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Title
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Protecting Paradise
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Type
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Primary: Field Assignment
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Operation
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Resilient Planet
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Mission:
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Mission 4: Paradise Found
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Print Page
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84,85
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Subjects
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Science | Life science | BioDiversity | Personal and social issues | Humans and the environment | Conservation | Science as inquiry | Science process skills | Analyzing data | Collecting data | Communicating | Measuring | Observing
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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protect, paradise, diverse, biosphere, biologically, diverse, ecosystem, diversity, Enric Sala, marine, pristine, baseline, restoration, organism, health, near-pristine, transect, species, abiotic, biomass, Line Islands, Google Earth, environmental impact, biodiversity index
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Duration
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01:00:00 (HH:MM:SS)
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Audience
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Teachers | Elementary Grades | Junior High
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Created On
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4/20/2008
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Copyright
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Peter Haydock, The JASON Project
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From: Resilient Planet Mission 4: Paradise Found (pp: 84,85) |
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Protecting Paradise For this field assignment, students will investigate the value of a diverse biosphere and catalog its biological diversity. |
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Recall that your mission is to investigate the value of a diverse biosphere. Now that you have been fully briefed, you will investigate a healthy, biologically diverse ecosystem. There, you will uncover and catalog its biological diversity and measure and record the abiotic factors of this ecosystem. Based upon your observations and data analysis, you will construct a plan to protect this ecosystem. Dr. Enric Sala hopes that his research can protect the biological diversity of our planet. In his investigation of marine ecosystems, he discovered that some locations have been seriously affected by humans. By understanding the structure of pristine ecosystems, Dr. Sala hopes to discover what humans have done. This establishes a baseline for restoration efforts. To begin this assignment, you will first need to identify a local, healthy, and biologically diverse ecosystem. You will study this ecosystem and create a species list of all the organisms you encounter. You will then use print and online resources to assess the ecosystem’s health. Using this knowledge and your understanding of ecology, you will propose a plan that can be used by your community to protect it from decline. 
| Mission 4 Argonaut Field Assignment Video
Join the National Argonauts as they learn about reef ecology with Dr. Enric Sala. |
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| Materials |
 | Caution!
You must have the landowner's permission to access any land in your study. Even if your ecosystem is on public land, inform the proper authorities of your intent. Obtain permission before conducting tests at your study site. Never travel alone. Take a responsible adult with you to the study site. Always use proper safety protocol while using tools. |
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| Field Preparation |
- Using Dr. Sala's data in the table, create a graph of the biomass of organisms in the Line Islands.
- Interpret Enric's data. What does your graph show you?
- Contact your school, community library, local representatives of wildlife services, government agencies, environmental groups, or go online to find out more about ecosystems in need of protection. Compile a list of these ecosystems.
- Compare and contrast the ecosystems in your list. Which ecosystems require immediate protection? Why?
- What types of human actions are having a negative effect on the ecosystems? Which one of those actions might best respond to a plan for protection?
- Are there any experts who know these potential study sites? If so, how can they be contacted? Compose a list of questions you would ask these experts.
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| Mission Challenge |
- Based upon what you have learned, select an ecosystem for this field assignment.
- Locate this ecosystem using Google Earth™. Make a map of this region that illustrates the location and extent of any potential environmental impacts by human activities.
- Create a plan to collect evidence of the state of the ecosystem.
- How will you catalog your species?
- How will you ensure that your results are valid representations of the ecosystem?
- What type of abiotic data will you collect?
- What type of tools will you use?
- How will you analyze the data once they are collected?
- Perform your study in the field.
- Analyze your results. Create an illustrated species list of the organisms found in your study site.
- Based upon your observations, determine the biodiversity index. How can you use this analysis to protect your study site?
- Using your observations, recorded data, and analysis, create a plan for protecting this study area.
- Create a visual representation of your plan.
- Identify your target audience. What members of the community would be best to receive your findings? Who might be in a position to move your plan forward?
- Make a list of people and organizations within your community who, based upon your evidence, would help you protect the ecosystem.
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| Mission Debrief |
- Evaluate your plan. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your plan? Compare your plan with the plans of your classmates. Identify what might make other plans more or less effective than your own.
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Journal Question
How can policy makers use investigative tools, print and online resources, and quantitative analysis like biodiversity indices to protect ecosystems? | |
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