Background
An ecosystem consists of all the organisms living in a community as well as all the abiotic factors with which they interact. There are a diverse range of environments across Victoria, including arid and coastal regions, grasslands and numerous types of forests. Within these regions there are a diverse range of ecosystems which are classified by a combination of the vegetation communities and landforms. Victoria’s ecosystems include rainforests, alpine, grasslands, semi-desert, marine, coastal, urban, agricultural and wetland ecosystems.
Ecolinc has both a wetland ecosystem and a grassy woodland ecosystem; students will investigate both in this program.
This program will begin at 2pm at Ecolinc. Students will carry out the wetland activities at Ecolinc and then travel by bus to Mt Rothwell to undertake grassland activities.
Students can bring their own dinner or BYO food for a BBQ. Students will then be taken on a spotlighting tour of Mt Rothwell at dusk by Mt Rothwell staff. Here they will get the chance to observe many of Australia’s native endangered grassland species that have been released on this 420-hectare predator-free property.
Note:
- There is an additional fee per student for the Mt Rothwell program.
- Teachers need to also be aware that if the temperature is above 35 degrees and/or the weather conditions are extreme, Mt Rothwell will not accept students on site. In this situation, students undertaking this program will participate in an alternative/like program on site at Ecolinc.
- This alternative program is available in Term 2 only.
Learning Intentions
In this program students will:
- Consolidate their knowledge of trophic levels and flow of energy within ecosystems
- Develop their biological surveying skills
- Analyse and comment on their biological survey findings
- Explain processes within wetland and grassy woodland ecosystems
- Identify changes in wetland and grassy woodland ecosystems and explain how human activities can alter ecosystems
Activities
Students will:
- Sample wetland macroinvertebrates from the Ecolinc wetland
- Identify macroinvertebrates using stereomicroscopes and identification keys
- Explore interactions and changes within the Ecolinc wetland using computer modelling
- Identify producers, consumers, and detritivores in ecosystems
- Explore trophic levels and flow of energy
- Complete quadrat surveys in the Ecolinc grassy woodland
- Analyse and discuss quadrat results
- Explore interactions and changes to grassy woodlands
VCE Environmental Science Links
How are Earth’s systems organised and connected?
Investigation of local ecosystems
- the range of biotic and abiotic components that determine the environmental conditions of varied habitats within aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
- interrelationships within ecological communities as represented by food chains, food webs, energy and biomass pyramids
How do Earth’s systems change over time?
Earth’s dynamic systems
- changes and disruptions to landscapes, ecosystems and biomes that influence their distribution and ecological characteristics
Data and modelling
- ways of using data and models to study Earth’s systems and changes in Earth over time