ASSIGNMENT : Salt Marsh Virtual Field Trip

Virtual Field Trip to a Salt Marsh Ecosystem
The purpose of this field trip is for you to see and learn about some of the species that make up make up
the plant and animal communities found in the salt marsh ecosystem. At the same time you should begin
to see how this ecosystem functions; that is, how energy flows through the ecosystem and what abiotic
factors determine the species that exist here.
Please use a web browser and go to the following web site (URL). There you will find a virtual tour that
you can follow to learn about the salt marsh as if you were actually there.

http://www.knowitall.org/interactive/salt-marsh-sc-life

As you work your way through this presentation, keep in mind that you are looking for the following
information. Submit the answers to these questions.
1. What is the dominant (major) plant species found in the regularly flooded salt marsh?
2. How might energy be transported to another ecosystem from this one? e.g., the ocean.
3. What species make up the following components of the salt marsh ecosystem? Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, decomposers?
4. What vegetation (species), are found in the shrub thickets?
5. What are some physical adaptations that wading birds have that are related to the physical characteristics of the salt marsh? What adaptive benefit do they provide? What are some of their adaptations for catching food?
6. What are some abiotic factors to which the plants of the salt marsh are adapted? What are some physical and/or physiological adaptations to these conditions. How are they adaptive

There are no specific formatting requirements for the written assignments. Generally, tables and sentence or short paragraph answers to questions posed will suffice.

Required Text: Cunningham, W.P. and M.A. Cunningham 2015. Environmental
science: A global concern, 13th ed. McGraw-Hill, NY. 614 pp.
ISBN: 9780073532547

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Salt Marsh Ecosystem

A salt marsh ecosystem is characterized by continuous and frequent flooding by shallow and highly saline water. The ecosystem is dominated by halophytic herbaceous plants. They also have rivaling tropical rainforests. This paper is about a virtual field trip to such an ecosystem. In a survey ofthis ecosystem, the dominant plant species found in this ecosystem are focused. Plants play a vital role in this ecological system. Plants found in such environs have well adapted features to survive in this ecosystem of half salt, half fresh water and frequently changing levels of water. Cordgrass is one plant that does particularly well in this ecosystem. Multiple species of this grass exist. American beachgrass, Ammophila breviligulata, is well adapted to this ecosystem. The role of cordgrass in this ecosystem is to provide food and shelter for the animals living in the ecosystem. They also stabilize the marsh by preventing soil erosion from storms and pressure changes. Cordgrass usually grows near the edges of the marsh, a feature that allows sediment to gather around the roots…