Posted: July 4th, 2015

SYSTEMS OF NATURAL SCIENCE

SYSTEMS OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Ecosystems – Analyzes the components, organization, interactions, and processes of ecosystems.
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Introduction:

“An ecosystem consists of all the organisms living in a community as well as all the abiotic factors with which they interact” (Campbell & Reece, 2005). There are many different types of ecosystems all over the world. Humans can have a great impact on these ecosystems.

In this task, you will choose a specific ecosystem to research and analyze the impact of humans on that ecosystem. Be specific in your selection. (For example, instead of choosing “desert ecosystem,” select a specific desert ecosystem such as the Mojave Desert.)

Some examples of specific ecosystems are the mangrove swamps of Borneo, the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Florida Everglades, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Costa Rican rainforest, the ephemeral pools in Canyonlands National Park, a particular lake or forest, etc.

Task:

A.  Create a multimedia presentation (e.g. PowerPoint, Keynote) (suggested length of 6–8 slides) that introduces and describes your chosen ecosystem, analyzes the impact of human activity on the ecosystem, and provides guidelines to help preserve your chosen ecosystem. Do the following in your presentation:
1.  Describe the specific ecosystem that you have selected by doing the following:
a. Identify the specific geographic location of the ecosystem.

Note: You can use maps, written description of location, and latitude/longitude to provide the location of the ecosystem.

b. Explain the major biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.

2.  Discuss the impact that humans currently have on the specified ecosystem.

3.  Predict the effect of future human impact on the specified ecosystem.

4.  Provide guidelines regarding human activities that will aid in preserving the specified ecosystem.

B.  When you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.

Note: When bulleted points are present in the task prompt, the level of detail or support called for in the rubric refers to those bulleted points.

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in the Evaluation Procedures section.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in a paper or project, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the paper or project.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.

Reference List:

Note: This reference list refers only to direct citations in the task above and may be different from those you need to complete the task. Consult your Course of Study for a list of suggested learning resources.

Campbell, N.A. & Reece, J.B. (2005). Biology, 7/e. San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings.

DHT Task 2
value: 0.00     value: 1.00     value: 2.00     Score/Level
Articulation of Response (clarity, organization, mechanics)    The candidate provides unsatisfactory articulation of response.     The candidate provides weak articulation of response.     The candidate provides adequate articulation of response.
A1a. Geographic Location    The candidate does not accurately identify the geographic location of the specified ecosystem.     Not applicable.     The candidate accurately identifies the geographic location of the specified ecosystem.
A1b. Biotic and Abiotic Components    The candidate does not provide a logical explanation of the major biotic and abiotic components of the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical explanation, with insufficient detail, of the major biotic and abiotic components of the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical explanation, with sufficient detail, of the major biotic and abiotic components of the specified ecosystem.
A2. Impact of Human Activity    The candidate does not provide a logical discussion of the impact that humans currently have on the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical discussion, with insufficient detail, of the impact that humans currently have on the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical discussion, with sufficient detail, of the impact that humans currently have on the specified ecosystem.
A3. Future Human Impact    The candidate does not provide a logical prediction of the effect of future human impact on the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical prediction, with insufficient support, of the effect of future human impact on the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides a logical prediction, with sufficient support, of the effect of future human impact on the specified ecosystem.
A4. Guidelines    The candidate does not provide logical guidelines regarding human activities that will aid in preserving the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides logical guidelines, with insufficient support, regarding human activities that will aid in preserving the specified ecosystem.     The candidate provides logical guidelines, with sufficient support, regarding human activities that will aid in preserving the specified ecosystem.
B. Sources    When the candidate uses sources, the candidate does not provide in-text citations and references for each source used.     When the candidate uses sources, the candidate provides appropriate in-text citations and references with major deviations from APA style.     When the candidate uses sources, the candidate provides appropriate in-text citations and references accurately or with only minor deviations from APA style, OR the candidate does not use sources.