A wetland is an ecosystem that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. This could include swamps, marshes, flood plains, lakes and creeks.

Students will learn how wetland water is rich in nutrients, attracting and sustaining many different types of plants and animals, including invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. They will explore the condition of a wetland through assessment of biotic and abiotic features as well the effect of changing conditions in wetlands on the ecosystem structure.

Note:

• Maximum number of students for this program is 50 per day.

What biotic and abiotic interactions occur in a wetland and what impact can they have on a wetland ecosystem?

In this program, students will:

• Investigate biotic and abiotic interactions between and within wetland ecosystems.
• Assess the condition of a wetland ecosystem.
• Learn how organisms are connected through food webs.
• Learn how changes in biotic and abiotic features impact ecosystems and food webs.

Students will:

• Identify the biotic and abiotic within a wetland ecosystem and observe the interactions between them
• Undertake chemical, biological and physical assessments of a wetland
• Model the effect of changing biotic and abiotic features in a wetland environment

Science: Science Understanding

• Matter and energy flow through ecosystems and can be represented using models, including food webs and food pyramids; populations will be affected by changing biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem including habitat loss, climate change, seasonal migration and introduction or removal of species (VC2S8U04)
• Physical changes can be distinguished from chemical changes; a chemical change can be identified by a colour change, a temperature change, the production of a gas (including laboratory preparation and testing of oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases) or the formation of a precipitate (VC2S8U08)

Science: Science Inquiry

• Equipment can be selected and used to generate and record data with attention to precision, using digital tools as appropriate (VC2S8I03)

Geography – Geographically Knowledge and Understanding – Water in the world

• The classification of water as a renewable resource, the forms that it takes as a resource in the water cycle, and the ways in which flows of water connect and change places (VC2HG8K01)
• The distribution and variability of Australia’s water resources and the forecasted impacts of climate change on them (VC2HG8K03)