Transcript Pond study - kendricknovak

What is an aquatic ecosystem?
Agenda for Tuesday Sept 20th
1. Outside to collect water samples/data
2. Finish aquatic ecosystem presentations
Learning Targets
1. Describe a pond and its characteristics
2. Identify parameters that constitute a healthy
pond/wetland
Rivers and streams
• Start at headwater and flow to mouth
• Characteristic change as you go down a river
– Slow water vs fast water
– Plants and animals differ
Lakes and Ponds
• 4 zones
– Littoral – sunlight reaches the bottom, closest to shore
– Limnetic – open water area that well lit (sunlight does
not reach bottom)
– Profundal – no light, colder
– Benthic - bottom
What makes a healthy pond?
Agenda for Wednesday Sept 21st
1. Finish notes
2. Testing
Learning Targets
1. Describe a pond and its characteristics
2. Identify parameters that constitute a healthy
podn/wetland
Transitional Aquatic Ecosystems
• Wetlands
• Estuaries
– Freshwater merges with saltwater (river to ocean)
– Salt tolerant species
– Used for nurseries for young
Marine Ecosystem
• Intertidal zone
– Ocean meets land
– Organisms are adapted to
changes – tide
• Open ocean ecosystem
– 4 zones – photic, aphotic,
benthic, abyssal
– Species diversity decreases
with depth
Marine Ecosystem
• Coastal ocean and coral reefs
– Most diverse ecosystems
– Protect shorelines from erosion
– Sensitive to change
Ponds/Wetlands
• Also known as marshes, bogs, swamps
• A lot of species
– Amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects, mammals
– MN, 43% endangered/threatened species use
wetlands
• Benefits
– Recreation (hunt, bird watch, fish)
– Improve water quality (absorb contaminants and N2)
– Help control flooding
List 2 uses for a pond/wetland
Agenda for Thursday Sept 22nd
1. Finish testing/looking for organisms
2. Go over chemical testing – what does it mean
3. Start research
Learning Targets
1. Describe a pond and its characteristics
2. Identify parameters that constitute a healthy
pond/wetland
Chemical testing – what does it mean?
• pH
– normal range for most ponds is from 6.8 to 7.8
– natural daily fluctuations
– Limestone raises pH
• Dissolved Oxygen
– About 10 ppm is normal
– DO below 3 ppm stress most warmwater species
of fish
– below 2 ppm will kill some species/stress fish
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen
• Sources
– Fish waste
– Too many fish in a body of water that is too small
– Fertilizer run-off
– Decaying plants and insects
• High Levels = increased plant growth
– Eutrophication – rapid plant growth
• Uses oxygen and gives off toxins
• Kills plants/animals
Nitrogen
• Less than 10 ppm is wanted
– 10 mg/L
• More will increase plant growth
Phosphate
• Sources
– living and decaying plant and animal remains
– Sediments, soils, rocks
– partially treated and untreated sewage,
– runoff from agricultural sites
– some lawn fertilizers
• Levels
Phosphate
• Importance
– key element necessary for growth of plants and
animals
• growth limiting nutrient
– low levels limit the production of freshwater systems
– Unlike nitrogen, phosphate is retained in the soil
– Not toxic unless they are present in very high levels
Phosphate
Table 7. Phosphate-phosphorus levels and effects
Total phosphate/ phosphorus*
Effects
0.01-0.03 mg/L
Amount of phosphatephosphorus in most
uncontaminated lakes
0.025 mg/L
Accelerates the eutrophication
process in lakes
0.1 mg/L
Recommended maximum for
rivers and streams
* If an orthophosphate test cube or ortho/metaphosphate color disk gives you values
above the total phosphate/ phosphorous values given above, there is cause for
concern.
What happens when there is too
much phosphorous in a pond?
Agenda for Friday Sept 23rd
1. Finish notes
2. Start research
Learning Targets
1. Describe a pond and its characteristics
2. Identify parameters that constitute a healthy
pond/wetland
Animals
• Predictable results
• Invertebrates are relatively sedentary and representative of local
conditions
• Large number of species involved
– Exhibit a range of sensitivities to contaminants
• Ubiquitous
• Fish and other aquatic organisms are used sometimes
Diversity and Taxon Richness
• More diversity the better
– Great Habitat for life
• Some animals are sensitive
– More sensitive animals the better the environment
• Keystone species
– Species whose health/existence influences entire
ecosystem
What does it mean if our pond is
very diverse?
Agenda for Monday Sept 26th
1. Finish research and presentation
Quiz Wednesday
Learning Targets
1. Describe a pond and its characteristics
2. Identify parameters that constitute a healthy
pond/wetland
Research
• Look up information about ponds/wetlands
– Specific to MN and other places
– Animals, chemical testing requirements
– Other (uses for ponds, habitats for specific
organisms)
• Compare to our pond
– Draw conclusions – how does our pond compare?
– Is it healthy? Why or why not
– What could we do to improve?
Make a presentation
• You and your lab partner will make a
presentation
• Everyone is required to talk and share
information
• At least 5 minutes long