Title: Ecological Interactions of Living Organisms in Beaver Creek
Statement of the Problem: How do the organisms in Beaver Creek interact with the biotic and abiotic portions of the ecosystem?
The sample was taken from Beaver Creek (a tributary of Tookany Creek) in Glenside, Montgomery County, PA. The pH of the creek was 5.5, and the stream velocity was detectable (greater or equal to walking speed). In the area of collection, the stream width was one meter and the depth was 14 cm. There was no odor and the stream was clear. The sample was collected in the shade, and the amount of litter was between zero and ten.
Research Questions: What ecological interactions occurred in the ecosystem? How do the interactions relate to the flow of energy and the cycling of matter?
Procedure:
On March 21, the class went out to Beaver Creek, a tributary of Tookany Creek. Each student collected a sample of soil and water from the Creek. We added a piece of tape to indicate the initial water level in the cup. The cups were placed on a lab table and each week, over the course of four weeks, each student made macroscopic and microscopic observations about his/her ecosystem. At the end of the observation …show more content…
When I learned about the factors that affect the primary production of an ecosystem, namely light and nutrients, I learned that there can be harmful results if these factors are altered. If there is an increase in nutrients, which causes an increase in the production of diatoms, the algal bloom that can result effect not only the fish who directly eat the diatoms, but it can also have effects at a larger scale. Because the diatoms are at the bottom of the food chain, if there is a problem at that level, it can cause consequences all the way up the food web, even to humans. For these reasons, I would not drink from the
Statement of the Problem: How do the organisms in Beaver Creek interact with the biotic and abiotic portions of the ecosystem?
The sample was taken from Beaver Creek (a tributary of Tookany Creek) in Glenside, Montgomery County, PA. The pH of the creek was 5.5, and the stream velocity was detectable (greater or equal to walking speed). In the area of collection, the stream width was one meter and the depth was 14 cm. There was no odor and the stream was clear. The sample was collected in the shade, and the amount of litter was between zero and ten.
Research Questions: What ecological interactions occurred in the ecosystem? How do the interactions relate to the flow of energy and the cycling of matter?
Procedure:
On March 21, the class went out to Beaver Creek, a tributary of Tookany Creek. Each student collected a sample of soil and water from the Creek. We added a piece of tape to indicate the initial water level in the cup. The cups were placed on a lab table and each week, over the course of four weeks, each student made macroscopic and microscopic observations about his/her ecosystem. At the end of the observation …show more content…
When I learned about the factors that affect the primary production of an ecosystem, namely light and nutrients, I learned that there can be harmful results if these factors are altered. If there is an increase in nutrients, which causes an increase in the production of diatoms, the algal bloom that can result effect not only the fish who directly eat the diatoms, but it can also have effects at a larger scale. Because the diatoms are at the bottom of the food chain, if there is a problem at that level, it can cause consequences all the way up the food web, even to humans. For these reasons, I would not drink from the