Exploring the Salt Marsh Ecosystem

Lab Summary


The previous Human Overpopulation Lab leads into this exploration of one of the ecosystems that researchers included in Biosphere 2.  This field-based lab takes students out into a brackish water marsh ecosystem to explore the biological diversity and physical factors that make up the marsh ecosystem.  During this lab students do a marsh profile of organisms and soil types & structure in various parts of the marsh.  They also measure physical properties of the marsh such as water/soil pH, temperature, DO, salinity, and collect benthic and planktonic organisms for study back in the lab.  The lab is intended to get students to reflect more deeply on the complexity of this system and the interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors that shape it.  This lab could also serve as the basis for a multi week independent investigation in which students test hypotheses about how physical parameters influence population size, biodiversity, or zonation of organisms living in the marsh environment.

Conceptual Learning Objectives - Upon completion of this lab, students should be able to
  • discuss the interconnections between abiotic and biotic factors which shape an ecosystem.
  • discuss the variety of ecosystem services produced by the marsh ecosystem and why they are essential to all life (including humans) on earth.
  • test hypotheses about  how biological and physical factors influence aspects of biodiversity.
  • understand how species composition is affected by (and effects) physical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, soil structure and composition, salinity, and tidal disturbance regimes.
  • appreciate the complexity of a seemingly homogeneous ecosystem like the salt marsh and its connections to other ecosystems.

Scientific Skills  - in this lab students will
  • learn field techniques for exploring physical and biological features of ecosystems
  • field data recording
  • develop skills in the use and care  sophisticated sensor equipment in the field.