Student: _________________
Due Date: December 19, 2014
Ecosystem Project:
Standard:
8.L.3.1– Explain how factors such as food, water, shelter, and space affect populations in an ecosystem.
8.L.3.2 – summarize the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers including the
positive and negative consequences of such interactions including: coexistence and cooperation
Competition (predator/prey) parasitism, mutualism
Part One:
Choose a location, exact location, along the outer banks of North Carolina. Find that locations
ecosystems. Choose a specific ecosystem from that location (maritime forest, fresh water pond,
saltwater marsh, sound, estuary, tidal zone, surf or shoreline). Research this ecosystem. Using your own
words, describe in an informational essay that ecosystem.
This essay will be two word processed pages in length, using 12 point times new roman font.
Margins must be justified using a single space format. If the essay is hand written, it must be 3 pages in
length front side only using college ruled paper. Margins will be justified using the red lines on each side.
Also using the hand written option, spacing will be one skipped lined.
The following information must be researched and discussed in your essay specifically for your
ecosystem.
______ State the name for your ecosystem location (example: saltwater marsh or maritime forest)
______ specifically state if the ecosystem is aquatic or terrestrial
______ Give a location for this ecosystem (example: Atlantic Beach)
______ Name at least five producers from this ecosystem. Be specific using exact names. Describe each
producer and what its function is within the ecosystem.
______ Name at least 5 first order consumers. Be specific using exact names. Describe each first order
consumer and what their function is within the ecosystem.
______ Name at least 4 second order consumers. Be specific using exact names. Describe each second
order consumer and what their function is within the ecosystem.
_______ Name at least 3 third order consumers. Be specific using exact names. Describe each third
order consumer and what their function is within the ecosystem.
_______ Describe a single food chain using an animal mentioned in your first order, second order and
third order consumers.
_______ describe how this single food chain will branch off into a food web.
_______ Explain how energy flows through the food chain or food web beginning with the sun as the
ultimate source of energy on to one animal being consumed by another.
_______ Explain how the sun is the foundation, the beginning, of all energy transfer. (Sun is the
beginning)
______ Select an animal mentioned in the food chain or web to describe its niche in the ecosystem.
______ Explain the relationship between your ecosystem and either terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems
______ Name at least one scavenger in your ecosystem.
______ Give an example of mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism (this is within the food web you
created)
_____ Map of the NC outer Banks labeling the location of the ecosystem. Must be hand drawn (use your
map from Humanities class)
Part Two:
Create a Diagram that represents each aspect of your essay.
Should be on a 9X 11 paper or larger but not larger than a poster size.
Must include each checked off item of research from above.
Must be labeled