2. A place in the natural environment where living and non-living items function in the same habitat. What is the primary ecosystem that Tucson host? Desert, but if we were to travel up the Santa Catalina Mountains we would be traveling into different ecosystems at different elevations. Elevation is the height above sea level.

3. So, we know that an ecosystem consist of living and non-living organisms, but what does that mean? Well, an organism is anything that is living. Can you name some living organisms? Dogs, people, ants, plants, flowers are just a few of the of the millions of organisms that exist on our planet. Can you name some non-living organisms? Rocks, dead plants and animals, and even soil.

4. What are some living organisms you might encounter out in the desert? Rabbits, ants, coyotes, quails, doves, owls, and snakes are just a few creatures we might see if we were to step outside into the desert. We did not even include all the different types of plants! How about some non-living organisms we might see? Rocks, different types of soil such as sand, and dirt, bird feathers, and coyote feces are a few things that come to mind.

5. How do the various living and non-living organisms in an ecosystem react? What do rabbits, owls, coyotes, and quails eat? How these different animals obtain their food is an interaction in itself Coyotes eat rabbits, rabbits eat plants and seeds, and the plants obtain energy through the sun and the soil of which the coyote will eventually die on. This is the circle of life!

6. We will be using our class blog to document organisms you observe in the desert on your backyard. We will update it daily with our findings and use it as a way to continue our learning in the subject of ecology.class blog The class blog will be used to document some of the organisms that you will observe over the course of 3 days. Use plants and animals that are locally found. Don’t use your mom’s flowers or your dog and cat. Feel free to comment on your classmates work.class blog Try to find time to take a walk with your parents, or if your parents permission your friends, into the desert surrounding your homes and look for different organisms. If you are not able to do this you can just as easily observe from your backyard. We will be doing additional research on the organisms you observed and creating a concept map in class together. Remember, have fun and be safe while in the desert!

7. We will be making a concept map to explain the interrelationships among plants and animals in our desert ecosystem. Using Cmap software we will construct a map between all the organisms we observed. Try and create a minimum of 20 nodes.

8. Here is an example of something we might come up with.

9. We will also be using some websites for further researching and completing our concept map. These sites have tons of information on many desert organisms; from their sleeping and eating habits to where they live. http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/re pt_deto.htm http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/re pt_deto.htm http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_hawks_e agles.php http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_hawks_e agles.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fauna_of_the_ Sonoran_Desert