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Building Ecological Pyramids

Image of an animal drinking from a watering hole

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Communities
  • Ecosystems
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Data Analysis

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
27 Users
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Description

In this activity, students use the website WildCam Gorongosa to gather and analyze data from trail camera photos in Gorongosa National Park. Students use this data to predict, plan, and build a biomass pyramid for species in the park.

First, students visit WildCam Gorongosa to learn about the animals in the park and predict which animals belong to different trophic levels. Students then visit WildCam Gorongosa Lab, a part of WildCam Gorongosa where they can view, filter, and download trail camera data. Students use these data to build a biomass pyramid for a specific vegetation type (habitat) in the park. This activity encourages students to make connections between species, trophic levels, and vegetation types and to assess the stability of ecological communities within an ecosystem. Students also interpret and construct explanations, develop and use models, organize and analyze scientific data, and perform calculations using a spreadsheet program.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • ​​​​​​Make predictions about the biomass relationships between trophic levels in an ecosystem.
  • Analyze quantitative data to create a biomass pyramid.
  • Describe the relationships between trophic levels and between ecosystems based on the shape of a biomass pyramid.
  • Formulate hypotheses and make observations about the stability of ecosystems based on the biomass relationship between trophic levels.

Estimated Time

Two to three 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

biomass, consumer, ecological pyramid, ecosystem, floodplain, grassland, intensity of use, limestone gorge, producer, savanna, species abundance, stability, trophic level, woodland

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 03.14.16
Date Updated 01.18.22

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-6; SEP1, SEP2, SEP3, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-1.H, ENE-1.M, ENE-1.N, ENE-1.O; SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

4.1, 4.2, C.1, C.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 1.9, 1.10, 1.11
Learning Objectives & Practices: EIN-2.I, ENG-1.C, ENG-1.D, SP1, SP2, SP5, SP6

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.3, ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.RST.9–12.9
Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-IC.4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC4, CC5; DP1, DP2, DP3

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Guide (PDF) 287 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 418 KB
Excel Tutorial (XLS) 1 MB

Additional Materials

Excel (spreadsheet tutorial provided)

Use This Resource With

Interactive Media Resource
WildCam Gorongosa

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