Science Activity- Minute Man National Historical Park

Ecosystem Exploration

An ecosystem is a natural area and all the living and nonliving things in it. This includes the community of plants, animals, and fungi, invertebrates, bacteria and other living beings, as well as the nonliving items found in that community, like water, rocks and soil. Weather and climate are also aspects of any ecosystem.
There are several different ecosystems at Minute Man National Historical Park. We invite you to explore each of them and investigate which living and non-living things live in each. Additionally, we wonder if you can figure out why some plants and animals can live in some ecosystems and not others. What adaptations, or special features, do they have that help them survive and thrive in their homes.

 

Forests: An area with trees and woody plants. Minute Man has a mixed forest ecosystem, which means there are both deciduous (trees that lose their leaves each fall) and coniferous (evergreen) trees.
Animals:

1. Gray Squirrel

Plants:

1. Birch tree

Non-Living things

1. Granite rocks

Adaptations:

1. Birch trees have flexible branches so the snow does not break them.

Wetlands: An area covered by water, including lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, swamps, bogs, marshes and vernal pools. Freshwater wetlands in Minute Man include the Concord River, marshlands near Elm Brook along the Battle Road Trail. There is also a vernal pool trail across the way from Hartwell Tavern.

Animals:

Plants:

Non-Living things

Adaptations:

Meadows and Grasslands: An area mostly covered in grass, flowers and non-woody plants. At Minute Man this includes traditional meadows, as well as farm fields.
Animals:

Plants:

Non-Living things

Adaptations:

Developed areas: Areas of the park where there is evidence of human habitation, including buildings, parking lots, gardens, and lawns.
Animals:

1. Humans

Plants:

Non-Living things

Adaptations: