For the Unit 1 Individual Project, please be sure you answer all of the questions about the ecosystem you have chosen, include the abiotic and biotic factors and the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
You are welcome to divide your report by question if that helps you stay organized. Use the grading rubric (om the assignment page) as an outline to be sure you cover all parts.
Sometimes it is fun to use games to learn.
Here is a website designed for kids where you are asked to identify all of the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem. I hope you will try it out as it can help you recognize the different factors in an ecosystem:
Kroening, H. (2001). Analyzing an Ecosystem
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/uploads/alberta/Ecosystem.swf
Like many of you, I am a visual learner. I enjoy animations very much. Here is a good one of the carbon cycle:
Cain, M.L., Damman, H., Lue, R. A. (2006). Discover Biology: The Carbon Cycle. Retrieved from:
http://nortonbooks.com/college/biology/animations/ch38a03.htm
Our eBook discusses disturbances in a number of different biomes, so start there for the question on disturbances to an ecosystem. It also covers human input in recovery an ecosystem. Ecosystems are resilient and if left alone will recover on their own. This is a long, slow process called secondary succession. For a review or succession visit this site:
Molles, M.C. and Cahill, J.F. ( 2008.) Ecology: Concepts and Applications. Retrieved from: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007096341x/student_view0/chapter18/
The final question asks you to consider sustainability of ecosystems.
Sustainability is the ability of a system or process to continue running without depleting the resources or materials it needs. The key words here are “without depleting.” A process may use resources, but these are replaced or replenished.
