HS-LS2-6

Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

More Stories in HS-LS2-6

  1. Animals

    Some Greenland polar bears are surviving with very little sea ice

    The ‘glacial mélange’ on which they’ve come to rely — a mix of ice, snow and slush — could be a temporary refuge for some polar bears.

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  2. Life

    Explainer: What is an endangered species?

    Threats such as climate change and habitat loss can put species at risk of going extinct. Different words describe that risk.

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  3. Life

    In blazing heat, some plants open leaf pores — and risk death

    When heat waves and droughts collide, water is precious. Some thirsty plants try to cool off by opening tiny pores — only to lose water even faster.

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  4. Life

    Explainer: What is an invasive species?

    These foreign organisms hitchhike, spread widely and stir up trouble in native ecosystems.

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  5. Animals

    Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems

    Restoring the missing species can help undo human-caused problems by aiding forests, slowing climate change and reducing wildfires.

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  6. Environment

    Cheatgrass thrives on the well-lit urban night scene

    Middle-grade campers team up with ecologists at Denver University to show that streetlights boost the growth of a reviled invasive species.

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  7. Life

    Some pikas survive winter by eating yak poop

    Pikas endure bone-chilling cold on the Tibetan Plateau by using little energy and fueling up on yak poop.

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  8. Animals

    Spiders can take down and feast on surprisingly big snakes

    Snared in sticky webs and subdued by poison, even venomous snakes can become a spider’s soup.

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  9. Animals

    Urchin mobs can literally dis-arm a predator

    Urchins are important herbivores — but not strict vegetarians. When hungry enough, they may even rip apart their predators for lunch.

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