We're All In This Ecosystem Together

How do organisms interact with and respond to the environment and other organisms?


Project Scenario
You are a scientist and a member of a research team that studies populations of living things and the effects of human interaction.

Your group has been asked by a Congressional Committee to discover the key organism living in one ecosystem where human interaction is being questioned.

  • You will work in teams of three to study one ecosystem.
  • Your team will select three ecosystems you'd most like to research. You will be given you your final assignment by a representative of Congress.
  • You will research and collect data on the organisms living in this ecosystem and create a food web with 10-15 organisms from all trophic levels.
  • You will describe 2-3 abiotic factors for the ecosystem and their influence on the ecosystem.
  • You will identify an environmental factor that is having an impact on the ecosystem and describe its effect.
  • Your team will make a presentation to the Congressional Committee, sharing data on the key organism in your ecosystem and your recommendations on what humans would need to do to preserve the natural environment while still having their needs met.

The ecosystems under study by Congress are:

  • Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California
  • Saguaro National Park, Arizona
  • Cimarron National Grassland, Kansas
  • Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
  • Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, New Jersey & Pennsylvania
  • Everglades National Park, Florida
  • Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida
  • El Yunque Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico

You will find information on each ecosystem on the project CD and the textbook. See Teacher Tips.

Populations and Ecosystems. CD-ROM. Berkeley, CA: Delta Education, 2004.

Lawrence Hall of Science. Populations and Ecosystems; Images, Data, and Readings . Berkeley:, Delta Education, 2004.