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Human population growth, globalization, and industrialization are having profound impacts on the long term health and stability of ecosystems, permanently altering the products of billions of years of evolutionary history on planet Earth. In this unit, students create plans to address the population decline of endangered species, gaining a greater understanding of how humans have altered ecosystems and what actions may be taken (including the use of biotechnology) to preserve biodiversity. Students create models and utilize simulations to gain a deeper understanding of large scale geological and biological processes.

How does the invasion of zebra mussels in the Hudson River affect one biotic or abiotic factor in the river ecosystem? To answer this question, students write a scientific explanation using evidence from texts, videos, and secondary data sources, along with sound scientific reasoning and logic, in order to support their claim.

New species may be introduced into ecosystems by accident or for a specific purpose. Some of these introduced species will become invasive, others cause little disruption or fail to establish themselves. Due to increased competition or predation some invasive species may have devastating effects on ecosystems. In this instructional sequence, students explore a data set in order investigate the impacts of the introduction of the zebra mussel on the Hudson River.

In stable ecosystems, populations are often in a state of dynamic equilibrium; following cycles of increasing and decreasing based on feeding relationships and resource availability. In this sequence, students explore how predator-prey and symbiotic relationships highlight the interdependence of living things and between living things and their environment.