Examine the flora and fauna in your area, and try to identify the type of ecosystems present. Terrestrial ecosystems include arctic, alpine, forest, grassland, Savannah and desert; aquatic ecosystems include lakes, rivers, marshlands, reefs and sea floor ecosystems. Refer to the Environmental Protection agency website (www.epa.org) for pictures of different types of ecosystems.
Make a list of ecosystems that would be unlikely to occur in your area. If you live inland, list marine ecosystems, since these ecosystems occur only in and around the ocean. If you live in a warm climate, list tundra ecosystems, since these ecosystems are only found where it is cold.
Select the ecosystems out of your list of unlikely ecosystems that could potentially occur in your area under certain conditions. For example, if you live in South Carolina, you might name Boreal forest, which is not likely to be found in South Carolina, but not impossible (in small patches) either.
Contact an ecologist in your area, and ask him if any of these atypical ecosystems exist in your state. Look for ecologists at colleges and agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency. If the first ecologist you contact is not able to answer this question, ask them to refer you to another ecologist whom specializes in your state's ecosystem. Ask the ecologist how many acres of the atypical ecosystem are found in your state. Write this figure down on a piece of paper.
Visit some of the rare ecosystems in your area, if there are any. Remember, a rare ecosystem is one where the characteristic flora and fauna are unlikely to occur. If a certain type of forest represents less than 1% of the ecosystem in a given area, it is a low probability ecosystem. Go out and examine the flora and fauna in these ecosystems, and try to think of ways that they could have appeared in areas this type of ecosystem is more common. For example, if the rare ecosystem is found on top of a high mountain in a state that is mostly prairies or desert, elevation could be responsible for the ecosystem's rarity.