each other?
Aim: How do Keystone Species affect Trophic Levels in an Ecosystem?
Standards Performance:
NGSS Standard HS-LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of
organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a
modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its
more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a
very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any
population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources
and habitat availability.
Performance Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Describe what is a trophic cascade and how each of its elements- Producers, Consumers,
Decomposers- interact to maintain the ecosystem.
Construct a Food Web based on an ecosystem and explain how the Keystone Species
helps maintain a stable environment.
Vocabulary
Bottom-Up Theory- a lower trophic level in the biological network affects the community
structure of higher trophic levels by means of resource restriction.
Top-Down Control- directional regulation within an ecosystem, where species occupying
higher trophic levels exert controlling influences on species at the next lower trophic level.
Keystone Species- a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if
it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.
Material List:
Worksheet
PowerPoint
Development of the Lesson:
Timing What the Teacher Does What the Student Does
Beginning of Lesson
2 min Ask students to read the Do Now. Instruct the Students will answer the Do Now from
class to answer the question while the teacher
their prior knowledge/previous lessons
prepares materials.
and share with the class.
Listen to the lesson while jotting down
Introduce students to Food Webs through the
notes. Participate in discussion during
5 min modeling of a ‘garden’ ecosystem and its
lecture and ask questions.
organisms. Ask the class to reflect on how
‘abundance’ of one organism can affect
another at a different/same trophic level.
Listen to the lesson while jotting down
3 min Introduce the Bottom-Up Control Theory.
notes. Participate in discussion during
Discuss with class whether this alone explain
lecture and ask questions.
how population sizes are controlled.
Middle of Lesson
35 min Inform students that they will be watching a Listen to instructions, watch the 20-
short film “Some Animals are More Equal minute video, and complete the activity
than Others: Keystone Species and worksheet. Ask any question if
Trophic Cascades” and complete a necessary.
worksheet. The film introduces the concepts
of Trophic Cascades and Keystone Species
through examples. For the Worksheets,
students will reflect, answer some questions,
and construct a Food Web on the Kelp Forest
Ecosystem. Supervise students’ progress and
answer questions.
End of Lesson
5 min Check in with students on their progress and Finish the Trophic Cascade Worksheet
give a 5-minute warning. If more time is activity and listen for end of day
needed, students can complete activity as instructions.
homework and submit for next class.
Differentiated Instruction:
N/A
Homework:
Investigate three facts about the wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
Summative Assessment Questions:
Exit Ticket-
How do Keystone Species affect Trophic Levels in an Ecosystem?
Notes for Revision:
NAME:
DATE:
Some Animals are More Equal than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic
Cascades Worksheet
1. Why did the Bottom-Up theory alone not explain how population sizes are controlled at
different trophic levels?
2. Before the 1960s, ecologist believed that lower trophic levels (producers) limited higher
levels (herbivores). What is the Green World Hypothesis (Top-Down Control) and how
does it compare to the Bottom-Up Control Theory?
3. What is a Keystone Species? Use an example from the video to explain.
4. What statement explains why mussels in Mukkaw Bay cover the coast rockface during
Paine’s experiment?
a. Paine added more mussels resulting in Starfish to move from this habitat to another
b. Mussels’ top predator, the starfish, being removed allowed mussel populations to
grow unchecked.
c. Starfish and mussels competed for food; hence the removal of starfish meant more
access to food for the mussels.
d. Starfish are larger in size and took up most of the space, and their removal led
mussels to occupy these empty spaces.
5.What does this image represent and what
information does it tell you?
5. How did Dr. Paine impact the coastal Ecosystem? What is his role? Can you include him
in the Food Web?
6. What happened to Sea Otters during the 1800s?
Answer the following based on Kelp Forest Ecosystem Food Web
7. Based on the Food Web are Keystone Species always Apex Predators?
8. How would the absence of Sea Otters affect all other organisms? Explain
9.Explain the image and why do we see this
change in Gull diet?
Construct (Cut & Paste) a Food Web of the Kelp Forest Ecosystem Include:
Whales
Eat: Sea Otters
Kelp
Producers
Birds (Kelp Gulls)
Eat: Fish & Invertebrates
(Crabs)
Urchins
Eat: Kelp
Invertebrates (Crabs)
Eat: Kelp
Otters
Eat: Urchins, Invertebrates,
& Fish
Fish (Rockfish)
Eat: Invertebrates (Crabs) & Small
Fish
Small Fish (Opaleye)
Eat: Kelp
