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Dynamic Ecosystem Changes Worksheet

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Dynamic Ecosystem Changes Worksheet

A city bus route passes an urban stream. Use the field notes and data below to investigate how changes affect this ecosystem. Answer every question; for written questions, explain your reasoning.

Field notes: Stream 12

Levi, Talia and Sione are monitoring a stream near a city bus route. In late summer, a long dry spell lowers the water level and warms the remaining pools. Some small fish die, while algae grows quickly in the warm, slow water. After heavy rain, water rushes from the road drains into the stream, carrying litter and soil. The team helps remove rubbish, plants native streamside shrubs, and reports a leaking fuel container near a drain. Over time, the plants shade the water, their roots hold the banks together, and insects and fish begin to return. The stream is still affected by nearby roads, so monitoring continues.

1.From the field notes, name one biotic (living) factor and one abiotic (non-living) factor that changed in the stream ecosystem.

2.Which event most directly caused the stream pools to become warmer and smaller?

A long dry spell lowered the water level.
Native shrubs shaded the stream.
The team removed rubbish.
Insects returned to the stream.

3.The warm, slow water is followed by rapid algae growth and fish deaths. Explain one possible link between these changes.

4.The team recorded the number of fish seen in the same stream section during each check. What pattern does the data show, and what is one sensible caution when interpreting it?

Month

Fish observed

January

February

April

June

5.Match each term to the best description.

Producer
Consumer
Decomposer

An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms
An organism that makes its own food, such as algae
An organism that breaks down dead material

6.The native shrubs can affect both living things and non-living conditions in the stream ecosystem.

TrueFalse

7.After heavy rain, how could litter and soil from the road reach the stream, and name one possible effect on stream life.

8.A leaking fuel container is found near a stormwater drain. What is the best immediate response?

Wash the fuel into the drain with a hose.
Report it to the appropriate council or site authority and keep people away from the spill.
Wait until the next monitoring visit.
Cover the drain with leaves and walk away.

9.If streamside plants become established, predict one change to the abiotic environment and one possible benefit for organisms. Explain the connection.

10.Suggest one measurement the team could repeat each month to test whether the stream is recovering. State what result would support your prediction.