Download The Grassland Ecosystem Student Trail

The Grassland Ecosystem Student Trail
Your challenge today at the Zoo is to find examples of the positive ways in which humans
and animals co-exist in grasslands of the world.
Werribee Open Range Zoo is located within the grassland ecosystem of the Victorian
Volcanic Plains. Once covering approximately 1/3 of Victoria, now less than 0.5% of these
grasslands remain and are listed as Critically Endangered (EPBC Act 1999). The
Wurundjeri that once inhabited the region utilised grasslands for food, medicines and
materials.
1. Identify a plant species within the area you are observing. Make a field sketch or take
a photo of the plant in the space provided and complete the information.
Image
Plant name:________________________________________
Record one structural adaptation observed on the plant that
enables it to survive the low amount of rainfall that occurs in
this region.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Explain how you think this adaptation helps the plant to
survive.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Describe how this species was utilised by the Wurundjeri that
once lived in this region:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2. You will meet a threatened species of the Victorian Volcanic Plain. Complete the
information about this species below:
Species name:
Conservation status:
Threats:
Details of conservation measures in place:
What can you do to help the species?
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3. As you move through the grasslands look for evidence of species.
In the table below record the species’ requirements for survival (inputs and outputs).
Organism
Evidence
Inputs
Outputs
Producer or
Observed
Consumer
?
Producer
Consumer
Producer
Consumer
4a. Develop a food web that demonstrates the interaction of organisms within the grassland
ecosystem that includes one of the species you listed in the table above.
b.
On your food web above:
•
Write the letter “C” above the parts of the food web that would be affected by a cat that
has started inhabiting the area.
•
Write the letter “S” above the parts of the food web that would be affected by a flock of
sheep that were brought in to graze in the area.
5.
Besides the impact of cats and sheep grazing list two more factors that are responsible
for the demise of the grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain
6a. In the space below draw a food web to illustrate the interaction of animals in the African
savanna.
b.
On the food web above write the letter “C” above the organisms that would be affected
by the grazing of livestock in the African savanna.
7.
Describe a Community Conservation campaign that Zoos Victoria is undertaking to
reduce the impact of grazing livestock in the African Savanna.
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