This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• define ecology, environment,  and ecosystem
• describe processes in and components of ecosystems
• demonstrate awareness of forests as complex ecosystems
• describe the roles that fungi, microbes, and lichens play in a forest ecosystem
• define structural diversity  and biological diversity
• assess the effects of natural and human forces on the forest
• describe a variety of food chains and food webs

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Forest Ecology in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• As a class, brainstorm components of a forest and then analyse the components to determine a definition of ecosystem.  Have students create a web chart showing the processes and relationships of the components in an ecosystem (e.g., weather, growth and decay, human activity, soil development).
• Challenge students to each select an element of a forest ecosystem (e.g., trees, bears, soil, fungi) and research its effects on the ecosystem, focussing on:
  • how it is maintained (e.g., nutrient cycling)
  • its ecological role
  • the effect of removing this element from the ecosystem
• Invite students to brainstorm the term biodiversity,  create categories for the ideas that emerge (e.g., structural and biological), and determine possible relationships between elements. Ask students to consider what effect these elements and relationships have on forest ecosystem health.
• Have students predict the effects on an ecosystem of a forest event (e.g., insect infestation, fire). Ask students how they could test their predictions.
• Invite students to list tree species and other forest organisms. Brainstorm possible relationships between the trees and these organisms (e.g., trees provide shelter for birds and animals that, in turn, aid in seeding). Then have each student represent (e.g., poster, model, computer program) one of the relationships. Presentations should address the question: What is the importance of this relationship to the forest ecosystem?
• Have students investigate a portion of the forest floor that contains humus and woody debris and note the quantity and variety of forest organisms. Provide opportunities for students to examine a sample of the forest floor under magnification.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• Throughout this area of learning, note the extent to which students use correct terminology as they write and talk about ecosystems and biodiversity in forests. Also note the extent to which they refer to both structural and biological diversity.
• Provide prompts for small-group discussions such as:
  • What would happen if all the wood-eating insects in a forest disappeared?
  • Describe the relationships between a tree and other organisms in a forest.
  Listen for evidence that students understand how organisms affect one another in an ecosystem.
• Have students create storyboards with written commentaries to demonstrate their understanding of forest succession. Check their work for:
  • accuracy of information
  • details on the sequence of growth
  • awareness of the time factor in forest succession
  • accurate use of terminology related to forests
• While visiting a forest, ask students to look for evidence of the effects of fungi and microbes in the forest ecosystem. In their field notes, invite students to record their observations and generate questions about the roles that fungi and microbes play in a forest ecosystem. (Note the extent to which their notes and questions demonstrate understanding of the role of these fungi and microbes in soil development.) As an extension, ask them what might happen if there were no fungi or microbes.
• As a class, develop criteria for assessing student presentations. Have small groups work together to videotape rehearsals of the presentations. After viewing each tape, ask the class to give feedback and suggestions for improvement based on the criteria.

• Ancient Rainforests at Risk
• Balancing Act: Environmental Issues in Forestry
• Forestopia: A Practical Guide to the New Forest Economy
• Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, British Columbia Edition
• Pacific Spirit: The Forest Reborn
• Plants of Coastal British Columbia
• Plants of Northern British Columbia
• Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia
• Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland
• Regenerating British Columbia's Forests
• Seeing the Forest Among the Trees
• Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in British Columbia & Washington
• Wildlife Trees of British Columbia
• Wildwood: A Forest for the Future, Second Edition

• The Boreal Forest I
• The Boreal Forest II
• The Dynamic Forest
• Forests for the Future
• The Last Stand: America's Ancient Forest
• Stepping Lightly
• Thinking Like a Forest: A Case for Sustainable Selective Forestry
• Vanishing Forests

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