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
Use this
Decision matrix (model data), scores 1 to 5, a higher score is better in every column. Weights: keeps wild plants living where they grow counts 3 times, keeps backup gene versions counts 2 times, low cost counts 1 time. Protected area, keeps wild plants living where they grow 5, keeps backup gene versions 2, low cost 2; Seed bank, keeps wild plants living where they grow 1, keeps backup gene versions 5, low cost 5; Wildlife corridor, keeps wild plants living where they grow 4, keeps backup gene versions 2, low cost 3.
Ren wants to protect wild plants growing in a valley. Which choice fits the table and that goal?
- Protected area: 21 points, the highest, and it keeps wild plants growing in place
- Wildlife corridor: its total of 19 is the highest because it joins patches
- Seed bank: it has two top scores of 5, more than any other row, so it wins
- Seed bank: scores of 5 for backups and low cost mean the valley habitat is no longer needed
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
- A larger protected area alone, because more land fixes the vine and the cut-off patch together
- A seed bank, which keeps the plants safe so neither patch needs any work on the land
- Invasive-species control for the vine, and a wildlife corridor between patch A and patch B
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
- Disagree: a simulation with model numbers cannot test a plan
- Agree: more beetles in patch B means the other drivers are handled too
- Agree: the corridor gave the highest count in patch B, so no other score matters
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?
- Disagree: the simulation includes cost and land, so it can rank the plans
- Agree: moving more beetles between patches means less greenhouse gas is added to the air
- Agree: the corridor reached the most patches, so no other score matters in the plan
- A corridor helps species move as ranges shift, while cutting greenhouse gases addresses the cause
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 1: the scores should run from 1 to 3, because 1 to 5 is too wide
- Line 4: the protected area total should be 11, because totals are plain sums
- Line 3: it adds the scores with no weights, but the weighted total is 22
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 4: line 2 says birds gained less, so the same 50% cannot be promised
- Line 1: 50% is too small to count as an effect, so the line overstates it
- Line 3: a corridor cannot help a beetle patch, since beetles are too small
- Line 2: a corridor helps the groups equally, so this line should go
Scientists list five main drivers: habitat loss, invasive species, overharvesting, pollution and climate change. Luz reads the card. Which claim goes with the right reason?
- Claim: no single solution answers all five drivers. Reason: each solution on the card addresses a different driver
- Claim: a protected area answers all five drivers. Reason: it keeps the land, and the land is where every driver acts
- Claim: cutting greenhouse gases is enough by itself. Reason: climate change is the main driver on the card
- Claim: the card has no solution for climate change. Reason: its rows list only habitat and species
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: a corridor is worth testing for a beetle patch. Reason: the review found about 50% more movement, less for birds
- Claim: corridors are the top plan for any valley. Reason: they raised movement by about 50% in the review
- 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: the review shows a corridor will fill patch B. Reason: 78 experiments were studied
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: the corridor is best. Reason: it has the highest weighted total, 18, among plans inside both limits
- Claim: reducing runoff is best. Reason: its plain sum, 11, is the highest
- Claim: the protected area is best. Reason: it has the highest weighted total, 19, and the top benefit score
- Claim: the seed bank is best. Reason: it costs the least, just 1 million dollars, in the table