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.

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

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

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