Activity 1:What Do You Think?
• Costa Rica provides a habitat for over 500,000 species, including more than
800 species of ferns, 10,000 kinds of flowering plants, 850 bird species,
3000 butterfly species, and 209 species of mammals.
Scientists estimate that more than 10 million different species inhabit the Earth. Some suggest that the number may be as high as 100 million. Yet, of the number of species that are estimated to exist, only about 1.75 million have been discovered and named.
• Costa Rica is in a tropical location, and therefore contains many more species than a country in a temperate or cold zone. It is a strip of land, relatively young
in geological terms, that connects North and South America. As such, it provided a pathway for interchange between North and South America. Also, it has a varied topography of mountains, valleys, and lowlands, resulting in many microclimates, supporting diverse ecosystems.
Student Conceptions
It is doubtful that students will comprehend the incredible diversity of life on Earth. It is doubtful that many of us can! You may wish to begin by having each student contribute the name of one or two different species of organisms to form a class list. Encourage them to take into account all life forms including fungi and microbial organisms in addition to plants and animals.
Although students generally understand that ecology is the study of relationships,
they often limit the relationships to those among living organisms. Encourage the students to realize that abiotic factors play a significant role in an ecosystem.
|