Terrestrial Ecosystems 3

Recognize the need for intact habitat to support animal populations and biodiversity.

## Indicators

**a. Justify the need for habitat protection and restoration in terms of biodiversity (e.g., genetic diversity, species diversity and habitat diversity) and resilience within ecosystems both locally and globally.**

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/biodiversity-and-ecosystem-stability-17059965/ This website explains how biodiversity affects ecosystems stability and its fucntioning. It shows the studies that prove thet there is stability/biodiversity relationship. This websight descibes what is species diversity and explains Diversity-Stability Theory - AZ

**b. Describe First Nations and Métis people’s contributions in recognizing the effects of natural and human-caused changes to habitat on historical migration patterns of animals in Saskatchewan.**

**c. Examine how decisions related to habitat management and protection are influenced by the extent to which Indigenous land rights (e.g., custodians of the land versus individual land ownership) are reflected through the spirit and intent of various treaties.**

**d. Explain the roles of individuals, governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Ducks Unlimited and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and legislation such as the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in protecting and maintaining habitats and biodiversity.**

**e. Relate an organism’s specific adaptations and behaviour to its niche in an ecosystem.**

https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep1.htm- This site shows All organisms have adaptations that help them survive and thrive.-WDP

**f. Correlate the range and habitat of various animals with Saskatchewan’s ecozones and ecoregions and identify changes to an animal’s range and habitat due to human activities such as agriculture, mining, oil and gas development, forestry, urbanization and recreation.** https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep16b.htm

this website describes the human affects on animals. This website tells you everything you need to know and it says that even just a touch of a human can impact the animals life. There are huge impacts on animals to this day because of human activities such as, polluting the air with gas powered vehicles, factories, etc. ZB

**g. Discuss the implications of the competitive exclusion principle with respect to animals and plants in an ecosystem, including the introduction of invasive species and the potential for shifting ecozones due to climate change.**

**h. Evaluate the importance of a keystone species in a specific terrestrial ecosystem.**

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/role-keystone-species-ecosystem/- this site shows the important of the keystone and all the species of the ecosystem- WDP

https://eartheclipse.com/ecosystem/keystone-species-importance-examples.html - This website discusses what keystone species are and why they are important for their environment. Some reasons keystone species are important include being an integral part of their ecosystem, having crucial roles in maintaining specific habitats, they can affect other organisms, and they help in maintaining a type and number of species in an ecosystem. An example of a keystone species is sharks. Sharks are a keystone species in marine ecosystems. They are predators and live on fish, so the chances of getting disease-affected while preying on the fish is very low. There is also limited amounts of seaweed and marine food reserves, which makes it difficult for all the species to survive, which is why sharks are important in these ecosystems. Other examples of keystone species are sea otters, African elephants, prairie dogs, deer, starfish, and grizzly bears. - KTMP

https://cpaws-sask.org/the-glue-that-holds-an-ecosystem-together-keystone-species/ - This link provides you with what a keystone species is and why they are essential. A keystone Species holds critical importance in an ecosystem either as prey or predator. If a keystone species were removed from its habitat, the ecosystem would significantly change or fall. This website also discusses the keystone species of Saskatchewan and their importance. - RL

**i. Assess current or potential impacts of a changing climate on a specific representative animal and its habitat.**

https://www.gvicanada.ca/blog/6-animal-species-and-how-they-are-affected-by-climate-change/-this link includes the way six animals, cheetahs, giant panda bears, green turtles, Asian elephants, polar bears and adelie penguins, are affected by climate change.-EB

**j. Provide examples of projects undertaken to restore damaged or destroyed habitats.**

https://www.ser-rrc.org/project-database/ - This site allows for the opportunity to search for a variety of habitat restoration projects worldwide. It provides information about the location focus of the restoration and a brief description of why and how they go about reaching their goal. This site also provides the goals of the different projects. It is a site open to the general public and it helps raise awareness about the various issues in the world. SR

https://www.britannica.com/science/ecological-restoration - This website provides you with the definition of ecological restoration, the concepts of restoring ecosystems, the steps taken to restore an ecosystem, examples of ecological restoration projects, and the ongoing issues and debates about the appropriate goals and timelines. I chose this website because it provides you with all the information you need to know about the restoration process of an ecosystem. It provides you with pictures of the project's development in about four pictures for a visual of its progress. -TC