In this activity, you’ll research a threatened ecosystem, the factors that are contributing to its decline in biodiversity, and the current solutions to address the problem. Part A
Identify the ecosystem you want to research. The ecosystem can be from any of the major biomes on Earth, such as an aquatic biome or the taiga forest. Choose an ecosystem that is currently experiencing decreasing biodiversity. Identify the biome and ecosystem you’ve chosen, and state the problem the ecosystem is experiencing.

Part B
Once you’ve decided on the ecosystem, the next step is to ask questions to help you research your topic. Here are a few questions to help you:

What factors are currently contributing to the decline of biodiversity in the ecosystem?
Which current solutions exist to address these factors?
What are the pros and cons of these solutions?
How effective are these current solutions in stopping the decline of biodiversity in the ecosystem?
Write four additional questions that you can address through your research.

Part C
Research at least three current or proposed solutions to the declining biodiversity of the area, and use that information to complete the chart. Keep track of the references you use, because you’ll need to cite them later.

Declining biodiversity often has more than one root cause. It can be caused by loss of habitat or excess use of resources, leading to a decline in the number of species. Identify the root causes for declining biodiversity in your ecosystem. Make sure to clearly state in the chart which factor the solution addresses.

Part D
When designing a scientific presentation, look for the most credible sources. Science doesn’t show bias, but we humans tend to show bias. There are sites and articles that provide facts without proper scientific evidence. Avoid using information from such sites. You must be able to identify reliable sites so the data in your presentation is credible.

Use sources that end in .gov (government sites), such as CDC. gov. They are reliable sources. You can also use sites ending in .edu. They can be deemed trustworthy, but sometimes the information is written by students rather than scientists. Always find out who the author of the article is before proceeding. Some .org and .com sites are credible, but you need to analyze the contents to verify their authenticity. As you review a source, always try to answer these questions:

Who authored the article?
Is this person an expert in biodiversity?
What is the purpose of the article?
Does the article state facts that scientists can prove with evidence?
Are there opinions in the article?
How old is the article?
Do other credible sources support the statements in this article?

Part E
Using what you’ve learned about the factors affecting the biodiversity of the ecosystem and the pros and cons of current and proposed solutions, design your own solution to the problem and create a presentation about it. Consider different types of solutions, such as proposing laws, installing monitoring devices, etc. Then, choose the solution you find most promising.

Your presentation should include these elements:

an explanation of your solution
a visual depiction of your solution (such as a drawing, model, map, flowchart of a process, etc.)
the scientific reasoning behind your solution
the strengths and limitations of the solution
You may present your solution in a way that best shows the advantages of your design. Choose one of these options:

Make a slide presentation using PowerPoint or similar software.
Design one or more posters that explain your plan.
Build a 2-D or a 3-D model.
Record and edit a video describing your plan.
If you have another way to present your solution, get your teacher’s approval before you begin.

Submit your completed presentation along with this activity to your teacher for evaluation. First, consider presenting your solution to your class and asking other students to analyze your work. Their analysis can help you revise your plan. However, presenting to your class is an optional activity.