What is an ecosystem concept map?
The ecosystem is a common word for most but is a broad and complex concept when you look at it closely. It involves all living things like the animals, organisms, and plants in a particular area, their interaction with other living things, and non-living surroundings. Inside an ecosystem are organisms with distinct niches and roles to play.
Ecosystems can be as intimate and small as tide ponds or incredibly vast as forests and the ocean. The entirety of the earth's surface even comprises connected ecosystems.
With all the points being laid out, you need some visual illustrator to help you organize how the ecosystem functions. It would be likely impossible to illustrate the totality of the ecosystem as it varies in several factors. This is why you need to categorize them to understand the ecosystem.
Benefits of using an ecosystem concept map
As broad as the subject of the ecosystem is, it is already a given to break them down into specific concepts to provide a precise explanation of the topic. Of course, you can also choose to illustrate the macro perspective of the ecosystem.
Concept mapping allows you to focus on one particular type of ecosystem. An ecosystem concept map provides a clearer view of the elements involved in a specific ecosystem. Using online tools to build the concept map, you can insert images and stickers, which are also essential for diagramming. In addition, concept maps also can clarify a specific subject, whether your purpose is to illustrate an ecosystem's general or particular view.
Ecosystem Concept Map Templates
There are various ecosystems from which you can base your concept maps. Below are some of them:
Concept maps are a medium to visually illustrate concepts and ideas as you can also use the diagram to assess students' understanding of a subject. The example below shows an ecosystem concept map where students are asked to fill every node with the provided words to build and explain the ecosystem.
Example 1
The concept map below proves how broad an ecosystem can be. It focuses on one of the types of ecosystem, which is insect ecology. This ecosystem concept map represents the scientific study of insects and how they individually and collectively interact within the ecosystem.
As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, an ecosystem also involves non-living things. That is why you see on the concept map below climate and geography as they can affect the behavior of insects and other elements in the surrounding environment.
Example 2
You can see from the concept map example below that it talks about ecology. It still can be related to the ecosystem concept, as the ecosystem is like a subpart of ecology. On the lower part of the map, you can see several elements that comprise an ecosystem like plants and animals, water, light, and temperature, among others.
Example 3
