Unit 2 - Population Survival & Strategy CER

Population Survival & Strategy CER

Goal: Use what you have learned about ecology and population characteristics to explain the survival patterns of a species you graphed.

Prompt

Based on your Unit 2 notes (pages 1-6) and the data from your "Graphing Survivorship Curves" packet, choose one species from your graphs (Human, Northern Cardinal, or Housefly). Write a CER response to answer the following: How do the biotic and abiotic factors of a habitat, combined with population characteristics, influence the survivorship curve of your chosen species?

Prompt

Based on your Unit 2 notes (pages 1-6) and the data from your "Graphing Survivorship Curves" packet, choose one species from your graphs (Human, Northern Cardinal, or Housefly). Write a CER response to answer the following: How do the biotic and abiotic factors of a habitat, combined with population characteristics, influence the survivorship curve of your chosen species?

Paragraph Outline (3-5 Paragraphs Required)

• Paragraph 1: The Claim. Introduce your chosen species. State which type of survivorship curve it follows and identify the main factors that determine this pattern.
• Paragraph 2: The Evidence. Provide specific data points from your graphing activity. Compare the number of survivors at birth/early life versus old age. Mention the "mortality" or "natality" observations from your data.
• Paragraph 3: The Reasoning. Connect your evidence to ecological concepts. Explain how the species' habitat (biotic/abiotic factors) and its population traits (like density or parental care) result in that specific curve.
• (Optional Paragraph 4/5): Compare your species to one of the other types you graphed to highlight the differences in survival strategies.

Required Vocabulary

You must use and underline at least eight (8) of the following terms in your writing:

• Biotic factors
• Abiotic factors
• Population density
• Population distribution
• Age structure
• Mortality
• Natality
• Type I / II / III Curve
• Resources
• Ecosystem