Investigating something as complex as an ecosystem requires careful observation and recording. Biologists might study an ecosystem to learn more about a particular organism, to assess the effect of human impact, or to investigate the effect of abiotic characteristics. Field research is an important method in biology.

Field studies provide the necessary data to facilitate many important ecological decisions such as conservation efforts, land use, land development and many others.

In this lesson you will explore the following essential questions:

• What can observations on biotic and abiotic factors gathered in a field study tell you about an ecosystem?
  
• How do human activities affect ecosystems?