Environmental science

Task Name:

Phase 1 Individual Project

Deliverable Length:

2–3 pages

Details:

Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.

In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem.

Choose 1 of the following ecosystems:

Tropical rainforest
Grassland
Coral reef
Estuary
Desert

You will write an APA-style research paper of 2–3 pages about your choice of ecosystem, covering the following in your paper:

Where might this type of ecosystem be located? Give 1 specific example.
Describe the structure of the ecosystem.
- List both the abiotic components and biotic components.
Describe the function of the ecosystem.
- How do the abiotic and biotic components interact in biogeochemical cycles?
- Describe both the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
Describe disturbance and recovery.
- Describe 1 natural and 1 human-caused disturbance to the ecosystem.
- Explain the damage to the ecosystem, including how the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem changed.
Explain how ecosystems recover naturally based on resilience mechanisms and the theory of secondary succession.

……………..Answer Preview………………

A desert ecosystem is characterized by barren lands with little or no vegetation and reduced precipitation. The desert ecosystems are generally hostile for plant and animal life as there is scarcity of food and water. Deserts form in areas where there is little precipitation. Deserts may form due to human activities or may occur naturally as in the case of cold deserts. A good example of a desert is the Sahara desert, the world’s largest hot desert. As there are few or no vegetations on deserts, the land is exposed to processes of denudation that lead to the formation of different features such as sand dunes.

Few animals and plants can be found in the deserts. The soils……………..

APA

638 Words