Ecology Unit Final Project
In this project, you will use ideas and modeling skills that you’ve learned through your exploration of Tucker Prairie to make sense of the likely impacts of climate change on an organism from another part of the world. Select an organism that is being affected by (or likely will be affected by) climate change. We recommend that you select one of the nine organisms featured below. For each organism listed below, we provide several websites that you may use for your research. You may look for information from other sources; make sure you keep track of where you find your information and the quality and credibility of your sources.
1. Monarch Butterfly
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/index.shtml
http://monarchwatch.org/biology/index.htm
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/index.html
http://www3.cec.org/islandora/en/item/2350-north-american-monarch-conservation-plan-en.pdf
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/monarch-butterfly/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly
2. Mountain Pine Beetle & Pine trees
http://www.climate.org/topics/ecosystems/beetle-battle.html
http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/mtn_pine_beetle_background.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/docs/bark-beetle/faq.pdf
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/docs/v-g/dpp-mpb/sec2/dpp-mpb2c.aspx
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/docs/v-g/dpp-mpb/sec2.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle
3. Blue Crabs
http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/blue-crab
https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/documents/Callinectes_sapidus.pdf
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1651/09-3241.1
http://www.vims.edu/research/topics/blue_crabs/index.php
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/blue_crab
http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/callin_sapidu.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callinectes_sapidus
4. Burrowing Owl
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/lifehistory/ac
http://people.oregonstate.edu/~rosenbed/articles/Brochure.pdf
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/wildlife/programs/legacy/pdfs/assessments/BurrowingOwl11202013.pdf
http://climate.audubon.org/birds/burowl/burrowing-owl
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2014%20SotB_FINAL_low-res.pdf
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2010/pdf_files/State%20of%20the%20Birds_FINAL.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_owl
5. Greater Sage Grouse
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Sage-Grouse/lifehistory
http://www.fws.gov/greatersagegrouse/
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/issues/greater-sage-grouse
http://climate.audubon.org/birds/saggro/greater-sage-grouse
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2014%20SotB_FINAL_low-res.pdf
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2010/pdf_files/State%20of%20the%20Birds_FINAL.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_sage-grouse
6. Wheat Stripe Rust (A fungal disease that affects plants)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9918
https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/wheat-stripe-rust08.pdf
https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/13081
http://www.k-state.edu/pdecology/GarrettNita2009.pdf (The most relevant parts of this article can be found on pp.425-429 pp. 434-435.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_yellow_rust
7. Harp Seal
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/harpseal.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/harp-seal/
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41671/0
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-life-harder-baby-harp-seals/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp_seal
8. Loggerhead Sea Turtle
http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/loggerhead-sea-turtle.htm
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/loggerhead.htm
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=climate_change
http://seaturtlestatus.org/sites/swot/files/report/033111_SWOT6_p12-13_Climate%20Change.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggerhead_sea_turtle
9. Coral Reef Impacts
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34473371
https://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/marine/marine_our_work/gmpp_coral_reefs/
http://www.defenders.org/coral-reef/basic-facts
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef
10. MU professor, Dr. Candice Galen’s Bumblebee research
Source Document:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6255/1541.full
Summary Versions:
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/44110/title/Bumblebee-Tongues-Growing-Shorter/
http://www.nature.com/news/bee-tongues-tell-a-tale-of-climate-change-1.18430
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150925093233.htm
http://www.babwnews.com/2015/09/how-bees-are-saving-themselves-from-climate-change/
http://conservationmagazine.org/2015/09/climate-change-is-shortening-bumblebee-tongues/