Transcript dung beetle pop game

 Continuous Change!
Click here to play
video
Yesterday we talked about what
can cause the population of Oak
Ridge to change. We mentioned:
births, deaths
People moving in/out
Can be a maximum limit on how
many people can live here
 Now let us put some specific
words to these causes.
Look at your foldable.
POPULATIONS
 Defined: a group of the same
species living in the same area.
Birth Rate
 Defined: the number born to a
species over a period of time.
Example – in Oak Ridge we had
260 births in 2004.
Death Rate
 Defined: the number that die
over a period of time.
Example – in Oak Ridge we had
324 deaths in 2004.
Immigration
 Defined: when an individual
moves into a population
permanently.
Emigration
 Defined: when an individual
permanently leaves or exits a
population.
Carrying Capacity
 Defined: the maximum number
of a species that an ecosystem
can support.
(e.g.) only so many squirrels can
live in one tree.
Limiting Factors
 Defined: anything that restricts
the number in a population.
Examples – food, water, living
space, shelter
This is all part of population
We will play a game using populations of dung
beetles as an example.
Let’s get some background information about
dung
beetles.
Dung Beetles
Size: From 0.08” to 2.5”.
 Colors: black, metallic
blue, metallic green,
metallic copper

 Scavengers
Classification
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Arthropoda
 Class: Insecta
 Order: Coleoptera (beetles)
Family :Scarabaeidae
(scarabs)
Pooper Scoopers
 What do dung beetles do?
 They eat dung!
 They live around dung!
 They lay their eggs in dung!
 They roll dung!
 All they want is to have some
DUNG!
Plusiotis chrysargyrea,
metallic leaf chafer,
Costa Rica
Plusiotis chrysopedila,
metallic leaf chafer,
Panama
The beetle molds the dung
into a ball and then, using its
hind legs to push while its
forelegs are braced against
the ground, rolls the dung
away and buries it.
Throughout the summer the
beetle will continue to mold,
roll, bury and eat its food
Ball Rollers
B
Importance in the
environment
 Reduce the amount of dung
 Reduce the smell of dung
 Reduce the amount of
insects that breed in dung
 Help recycle soil nutrients
 Draw the chart in your spiral.
Year
# of beetles
1
2
3
4
5
Write down your playing
6
card # and suit
7
Each group will receive a bag of dung beetle
cards.
Spread out the dung beetle cards face down.
 Turn over some of the cards as instructed.
This represents your beginning population for
year one.
Listen for what happens to your population
during
the year.
Turn cards face up or down to represent the
number in your beetle population.
At the end of each year write in your chart the
current population number.
Keep careful notes. At the end of year seven
you will be graphing the results and
answering follow-up questions.