How do population shifts affect the ecosystem?

1

How do shifts in populations affect the ecosystem?

​

​

2

As a field scientist, you have compiled data that indicates the population of buffalo and wildebeests have changed over the period of time. The Serengeti National Park is well-known for its populations of wild animals, but you also notice that something else has changed, the landscape? Today, we will investigate this in our Daily Do.

What do you notice about the landscape?

3

What do you notice about the landscape?

4

What do you notice about the landscape?

Write down your observations from the picture. What patterns in the data do you notice.

​

5

Common Questions:

Compare your questions to what other students have asked.

Were they similar?

• Is the area getting more rain?
• What animals live there?
• Is there a change in animal population?
• Could there be a change the soil, because of all the poop from animals?
• Do animals not eat those kind of plants?
• Can people go there or not?
• Is there a predator that keeps some animals away?

​

​

​

6

Common Questions:

Guide students to focus on this question

• Is the area getting more rain?
• What animals live there?
• Is there a change in animal population?
• Could there be a change the soil, because of all the poop from animals?
• Do animals not eat those kind of plants?
• Can people go there or not?
• Is there a predator that keeps some animals away?

​

​

​

​

7

What patterns to you notice about the buffalo and wildebeest?

8

What patterns to you notice about the wildebeest after 1975?

9

How can fires affect the landscape?

10

Grazing patterns for buffalo and wildebeest

11

Wildebeest and fire comparison data

12

We figured out….

13

​

To answer our phenomena question How do shifts in populations affect the ecosystem?:

​

• More grass is eaten due to the increase in both the buffalo and wildebeest populations
• Since wildebeest migrate they consume grass in many different areas of the Savannah.
• Since there is less grass there are less fires
• Since there are less fires more trees and other vegetation are able to grow.
• This new vegetation growth is what we are seeing in those pictures from the beginning of the lesson.

​

​

Optional Video Extension:

14

Optional Video Extension:

15

16