Ecosystem Facelift

What is an ecosystem? Ecosystems are the complex interaction of all the living and non-living aspects of a particular area. The plants, animals, micro-organisms, water, nutrients, energy and air are all inter-dependent aspects of the ecosystem and form a balance that sustains itself. An ecosystem can be large, such as a mountain valley, or it can be as small as a tree. Ecosystems can become unbalanced when one of the aspects of the ecosystem is destroyed or disappears, such as when the water in a wetland is drained, or the animal predators disappear. Ecosystems need to be managed for the good of the entire ecosystem to ensure species biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem. Use Project WILD’s “Ecosystem Facelift” to explore the restoration of several ecosystems. Students will design their own restoration plan, deciding what organisms and non-living components they will reintroduce and how they will manage the ecosystem.

Enrichment Activity:
Have students contact a local conservation organization to ask about any current restoration projects in their area or to obtain information about any former local restoration projects.

Book List

Grades PreK-2
Amos, W.H. 1981. Life in Ponds and Streams. National Geographic Society.
Brenner, B. and T. Leonard. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. HarperCollins Childrens Books.
Cefrey, H. 2003. Grasslands. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Cherry, L. 2002. A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Children’s Books.
Costian, M. 2001. Life in a Tree: Focus, Habitat. Tandem Library.
Fleming, D. and D. Powers. 1996. Where Once There Was a Wood. Henry Holt and Company, Inc.
Fowler, A. 1999. Our Living Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Fowler, A. 1996. Life in a Pond. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gibbons, G. 1997. Nature’s Green Umbrella. Harpercollins Childrens Books.
Guiberson, R.Z. and M. Lloyd. Cactus Hotel. Henry Holt and Co.
Kalman, B. 1997. What Is a Biome? Boston: Crabtree Company.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. The Ecosystem of a Fallen Tree. Rosen Publishing Group.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. The Ecosystem of an Apple Tree. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. The Ecosystem of a Grassy Field. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. The Ecosystem of a Stream. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Pfeffer, W. and R. Brickman. 1997. A Log's Life. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Ring, S. 2003. Ocean. Coughlan Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Brenner, B. and T. Leonard. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. HarperCollins Childrens Books.
Cherry, L. 2002. A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Children’s Books.
Green, J. 1999. A Dead Log. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Johansson, P. 2004. Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johansson, P. 2004. Temperate Forest: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into the Ocean. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a River. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a Wetland. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into an Estuary. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a Lake. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L., P.V. Saroff and G. Braasch. 2000. A Walk in the Prairie. Lerner Publishing Group.
Kalman, B. 1997. What Is a Biome? Boston: Crabtree Company.
Morris, N. 1998. Forests. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Nadeau, I. 2001. Food Chains in a Forest Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. Ecosystem of a Milkweed Patch. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Penny, M. 2003. Life in a Rotten Log. Raintree.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log’s Life. Simon & Schuster.
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.
Tagliaferro, L. 2006. Explore the Deciduous Forest. Coughlan Publishing.


Grades 6-8
Brenner, B. and T. Leonard. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. HarperCollins Childrens Books.
Cherry, L. 2002. A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Children’s Books.
Daniel, C. 2002. Ecosystems. Steck-Vaughn
Green, J. 1999. A Dead Log. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Johansson, P. 2004. Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johansson, P. 2004. Temperate Forest: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into the Ocean. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a River. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a Wetland. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into an Estuary. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L. and P.V. Saroff. 2004. Journey into a Lake. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, R.L., P.V. Saroff and G. Braasch. 2000. A Walk in the Prairie. Lerner Publishing Group.
Kalman, B. 1997. What Is a Biome? Boston: Crabtree Company.
Lane, B. and L. Buller. 2005. Ecology. DK Publishing, Inc.
Morris, N. 1998. Forests. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Nadeau, I. 2001. Food Chains in a Forest Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. Ecosystem of a Milkweed Patch. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Penny, M. 2003. Life in a Rotten Log. Raintree.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log’s Life. Simon & Schuster.
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.
Tagliaferro, L. 2006. Explore the Deciduous Forest. Coughlan Publishing.



Grades 9-12
Novacek, M. J. 2007. Terra : Our 100-Million-Year-Old Ecosystem--and the Threats That Now Put It at Risk. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Our Human Planet : Summary for Decision-Makers. New York: Island P.
Stolzenburg, W. 2008. Where the Wild Things Were : Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators. Grand Rapids: Bloomsbury.
Walker, B., Salt,D., and Reid, W. 2006. Resilience Thinking : Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. New York: Island P.