Adaptations are the result of natural selection. An adaptation is an inherited characteristic that increases the likelihood of survival and reproduction of an individual organism. Adaptations may be structural, physiological or behavioural features. Organisms have a variety of adaptations that enable them to cope with the diverse range of dynamic ecosystems that occur across Victoria. These include arid and coastal regions, grasslands and numerous types of forests. Victoria’s ecosystems include rainforests, alpine, grasslands, semi-desert, marine, coastal, urban, agricultural and wetland ecosystems.

An ecosystem consists of all the organisms living in a community interacting with each other. Keystone species are important in maintaining the balance in those ecosystems as are the various abiotic factors. Indigenous groups have gained much knowledge of these ecosystems over time and have used species adaptations in sustainable ways.

No prior knowledge required.

In this program students will:

• Determine adaptations possessed by some of Ecolinc’s animals and plants
• Differentiate between structural, behavioural and physiological adaptations
• Investigate a wetland ecosystem and its keystone species
• Identify freshwater macroinvertebrates
• Investigate the interactions between living things in the Ecolinc wetland
• Discover how human activities can alter the wetland ecosystem

Students will:

• Observe some of Ecolinc’s organisms up close
• Determine and categorise adaptations as either structural, behavioural or physiological
• Identify the producers, consumers and detritivores in Ecolinc’s ponds
• Model the interdependencies of organisms found in wetland ecosystems
• Evaluate the changes to wetlands over time and some effects of human impact

Area of Study 2: How do inherited adaptations impact on diversity?

• Structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations that enhance an organism’s survival and enable life to exist in a wide range of environments.
• Survival through interdependencies between species, including impact of changes to keystone species and predators and their ecological roles in structuring and maintaining the distribution, density and size of a population in an ecosystem.