NYS Life Science Investigation · HS-LS2-7 · Session 2

For the Birds
Assessment

Student Answer Packet 2 — completed individually. You may use the Student Directions and Answer Packet 1 to help you answer some of these questions. Answer in complete sentences.

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Self-assessment score: 0 / 26 2 points per question · you score yourself with each checklist

Question 1 — Modeling

1.Why is it useful to first construct models and perform simulations when devising real-world solutions to bird-window collisions?

Question 2 — Scaling up

The proposed solution was designed for a simulated window with an area of approximately 500 cm². A typical household window has an area of about 8000 cm². Answer the following to evaluate how the proposed solutions could be implemented in a real-world setting.

2a.Explain why the proposed solutions may not be as effective at reducing bird mortality on a larger-scale window.

2b.Which additional refinements would be needed to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed solutions at reducing bird mortality on a larger scale?

2c.Explain the trade-offs that should be considered when implementing this new design.

2d.Why is it important for scientists and engineers to consider the possible effects of different scales when they evaluate and refine solutions as they work through problems?

Question 3 — Ecosystem stability

3.Birds are an integral part of a larger ecosystem. Explain how the stability of the ecosystem could be affected if the issue of bird-window collisions was not addressed.

Question 4 — Biodiversity change

Human actions or natural events may result in changes to an ecosystem's biodiversity.

4a.Identify a specific human action or natural change to an ecosystem and explain how it could result in increased biodiversity.

4b.Identify a specific human action or natural change to an ecosystem and explain how it could result in decreased biodiversity.

Question 5 — Karner blue butterfly

The Karner blue butterfly is an endangered species affected by human activities that contribute to the loss of its habitat. It lives in the Albany Pine Bush, where it depends on wild blue lupine, a native flowering plant, as its food source. Blue lupine produce large amounts of seeds in sunny conditions.

Environmental agencies have used mowing and controlled burns (intentional fires) to manage overgrowth of woody vegetation, which outcompetes other plant species in the pine bush. The controlled burns increase the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. A total of 1156 acres in the Albany Pine Bush Conservation area was burned from 1991–2009. Conservation efforts increased after that, with a total of 2251 acres burned between 2010 and 2022.

Effectiveness can be measured by the butterflies' brood sizes (number of hatchlings) within the surveyed land. Karner blue butterflies have two broods per year.

Population of Karner Blue Butterflies at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve (brood sizes and survey area by year)

5a.Controlled burns disrupt the ecosystem within the Albany Pine Bush. Explain how this disruption results in an expansion of the Karner blue butterfly population.

5b.Because Karner blue butterflies do not migrate, a claim was made that the amount of snowfall impacts the brood size. Use the data provided to support or refute the claim.

5c.Does the data provide enough information to conclusively determine if the relationship between the acres burned and the brood size of the butterfly is causal or correlational? Support your answer with evidence.

5d.Why would the distinction between causal and correlational relationships be important for a scientist to know when they are designing a more effective solution?

Question 6 — Argument

6.Construct an argument for why maintaining biodiversity is important to both humanity and ecosystem function.

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