Contextualization

Ecological relationships are the various types of interactions that occur among living beings in an ecosystem, whether they are of the same species (intraspecific relationships) or different species (interspecific relationships). These interactions can be harmonious, when all individuals involved benefit or at least none are harmed, or disharmonious, when one or more individuals are harmed.

These interactions play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Through them, it is possible to understand, for example, how a species becomes dominant, how competition for resources occurs, how predation and coevolution between species take place, among other phenomena. Thus, the study of ecological relationships is essential to understand the complexity of life on Earth.

Importance of Ecological Relationships

In the real world, understanding ecological relationships plays a crucial role in areas such as conservation and ecological restoration, pest management, agriculture, health, predicting environmental impacts, and making decisions for sustainability.

For example, understanding the predation relationship between species can be used to control the population of a pest insect in a plantation by introducing natural predators of that pest. Similarly, knowledge about the competition relationship between species can help predict how the introduction of an exotic species into an environment can affect local species.

Practical Activity: "EcoRelations - A Simulation About Ecological Relationships in Nature"

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to deepen the understanding of ecological relationships through a playful, fun, and collaborative activity. The proposed activity is the creation and management of a simulated ecosystem, where students will apply the concepts of ecological relationships to maintain the biodiversity and sustainability of this ecosystem.

Detailed Project Description

Each group of 3 to 5 students will be responsible for creating and managing an ecosystem in a terrarium or aquarium (the choice of ecosystem type will be defined by the group). The ecosystem to be created can be terrestrial (in a terrarium) or aquatic (in an aquarium).

Students should research the species that will inhabit this environment and the possible ecological relationships that may occur. They should plan and execute the introduction of species into the ecosystem and monitor and record all interactions and changes that occur during a 30-day period.

During ecosystem management, students should make interventions whenever necessary to maintain the sustainability of the ecosystem, always basing their decisions on the concepts of ecological relationships studied.

In addition, students should research and discuss how knowledge of ecological relationships can help in real problems, such as biodiversity conservation, pest management in agriculture and health, predicting environmental impacts, and making decisions for sustainability.

Necessary Materials

• An aquarium or terrarium (depending on the chosen ecosystem type)
• Living species to inhabit the ecosystem (plants, animals, fungi, etc.)
• Suitable substrate for the ecosystem (soil, water, sand, stones, etc.)
• Food for the species (if necessary)
• Camera to record the development of the ecosystem
• Materials for measuring physical-chemical parameters of the ecosystem (pH, temperature, luminosity, etc.)
• Office materials for recording observations (notebook, pen, computer, etc.)

Detailed Step-by-Step

1. Research and Planning: Research the species that could inhabit the ecosystem and the possible ecological relationships that may occur between them. Plan how you will set up the ecosystem, which species you will introduce, and in what order.
2. Ecosystem Assembly: Assemble the ecosystem according to the plan. Introduce the species and record the entire process.
3. Ecosystem Monitoring: For 30 days, monitor the ecosystem daily, recording all interactions and changes that occur. Make interventions, if necessary, to maintain the sustainability of the ecosystem.
4. Discussion and Reflection: Discuss as a group the observed interactions, the interventions made, and the results achieved. Relate the learning to real problems and discuss how the knowledge of ecological relationships can help solve these problems.

Deliverables and Preparation of the Final Document

After completing the ecosystem monitoring, each group must prepare a detailed project report containing:

1. Introduction: Provide context for the theme, its relevance and real-world application, and the project's objective.
2. Development: Explain the theory about ecological relationships, detail how the ecosystem was set up and managed, the materials used, the interventions made, and the results observed. Include photographs and graphs to illustrate.
3. Conclusion: Conclude the work by summarizing its main points, explaining the learnings obtained, and the conclusions drawn about the project. Discuss how the acquired knowledge can be applied in real situations.
4. Bibliography: Indicate the research sources used for the project.

This report must be submitted within the established deadline and will be an important part of the project evaluation.