Nutrient Cycling and Decomposers

Tuesday we played a game that models how nutrients cycle through an ecosystem. The nutrient cycle game has you model the path of an atom as it moves from one organism to another and in and out of the nonliving parts of the system. Draw cards to find out if you are eaten, eliminated or broken down by different organisms. We looked at how matter continues to be recycled and can move slowly or quickly depending on the circumstances. We went through the reading "Decay and Renewal" and added notes about the 10% rule, that says only ten percent of the energy consumed by an organism is available at the next trophic level. We looked at an identification sheet for Stream macroinvertebrates to give us a better sense of what sorts of decomposers live in a stream and to prepare us for our field trip next week. We will be going to the Johnston Mill site on New Hope Creek on Tuesday and Wednesday, during the block week schedule.
Check out this cool time lapse video of dermestid beetles (carrion beetles) eating a dead mouse and a dead sparrow: http://www.exploratorium.edu/traits/mouse.html