Anna's+Science+work

​​​​ This is the brief report on the Food Webs and Chains in Ecosystems around the Maribyrnong Science Assessment Task.
 * Science**

For this project, my group will be investigating the animals and plants found in a salt marsh ecosystem, Altona Coastal Park. A salt marsh ecosystem consists of grassy plains, tropical rainforests, and rocky platforms and is full of decomposition. Salt marshes can be found in shorelines that are sheltered from ocean waves; bays; steep coasts and near mouths of rivers. In the summer, the weather in the salt marsh ecosystem is warm. In the winter, the weather is cold. Because the salt marsh is located in the temperate zones, the temperature isn’t extreme.
 * Introduction:**


 * Discussion:**
 * Plan​t​s**
 * **Name of plant** || **What animal eats the plant?** ||
 * Algae

|| Fish, snails, mussels, ducks, crabs, worms, shrimps, insects || || Ducks, geese, birds, muskrats, deers ||
 * Salt water cordgrass //(Spartina alterniflora)//



-Birds and rats compete for cordgrass -Tadpoles and fish compete for algae -Fish, tortoises, snakes and birds compete for tadpoles -Tortoises, cats, rats, snakes and birds compete for fish -Rats and birds compete for tortoises -Cats, snakes and birds compete for rats -Birds and snakes compete for cats
 * Competitors**

The producers would decrease in number if the number of first-order consumers increases because more animals would eat them. The producers would increase in number if the number of first-order consumers decreases because fewer animals would eat them.

Some of the decomposers in the salt marsh ecosystem are bacteria, fungi and protozoa that collect plant matter then turning it into a rich food, detritus.

An introduced species is a species that is not native to an ecosystem. It has been brought in from another ecosystem. There are introduced species in the salt marsh ecosystem including the Sickle Grass //(Parapholis incurva).//
 * Introduced species**

Algae and cordgrass are the producers since they make their own food using the sun’s energy. Organisms that eat these plants or eat other organisms that eat these plants are the consumers. Therefore, the tortoises, snakes, tadpoles, cats, rats, fish and birds are the consumers. The producers provide energy for the consumers.
 * Conclusion:**

In a food web, if the population of one species changes, it will affect the population of other species. Introduced species can disrupt the food web in an ecosystem because they will compete for food with the other organisms in the food web and unbalance it.

Home Introduction English SOSE Maths Conclusion
 * ** Name of animal ** || ** Order of consumer ** || ** Herbivore, carnivore or omnivore ** ||
 * Common long-necked tortoise || Third-order consumer || Carnivore ||
 * Tiger snake || Sixth-order consumer || Carnivore ||
 * Tadpole || First-order consumer || Herbivore ||
 * Feral cat || Fifth-order consumer || Carnivore ||
 * Water rat || Fourth-order consumer || Carnivore ||
 * Australian smelt || Second-order consumer || Carnivore ||
 * Vulture || Top-order consumer || Carnivore ||