The dynamics of ecosystems include two major processes:
{"Image DocumentName": "The dynamics of ecosystems include two major processes:", "Image ImageDescription": "the recycling of chemical nutrients from the atmosphere and soil through producers, consumers, and decomposers back to the air and soil and. the one-way flow of energy through an ecosystem, entering as sunlight and exiting as heat. Student Misconceptions and Concerns. \u2022 Many students enter our courses with a limited appreciation of the diversity of life. Ask any group of freshmen at the start of the semester to write down the first type of animal that comes to mind, and the most frequent response is a mammal. As the diversity of life is explored, the common heritage of biological organization can be less, and not more, apparent. The diverse forms, habits, and ecological interactions overwhelm our senses with striking distinctions. Emphasizing the diversity and the unifying aspects of life is necessary for a greater understanding of the rich evolutionary history of life on Earth. \u2022 We live in a world that is largely understood by what we can distinguish and identify with our naked senses. However, the diversity of life and the levels of biological organization extend well below the scale of our unaided perceptions. For many students, appreciating the diversity of the microscopic world is abstract, nearly on par with an understanding of the workings of atoms and molecules. The ability to examine the microscopic details of the world of our students (the surface of potato chips, the structure of table salt and sugar, the details of a blade of grass) can be an important sensory extension that prepares the mind for greater comprehension of these minute biological details. Teaching Tips. \u2022 Consider asking students to bring to class a page or two of some article about biology that appeared in the media in the last month. Alternatively, you might have each student post a recent biology-related news article on a course website. \u2022 The scientific organization Sigma Xi offers a free  summary of the major science news articles appearing each weekday in major U.S. news media. The first paragraph or so of each article is included in the  with a hyperlink to the rest of the article. The diverse topics are an excellent way to learn of general scientific announcements and reports in the national media. Typically, 5\u201310 articles are cited in each  . To sign up for this free service, go to  and sign up for the Sigma Xi Smart Brief. \u2022 Help the class think through the diverse interactions between an organism and its environment. In class, select an organism and have the class develop a list of environmental components that interact with the organism. Items in this list will likely fall into living and nonliving categories. \u2022 Perhaps you have seen and can find a photo of a glass-enclosed miniature ecosystem, likely containing some plants and shrimp. These are sometimes called a shrimp biosphere, Aqua-Biosphere, or Ecosphere. Present this system to your students and challenge them to explain the dynamics of energy and nutrients in this system. Such an analysis will reveal that energy flows through but nutrients cycle within this system. 25.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}