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Local Ecosystem Research

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Local Ecosystem Research

Read the case study and use its evidence to investigate a New Zealand wetland. Answer in complete sentences where appropriate. Treat the figures as a simplified snapshot: real ecosystems are more complex.

Case study: Te Rimu Stream wetland

A community group is monitoring a small freshwater wetland beside Te Rimu Stream. The wetland filters some sediment before water reaches the stream, provides habitat for native species, and holds water after heavy rain. Over several years, nearby land has been cleared and fertiliser has washed into the stream. The group is deciding what to monitor and which actions to prioritise.

Measure

Wetland edge

Upstream reference site

Water clarity (cm visibility)

Nitrate (mg/L)

3.2

0.8

Native plant cover (%)

Native aquatic invertebrate groups found

1.Which two water-quality measurements suggest the wetland-edge site may be under greater stress than the upstream site? Explain what each difference could indicate.

2.The group concludes, “Fertiliser caused the lower plant cover.” Is this conclusion proven by the data? Choose the best response.

Yes. The two sites prove fertiliser is the only cause.
No. The data show an association, but other differences or causes may explain the pattern.
Yes. Lower plant cover always causes higher nitrate.
No. The data cannot be compared because they use different units.

3.Give one food-web link that could occur in a freshwater wetland, using these organisms: native aquatic plants, insect larvae, small fish, and a kingfisher. Use arrows to show the direction of energy transfer.

4.If fertiliser runoff adds excess nutrients, which change is a plausible risk for the wetland?

Algal growth may increase, and decomposition could reduce dissolved oxygen.
All native species will increase at the same rate.
Water will become clearer because nutrients remove sediment.
The food web will stop needing producers.

5.Suggest one investigation the group could run to test whether reducing runoff improves water quality. Name what they would change or compare and at least one variable they should keep consistent.

6.A planted streamside buffer is proposed. Explain one way it could benefit the wetland and one limitation or unintended effect the group should consider.

7.In Aotearoa New Zealand, kaitiakitanga is often understood as guardianship and responsible care for the natural world. Describe one practical way the community group could show kaitiakitanga while monitoring this wetland.

8.Which additional evidence would best help identify whether sediment is entering from cleared land after rain?

Repeated turbidity or clarity measurements upstream and downstream, taken before and after rainfall
One photograph of the wetland on a sunny day
A list of all bird species seen in the region
A single nitrate reading taken in summer

9.Name one ecosystem service provided by the wetland in the case study and explain how it benefits people or other parts of the environment.

10.Write a short recommendation to the community group. Include one action to prioritise, evidence from the monitoring data, and one measure they should track to check whether the action is working.