Results: Initially, our ecobottle did very well. Within the first week, we observed great growth in the terrestrial chamber with seven grass sprouts. The aquatic chamber was also doing very well with clear water and healthy plant. The compost chamber did look dry, but we were not initially concerned with that. The second week, though, began to decrease progression in the terrestrial chamber. While some of the grass was still growing, the number of sprouts decreased and it took on a yellow color and the soil appeared also very dry. By the third week, the terrestrial chamber no longer supported any visible plants. The plant in the aquatic chamber, though, began to grow noticeably fast. The compost and terrestrial chamber soil continued to look dry each week until week five and six …show more content…
Week five and six, though, brought great growth to the aquatic chamber where small amounts of algae began to grow and new shoots sprouted from the aquatic plant.
Conclusion: As we began with just soil, the ecobottle was an example of a secondary succession where there was an ecosystem having to start over with only soil present. Initially we saw our pioneer species of grass begin to sprout up and our aquatic plant thrive. The aquatic plant grew continuously and helped algae begin to grow as succession continued and the chamber could support more and more life. The terrestrial chamber though quickly showed signs of a decrease in growth and then completely collapsed. I believe that this was because of a limiting nutrient which is a nutrient required for the growth of the grass but was available in a lower quantity than other nutrients so the grass began to die once all of that nutrient was used up. This nutrient could have a number of macronutrients that plants need large amount of like water or phosphorous but was likely nitrogen. Nitrogen is very common in the atmosphere, but needs to go through nitrogen fixation to be available to producers so it is often in limited
Elodea also known as Elodea canadensis is a genus of aquatic plants. They are also called waterweeds and is mainly used in aquarium vegetation. It plays a significant role in aquatic vegetation as it produces a significant amount of carbon dioxide under the perfect conditions. Elodea mainly grows in shallow water and can also be sometimes found in deep water. The plant for this experiment is kept in a water tank. We use elodea for this experiment as this is a very good plant that play a crucial part in our experiment. The amount of carbon dioxide produced by the plant during the experiment can be used to understand the rate of the reaction.
Brassica rapa is a mustard plant that can be found throughout North America, and is common in areas undergoing extreme change, such as changes in climate. There is an important relationship between the ecological and genetic factors that influence the growth of Brassica rapa (Mitchell-Olds 1996). So, the environmental elements, as well as the genetic information, are essential to the growth rate and survival of Brassica rapa. This plant is capable of reproducing quickly, and the root systems are usually quite small, although some Brassica rapa have developed larger root systems (Mitchell-Olds 1996). This plant is commonly used in experiments because of its ability to germinate rapidly. Brassica rapa is capable of sprouting within a stage of about two weeks, and this trait allows scientists to perform experiments in a short period of time.
For a species to survive and flourish within a given environment, it not only needs to replace itself but also all the other species around it exclusively. Hence, if one species completely replaces another species, the result is a single dominant species, a monoculture (source 2). According to Gause’s law, every species in a given environment occupies different niches for survival. Therefore, two separate species competing for similar resources cannot fundamentally coexist (source Gause). This is known as the competitive exclusion principle. When comparing animal niche’s to that of different autotrophic plants, one can rather easily differentiate adequate ecological niches for the animal species merely based on food-requirements (P.J. Grubb). On the contrary, many autotrophic plants contradict the competitive exclusion principle by sharing similar ecological niches such as sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and alike mineral nutrients (p.j. grubb).
For lab six, the class was given the task to come up with any experiment using the material given on the overhead. The question my group was trying to test was, does a variation in solution affect the growth or production of duckweed? Duck weeds are one type of plant that has the ability to eliminate nitrogen and phosphate out of fresh water. This is called phytoremediation (Bunnell 84). Since humans use other organism to clean up environmental contamination, we would call this bioremediation. Duckweed can also be used as a natural wastewater system treatment method, which is ideal for developing countries (Nhapi 2004). Duckweed based ponds in combination with pre-treatment may be a feasible option for organic matter and nutrient removal
Comparing the values of specific growth rates in six different growth and nutritional conditions (see table ), Chlorella sp. growing mixotrophically in light condition, supplied with acetate, shows the highest specific growth rate, after which Chlorella sp. growing heterotrophically in dark condition and supplied with acetate, and Spirulina sp. growing mixotrophically with acetate as the supplement are the second and the third highest in specific growth rate, respectively. Therefore, a mixed autotrophic and heterotrophic (mixotrophic) culture is preferable, however a heterotrophic culture is still suitable to both Chlorella sp. and Spirulina sp. showing a faster growth rate compared to autotrophic cultures.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
Two members of the group were instructed to visit the laboratory each day of the experiment to water and measure the plants (Handout 1). The measurements that were preformed were to be precise and accurate by the group by organizing a standardized way to measure the plants. The plants were measured from the level of the soil, which was flat throughout all the cups, to the tip of the apical meristems. The leaves were not considered. The watering of the plants took place nearly everyday, except for the times the lab was closed. Respective of cup label, the appropriate drop of solution was added to the plant, at the very tip of the apical meristems.
We used wheatgrass were 40 wheatgrass seeds, two empty pots, soil, and water. We first added soil for both pots and 20 wheatgrass seeds in each pot. My partner and I decided that we label pot one experiment which is “sugar and water” and pot two control which is “water” only. The experiment was for almost four weeks we had to make sure both get the same room temperature and water, so we can see the results after this amount of time. Both pots had same room temperature so both can have the same amount of sunlight also, the same amount of water which is a glass of water from the sink once a week. In the experiment pot we added a glass of water with one teaspoon of sugar and the control pot glass of water. Every week we used to see both pots grow almost the same. At the end of the experiment, my partner and I measured the length for both plants and we recorded the average for each plant, so we can know the rate of growth
...nges in soil structure and soil biota of nutrient-poor grassland. Global Change Biology 9: 585-600.
The second part of this lab deals with photosynthesis. This lab has several experiments. In the first experiment students will learn about the effects that different colored test tubes have on photosynthesis in elodea sprigs.
A wetland is an area where the ground is soaked or underwater for most of the year. Therefore, the ground is soggy and soft for the most part. Marshes and wet meadows are flooded grasslands, swamps are watery forests, and bogs and fens are areas with peat-covered ground. Tidal activity causes the water level of coastal marshes’ to change. Wet meadows are flooded for short periods each year; thus, they have drier soils than most other wetlands. In many large wetland complexes, the different wetlands overlap with each other, and the organisms in the individual wetlands interact with organisms from a neighboring wetland. Wetlands are considered transitional habitats, which is land that is between solid grounds with flowing or standing water. With the moist conditions of wetlands, it is one of the richest habitats on earth.
Recently for my environmental class we took a field trip to the Wabashiki Wetlands. The Wabashiki Wetland is located in Terre Haute, Indiana. These Wetlands are there today due to the Terre Haute Tomorrow organization created in the early 2000’s. The land used to be used for many industries and mainly farmland. My group member Nigel and I were required to form a hypothesis about soil samples we took from the wetlands. Our hypothesis was that our soil samples from the wooded area of the wetlands would have fewer nutrients than the area where there used to be farmland. Through the remainder of the paper we will be talking about our methods of testing the soil, results of those tests, and our conclusion. The conclusion will discuss the final outcome of our hypothesis and an explanation of that outcome.
Thesis: Forests provide the earth with a regulated climate, strong biodiversity, and good nutrient rich soil for plants to strive on.
Water temperature changes will not produce an effect on photosynthetic properties of freshwater algae. Temperature affects photosynthesis by allowing the algae or aquatic vegetation to photosynthesize and respire when there is an optimum room temperature. As water temperature rises, the rate of photosynthesis increases, providing there are adequate amounts of nutrients, but if water temperature plummets and there is a lack of sufficient amounts of nutrients, then the rate of photosynthesis will decrease.
0-7-30 and Selinigrass + Se on the land to try and improve the quality of the soil. A river runs