Compare ways to protect biodiversity and choose the best
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Five plans with limits of 8 million dollars and 60 hectares (model data)
plan benefit (×3) low cost (×2) few side effects (×1) cost (million dollars) land (hectares) Protected area 5 2 4 10 150 Wildlife corridor 4 3 4 6 40 Invasive-species control 3 4 3 3 20 Seed bank 2 5 5 1 2 Reducing runoff 3 3 5 5 35 limit (at most) no limit no limit no limit 8 60 Pia must pick the plan with the highest weighted total among the plans that meet both limits. Which plan is it?
- Seed bank: it costs the least, 1 million dollars, and takes the least land
- Reducing runoff: it has 20 points and a top score of 5 for few side effects
- Protected area: 23 points is the highest weighted total in the table
- Wildlife corridor: 22 points, the highest total that fits both limits
Two problems in a model valley (model data)
problem what the model shows an invasive vine spreads in patch A cover grows from 5% to 12% in 4 years patch B is cut off from patch A 0 beetles cross between the patches in a year Tala reads the two problems. Which pair of solutions fits them best?
- Two wildlife corridors, since a corridor also removes an invasive vine from a patch
- Invasive-species control for the vine, and a wildlife corridor between patch A and patch B
- A seed bank, which keeps the plants safe so neither patch needs any work on the land
- A larger protected area alone, because more land fixes the vine and the cut-off patch together
A songbird simulation and the corridor data (model data)
item value extra movement used in the simulation (percent) 50 songbirds in the data (percent) 12 flowering plants in the data (percent) 48 ground beetles in the data (percent) 62 Esme simulates a corridor for a songbird species using 50% extra movement. Which revision is best?
- Remove the corridor, since songbirds can fly and gain no movement
- Keep 50%, since a corridor helps the groups equally
- Use a smaller value for songbirds, such as 12%, and run it again
- Use 62%
What a corridor simulation includes and leaves out (model data)
part of the plan in the simulation? beetle counts in patch B each generation yes beetles arriving from patch A yes cost of building the corridor no land and time the corridor needs no Jun says the simulation proves the corridor is the best plan. What is the best reply?
- It tests only beetle counts, so costs and limits still need weighing
- Agree: the corridor gave the highest count in patch B, so no other score matters
- Disagree: a simulation with model numbers cannot test a plan
- Agree: more beetles in patch B means the other drivers are handled too
What a range-shift simulation includes and leaves out (model data)
part of the plan in the simulation? beetles moving between patches as the cool band moves uphill yes the greenhouse gases people add to the air no cost of building the corridor no land and time the corridor needs no Kira says the simulation shows the corridor deals with the cause of climate change. What is the best reply?
- Agree: moving more beetles between patches means less greenhouse gas is added to the air
- Disagree: the simulation includes cost and land, so it can rank the plans
- A corridor helps species move as ranges shift, while cutting greenhouse gases addresses the cause
- Agree: the corridor reached the most patches, so no other score matters in the plan
Notebook
Notes on weighted totals (classmate's notebook), 4 lines. Columns: line, entry. Line 1: I scored plans from 1 to 5 on benefit, low cost and few side effects. Line 2: The weights are benefit 3, low cost 2 and few side effects 1. Line 3: The wildlife corridor scored 4, 3 and 4, so its total is 4 + 3 + 4 = 11. Line 4: The protected area scored 5, 2 and 4, so its weighted total is 23.
Milo reads a classmate's notebook about weighted totals. Which line has the mistake?
- Line 2: the weights must be equal, or the totals are unfair to the plans
- Line 3: it adds the scores with no weights, but the weighted total is 22
- Line 4: the protected area total should be 11, because totals are plain sums
- Line 1: the scores should run from 1 to 3, because 1 to 5 is too wide
Notebook
Notes on choosing a plan (classmate's notebook), 4 lines. Columns: line, entry. Line 1: The limits are a budget of at most 8 million dollars and at most 50 hectares of land. Line 2: The weighted totals are protected area 23, corridor 22 and reducing runoff 20. Line 3: The protected area costs 10 million dollars and needs 120 hectares. Line 4: The protected area has the highest total, so it is the best choice.
Bo reads a classmate's notebook about choosing a plan. Which line has the mistake?
- Line 1: the limits should be weighed like goals, not used as cut-offs
- Line 2: the corridor total should be higher than the protected area total
- Line 4: the protected area breaks both limits, so it cannot be chosen
- Line 3: cost and land do not matter once the totals are known
Notebook
Notes on corridors (classmate's notebook), 4 lines. Columns: line, entry. Line 1: A review of 78 experiments found corridors raised movement between patches by about 50%. Line 2: It found corridors mattered more for beetles and plants than for birds. Line 3: So a corridor is worth considering for a patch of beetles. Line 4: So a corridor will raise songbird movement by 50%, the same as for beetles.
Zee reads a classmate's notebook about corridors. Which line has the mistake?
- Line 1: 50% is too small to count as an effect, so the line overstates it
- Line 4: line 2 says birds gained less, so the same 50% cannot be promised
- Line 2: a corridor helps the groups equally, so this line should go
- Line 3: a corridor cannot help a beetle patch, since beetles are too small
A review of corridor experiments (sourced facts)
fact value experiments reviewed 78 studies they came from 35 movement between patches with a corridor (percent more) 50 group that gained less birds Ari reads the review. Which claim goes with the right reason?
- Claim: the review shows a corridor will fill patch B. Reason: 78 experiments were studied
- Claim: a corridor will help a songbird patch the same amount as a beetle patch. Reason: the review found one 50% gain for the groups
- Claim: corridors are the top plan for any valley. Reason: they raised movement by about 50% in the review
- Claim: a corridor is worth testing for a beetle patch. Reason: the review found about 50% more movement, less for birds
Five plans with limits of 6 million dollars and 60 hectares (model data)
plan benefit (×3) low cost (×1) few side effects (×1) cost (million dollars) land (hectares) Protected area 5 1 3 12 90 Wildlife corridor 4 3 3 5 30 Invasive-species control 2 4 4 3 10 Seed bank 1 5 4 1 2 Reducing runoff 3 3 5 5 40 limit (at most) no limit no limit no limit 6 60 Noah must name the best plan under the weights and limits. Which claim goes with the right reason?
- Claim: reducing runoff is best. Reason: its plain sum, 11, is the highest
- Claim: the corridor is best. Reason: it has the highest weighted total, 18, among plans inside both limits
- Claim: the seed bank is best. Reason: it costs the least, just 1 million dollars, in the table
- Claim: the protected area is best. Reason: it has the highest weighted total, 19, and the top benefit score