Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Period: _______________

Florida Ecosystem Project

Date Assigned: 4/12/2012 Date Due: 5/15/2013

Introduction
An ecosystem is described as the community of organisms (biotic factors) that live in a particular area, along with their non-living environment (abiotic factors). Plants and animals, including humans, interact with and depend upon each other and their environment to satisfy their basic needs. Both human activities and natural events can have major impacts on the environment. Florida has nine different ecosystems. Each ecosystem has unique features, distinctive wildlife, and plays an important role in the health of our state. For this project you will choose one of Floridas ecosystems and find the information required below. The information you find may be presented as a PowerPoint presentation, on a poster or as a cereal box or as an Animoto. You will need to use the internet, books, and/or magazines to find the information to complete this project. You should also refer to your science book for help in completing this project. Please Note: the quality of the work is very important. The assignment will be graded according to: Completeness of assignment (all components above present) Content/Information accuracy Information cited (you tell where you got your information) in other words list the books or websites you used to find your information. This includes where you copied pictures. Neatness- All writing on the poster must be neatly written in blue or black ink or typed Presentation of information- all information should be neatly and colorfully displayed.

Please refer to this list often. Before turning in your project check off each item as you have completed it. Also refer to the grading rubric that is attached. The grading rubric must be turned in with your final project so do not lose it. Information to find 1 2 3 4 Name of ecosystem (Hint: Use the USGS Ecosystems of South Florida poster) Description of the ecosystem (Hint: Use the USGS Ecosystems of South Florida poster) Map of Florida showing the areas where the ecosystem is located (Hint: get a blank map from the teacher and color in where the ecosystem is found or find your own) Identify 5 distinctive or major organisms found in the ecosystem at least one should be a plant or algae the others can be (plants, animals, insects, etc..) include for each: Organism name What the organism eats Identify the organism as a producer, consumer, or decomposer (Hint: Read textbook pages 483485 to review these terms) Write 2 facts about the organism Draw or copy a picture of the organism (bonus) Make a food chain using the organisms found in the ecosystem It must have a producer, primary consumer, and secondary consumer (Hint: Use pages 483-487 to review food chains) Make a food web containing a minimum of three food chains using organisms in the ecosystem The food web must contain producers, primary , secondary and tertiary consumers, as well as a decomposer (Hint: Use pages 486 to review food webs) Give specific examples in the ecosystem of at least two of the relationships below Predator/prey (Hint: Read textbook pages 494-495) Mutualism (Hint: read textbook page 497) Commensalism (Hint: Read textbook page 498) Parasitism (Hint: Read textbook page 498) Competition (Hint: Read textbook page 493) Describe the cause and the effect of each of the following in your ecosystem 1. Poor Soil Management (Hint: read textbook pages 252-256) 2. Deforestation and Urbanization (Hint: read pages 258-259) 3. Air pollution (Hint: Read textbook pages 261-263) 4. Water pollution (Hint: Read textbook pages 282-283) Pick one of the five distinctive organisms in the ecosystem and describe what could limit its population growth in the ecosystem (Hint: read textbook pages 505-506)

Required components that must be part of your project

10 Works cited / Bibliography You must provide the books, magazines, and websites where you found the information. This includes pictures. See information sheet for how to cite each source.

How to make a bibliography/works cited page

A bibliography describes where you found all of the information for your project. Below are instructions on how to write a bibliography in the correct format for each of the resources you used for your project. All of your resources should be listed in alphabetical order by the author if there is one and you should skip a line between each source that is listed. You may also use websites such as www.bibme.org or www.easybib.com to make your bibliography online.

MLA Format Instructions and Examples for Citing Different Resource Types
INTERNET RESOURCES - GOOGLE is NOT a Resource!
Author (if known). "Title of page or document on it," Title of website. date of document. Online URL <http://www.address> Date of access.

Example
Enright, Tracy and Kathy Pegram. "Florida Ecosystems." The U.S Geological Surveys SOFIA Kids Page. Jan. 15, 2013. Online. <http://sofia.usgs.gov /virtual_tour/kids/ecosys.html.> March 23, 2013.

IMAGES from INTERNET

Photographer's Last Name, First.(often not available) "Subject or Picture Title," Title of website. <http://www.address> Date of access.

Example
"Map of Florida," Florida Historical Society. <http://myfloridahistory.org/node/194?size=780w> March 23, 2013.

BOOK WITH ONE AUTHOR

Author. Title. City of publication: publisher, copyright date, pages used.

Example:
Steele, Heidi. How to Use the Internet. Emeryville, CA: Ziff-Davis Press, 1996, pp. 146-149.

BOOK WITH MULTIPLE AUTHORS NAME GIVEN

Author et al. Title. City of publication: publisher, copyright date, pages used.

Example
Buckley et al.Florida Course 2 Interactive Science. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012, pp. 493-498.

ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE
"Article," Encyclopedia Name. Volume number, last copyright date, pages.

Example
"Ethiopia," World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 5, 1995, pp. 22-66. Fox, Tami. How to Write a Bibliography- MLA Style, Central Middle School Library Media Center. 2009. <http://web.pccs.k12.mi.us/central_lrc/bibliography.htm> October 19, 2011.

Grading Rubric for project

Indicates that the information is present and accurate Information to find 1 2 3 4 5 Name of ecosystem boldly displayed. Description of the ecosystem highlighting major characteristics that make it unique . Map of Florida clearly showing the areas where the ecosystem is located . Food chain with organisms found in the ecosystem with a producer, primary consumer, and secondary consumer. Food chain with organisms found in the ecosystem with a producer, primary consumer, and secondary consumer. Arrows correctly show how energy flows through the food chain (ex. Producer consumer). Food web contains a minimum of 3 food chains using organisms in the ecosystem. Food web contains producers, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, as well as a decomposer. Arrows showing how energy flows through the food web (ex. Producer consumer). 7 Specific Examples in the ecosystem of at least two relationships. Predator/prey- one organism eats another organism. Mutualism- A relationship where two organisms receive a benefit by their interaction. Commensalism- A relationship where one organism benefits and another is not affected by their interaction. Parasitism- a relationship where one organism is harmed and one benefits for their interaction. Competition- A relationship where two or more organisms are using the same resource. 8 Describe the cause and the effect of each of the following in your ecosystem. Poor Soil Management caused by agriculture, mining, development can cause erosion, nutrient depletion, and desertification. Deforestation and Urbanization caused by cutting down wood lands, large areas of land are developed into cities and towns. Air pollution caused by exhaust from motor vehicles, factories, and power plants that burn coal. Water pollution caused by agricultural waste, household sewerage, Industry and mining waste, sediments, heated water released by factories, oil and gasoline spills. 9 Limits of the population growth in the ecosystem of one organism. Identifies 4 of the following food, shelter, water, space, disease, predation and parasitism, spaces for nesting/mating.

10 List of Sources of information- Where you found your information including pictures. 11 Neatness- Overall written material was clear (Poster or cereal box had only typed or writing in ink). Presentation was colorful and well planned out (not more than 25% unused space or items overflowing off the page or squeezed or crowded on the presentation.

Map of ________________________________________ Name of ecosystem

Ecosystems of Florida
An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals that live together. South Florida is home to many different ecosystems including coral reefs, dunes, freshwater marshes, mangroves, swamps, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, scrubs, and saltwater marsh. What type of ecosystem will exist in a certain area is determined by how often fire occurs in an area, and changes in elevation (in some cases, only inches), water salinity (a measure of salt content), and soil type. Coral Reefs Over 30 different kinds of corals are found in Florida waters. Individual corals are interconnected colonies of soft, fleshy polyps that secrete complex shells made of calcium carbonate. These colonies can form branching corals or massive head corals depending on species. As the colonies compete for space, and as dead colonies are replaced, they grow on top of each other and build what we call a coral reef. Coral reefs provide habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals. Corals that grow in sunlit areas depend on tiny algae called zooxanthellae that live in their soft tissue. The zooxanthellae help provide oxygen and food for the polyps. Corals that live in deep water, where there is no sunlight, do not have zooxanthellae.

Dunes Dunes are created by wind, but are held in place by grasses that trap sand grains as they are being moved across the beach. Dunes stabilized by grasses protect the coast against winds and pounding waves. The vegetation found within Florida's dunes varies and is dependent upon many factors, including storm waves, windblown sand, salt spray, soil type, and climate. Florida beaches are important nesting sites for sea turtles and shorebirds. A loss of beach habitat to real estate development, erosion, and rising sea level has caused a decline in the nesting shorebird and sea turtle populations.

Freshwater Marshes Freshwater marshes are generally wetlands with an open expanse of grasses and other grass-like plants. Freshwater marshes generally contain few, if any, trees and shrubs. Marshes have standing water for much of the year and act as natural filters. As water passes over the marsh, water flow is slowed down, and suspended particles settle out. Animals found in the marsh can include fish, invertebrates (animals without a backbone), frogs, snakes, alligators, white-tailed deer, the Florida panther, and other mammals. Many waterbirds and wading birds nest and forage (search for food) in marshes as well.

Mangroves Three species of mangroves are found in Florida: the red mangrove, black mangrove, and white mangrove. Typically, red mangroves grow along the water's edge, black mangroves grow on slightly higher elevations than the red mangrove, and white mangroves grow upland from the red and black. Mangroves grow in saltwater and in areas frequently flooded by saltwater. Mangroves provide protected habitat, breeding grounds, and nursery areas to many land and marine animals. Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves, and erosion.

Freshwater Swamps Freshwater swamps are generally wet, wooded areas where standing water occurs for at least part of the year. Although the freshwater swamp seen in this picture is dominated by cypress trees, other freshwater swamps found in Florida can be dominated by bay trees (i.e. sweetbay, sweet gum) or hardwoods (i.e. oak, elm, red maple). Other plants found in swamps include epiphytes ("air plants") growing on trees, vines, and ferns. Many animals spend part of their lives in the swamp, moving as water levels rise and fall. Wood storks, herons, many other birds, otters, black bear, and the Florida panther are only a few of the animals that find food, homes, and nesting sites in Florida's swamps.

Hardwood Hammocks Hardwood hammocks are localized, thick stands of hardwood trees that can grow on natural rises of only a few inches of land. In South Florida, hammocks occur in marshes, pinelands, and mangrove swamps. Hammocks may contain many different species of trees such as the sabal palm, live oak, red maple, mahogany, gumbo limbo and cocoplum. Many types of epiphytes ("air plants") and ferns can be found here as well. Wildlife in hammocks can include tree snails, raccoons, opossums, birds, snakes, lizards, tree frogs, and large animals such as the Florida panther, bobcat, and deer.

Pinelands Pinelands, or pine flatwoods, are the most common plant communities in Florida. Pinelands are found on nearly level land, or on porous limestone. Longleaf pine and slash pines are the dominant trees in pinelands. Understory plants commonly include saw palmettos, wildflowers, and ferns. Plants that grow in the pinelands must be resistant to fire because pinelands are maintained by fire. Fires are beneficial to the pines because young pine seedlings require lots of sunlight to survive, and the fires destroy hardwood competitors. When fires occur, hardwood seedlings and other understory plants are affected, but the thick bark of the pine resists fire damage. Without fires, hardwoods would eventually overshadow the pines, and a hardwood hammock would emerge. Wildlife commonly found in pinelands includes deer, squirrels, bobcats, skunks, opossums, raccoons, birds, snakes, and tortoises.

Scrubs Generally, scrubs are communities that are mostly pinewoods with a thick understory of oaks and saw palmetto. Scrubs are found in well-drained, nutrient-poor, sandy soils. Plants that grow here have adapted to dry conditions. Fires play an important role in scrub ecosystems; in the absence of fires, a hardwood forest of oak will develop. Animals that live in the scrub are adapted to hot, desert-like conditions. Gopher tortoises, scrub jays, lizards, insects, and spiders are commonly found here.

Saltwater Marshes Salt marshes exist along the coast, where fresh water and marine water meet. These areas are at least occasionally inundated with salt water and contain non-woody, salt-tolerant plants. Marshes generally contain few, if any, trees and shrubs. Most of the animals in coastal salt marshes can tolerate variable water depth and salinity. Animals that may be found in these areas include small mammals, juvenile and adult fish, shellfish, and birds.