ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY ENV118 CHRISTOPHER SPERRAZZA Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, I never really thought of Cape Cod as more than a long drive and a lot of sand but when I made the move south I learned it is much more than that. Though it is famous for its pristine beaches it is an excellent example of ecosystem diversity. Ecosystem diversity is defined as the variety of habitats that occur within a region, or the mosaic of patches found within a landscape. For example here on the Cape we have grasslands, wetlands, rivers, estuaries, fresh and salt water marshes, meadows, and forests. The Cape Cod National Seashore consisting of uplands, wetlands, and coastal systems support 450 species of amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals, and a myriad of invertebrate animals, and roughly 25 endangered species alone. Our ever changing seasonal climate along with glacial movement deposits and melting creating extremely deep fresh water kettle ponds have led to this wonderfully chaotic area where some fish actually have adapted to living in two separate ecosystems. Coastal erosion continues to reshape and redefine some of the local ecosystems, taking from one and depositing in another. Though there are many water related systems they are not alone we have many different types that are land based also. Forest areas and grasslands or fields are home to many types of species as well. Once I started paying attention to my surroundings I became