Ecosystems

Monarch on clover

An ecosystem consists of all the living and nonliving things in an area, connected as a dynamic and complex whole. Think about the types of plants that grow in calcium-rich soils on a shady slope or insects that we find living on the bottom of a slow moving stream. An ecosystem can be as vast as an ocean or as small as an isolated vernal pool. Studying an ecosystem means looking at how energy flows and matter recycles in the system.

For living things to survive, the environment in which they live, their habitat, needs to provide food, water, protection from enemies and weather, and places to raise young. Each species has its own particular needs and can live in some places but not in others.

We'll compare a variety of different ecosystems, consider the interactions we observe, and examine the animals and plants inhabiting each as we explore the out of doors. Throughout the year, students will examine the characteristics of organisms and consider the interconnections among living and non-living systems in the Earth's environments.

 

Vermont The Living World standard 7.13
New Hampshire's Life Science Standards LS1, LS 2, LS3

Description of the Units in this Concept

Student certificates

Materials to Gather Ahead

Ecosystems - Children's bibliography

 

Ecosystems - Adults' bibliography

 

Descriptions of Topics

Fields and Lawns

Imagine the mid-summer sun beating down on an open field, grasshoppers jumping in the grass, birds flying low to catch dinner. The plants and animals that live and grow in fields and lawns are fun to study because they are relatively easy to find and observe. Here we can feel the sun adding energy to this ecosystem, observe a variety of plant-eating insects, and perhaps watch some animal eat one of those insects - a real life look at food chains. We'll learn what an ecosystem is, how the parts relate, and best of all, we'll take a minute to quietly sit and become part of this busy buzzy world.

Forest Birds

More than just a collection of trees, a forest ecosystem is a complex interaction of sunlight and shadow, rain and wind, growth, death and decomposition. We'll look at how forests grow and change over time in an ongoing process that recycles important nutrients back into the system. What animals live in a forest? What do they eat and who eats them? We'll look at lots of different plants and see what signs we can find of animal life while we explore the cool, damp, sun-dappled nature of a forest.

Leaf Litter

Under the deep forest canopy, the forest floor hosts a wide variety of plants and animals that together form a complex food web and an efficient recycling system. Think about how deep the pile of leaves in a forest would be if it weren't for the important work of the decomposers. These busy organisms recycle nutrients, putting these back into the system for other living things to use to grow and thrive. We'll lie down and smell the leaf litter, look for decaying leaves, fungi, and insects, and imagine what it would be like to spend our lives on the forest floor.

Standing Snags and Lying Logs

The death of a tree opens up a whole new set of interactions in a forest. The standing snag serves as a home for a variety of fungi, lichen, insects, and other animals - birds nest in the branches, raccoons den in the rotting trunk. Once the snag topples over, the process of decomposition speeds up. A rotting log serves as a habitat for a parade of plants and animals, which change according to the log's stage of decomposition.

Dormant or Active

Winter is a challenging time for animals - food may be hidden under snow, water may be frozen, shelter from the cold may be difficult to find. How does a limited supply of these important resources effect the living things in that environment? Animals cope with these demands in a variety of ways. We'll learn some winter-time strategies of a variety of animals so we know what animal signs we might encounter when we head outside.

turkey tracks in snow

Keeping Warm

Some animals spend the cold winter months tucked safely under an insulating blanket of snow. How can snowflakes keep critters warm? What do these animals do in years with little or no snow? We'll look at a variety of different mammals that stay active all winter and their characteristics. And we'll find out where animals in our area may be taking shelter from the cold.

 

Deer through seasons

White-tailed deer have different requirements for food, water, and shelter through the year. When we study one animal's needs in the changing seasons, we can see the link between habitat and survival. The health of a deer and of a deer population reflects the health of the ecosystem in which they live. Finding sign of deer - tracks, browse, rubbings - may be the only way we know that this elusive creature lives in our neighborhood.

Waste Not

Modern humans produce tons of garbage. We can impact a variety of habitats with our decisions as consumers and disposers. In this unit we'll take a look at the amount of trash we produce on a daily basis and learn some alternative ways to throw the stuff "away."

Stream Life

Water in a stream falls and turns over and bubbles and flows smoothly, creating different conditions and homes for a variety of organisms. Stream life must be adapted to live in an everchanging environment. Our stream study will include plenty of time to compare different sections of a stream to examine the different plants and animals that call this watery world their home.

Lakes and Ponds

Ponds and lakes contain a variety of different habitats: the surface film, the shoreline, the lake bottom and the open water. Different plants and animals can be found in these different sections of lakes and ponds, and each area is influenced by a number of factors. How far does light penetrate into the water? What is the water temperature in these different areas? All of these physical factors effect what organisms live in these still waters. Get wet and take a look.

frog

Stonewalls and Cellarholes

New England's stonewalls lace through forest and field, telling a story about the land and its uses. We look here at stonewalls and cellarholes with a mind for the history of a place and the way an area changes over time. The field or pasture once bordered by the stonewall slowly grows into forest, and the stonewall itself begins to melt into the landscape. Cellar holes mark where people once lived but have now moved on. The stones in these structures shift and erode; the cracks and gaps between them collect dirt; lichen, mosses and other plants grow; and a variety of small animals make their homes among the rocks in these old walls.

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