3rd Journal Entry

Data:

Control Ecoflask:
pH 8.0
Dissolved Oxygen 5.09mL/g
Phophate 0.5 ppm

Experimental Ecoflask:
pH 7.59
Dissolved Oxygen 3.5 mL/g
Phosphate 0.55 ppm

The results for the pH were 8.0 in the control flask and 7.59 for the experimental flask. The results fell in the desired range for both the control and experimental groups which is between 6.5 and 9.5. The dissolved oxygen level decreased even more from the optimum range with 3.5 mL/g for the experimental group and 5.09 mL/g for the control group. The optimum range is 9.1 m/L and 11.3 m/Lfor dissolved oxygen. A new test was added becuase of the algae problem we have in the control ecoflask since high levels of phosphate signal increase in algae. Both of the phosphate levels were low and suprisingly the experimental flask had a higher ppm though not by much.


Our ecoflasks have changed considerably since the last journal entry. In the control ecoflask, the elodea we originally put is dead and decaying, but there are several strands of unrooted elodea that just emerged. However, the elodea in the experimental flask is thriving. The few pieces of living daphnia that were left from last time are decying in both flasks. Some other changes that occurred were the death of the 2 pond snails that we added in the control flask. More snails might be alive but through the algea covered walls of the ecoflask we did not find any. A total of five pond snails should have been found in the experimental flask if no deaths exsisted but we were only able to find 3 live snails and one dead snail.

The death of the elodea in the control ecoflask was suprising to us since it was one of the things that we expected our ecoflask to support. The death is even more mystifing since the emerging of new elodea plants mean that there is sufficient nutrients for them. One possible reason for the deaths might be the lack of sunlight because the algae on the walls. To keep homeostaisis in our control flask, I think we should take out some of the decaying plant matter. If this is left if in a rise in carbon dioxide and other changes will threaten the balance in the ecoflask.

DATA

Control Group:
1/19/06
Dissovled Oxygen: 10.5 m/L
pH: 9.05
2/2/06
Dissovled Oxygen: 5.7 m/L
pH: 8.59

Experimental Group
1/19/06
Dissovled Oxygen: 10.5 m/L
pH: 9.55
2/2/06
Dissovled Oxygen: 6.5 m/L
pH:9.09

2nd JOURNAL ENTRY

1. Give a detailed qualitative analysis in narrative format (paragraphs) of changes that have occurred in your column since initial construction. LOOK AT PRIOR ENTRY TO REMEMBER WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. If you have photos, be sure to look at them and compare. Write to give the reader a mental PICTURE of what's going on.

Since initial construction, several changes have occurred. Our control group was the flask with algae(Chlorophyta, Cladophera) and the experimental group did not. Because the algae was added, the control flask had darker water than the experimental group. This is still the same but both flasks have clearer water than before with the addition of organisms(look at question 2). As before, the walls of the control group still has green vine like plants growing on it limiting the amount of sunlight able to enter. These plants possibly algae is growing on both sides of the control flask though not entirely covering each side. The experimental flask has these structures growing on the sides also but less is present. The vine like plants cover only one side partially in the experimental group. The 3 snails that were observed before in the experimental group are still alive and considerably bigger than before. The elodea(Alismatales, Elodea) plants in both flasks also seem to be thriving because they are still rooted and no signs of decay is present. Another change that was observed was the decaying of the duckweed(Alismatales, Lemna). There is white residue floating in the water, probably from decaying duckweed and only a small portion of green duckweed left from what we originally put in both flasks.

2. Which new organisms are you adding (sci. names)? Why and how did you decide on the numbers? Explain your reasoning using some of the terms/ideas you used in your research proposal. How will your efforts lead to homeostasis in the column?

On 2/2/06 we added:

3 brine shrimps(Anostraca, Artemia)

8 green hydras(Hydrozoa, Hydra)

13 water fleas(Cladocera, Daphnia)

and 2 pond snails(Gastropoda, Austropeplea) in each flask.

We decided to add less green hydras than water fleas because in our research we found that hydras eat water fleas and we wanted to water fleas to be able to continuously reproduce and provide as a food source for the hydras. These numbers of the organisms were decided because the sizes were smaller than we expected and we thought 8 green hydras and 13 water fleas could comfortable live in the ecoflasks with the other organisms. Next we decided on 2 pond snails in each flask because of their size and the amount of sustenece needed is greater than of the hydras or water fleas. After the snails we added 3 brine shrimps to our flasks and this was something that we recently realized will not add to homeostasis in our eco flasks. When we added this we thought they would keep the population of the hydras down but now we know that they will die because they need salt water to live. Despite this mistake we think that the pond snails will keep the populations of the water fleas and hydras while the hydras and water fleas eat each other and decaying matter.

3. Are there any abiotic additions or subtractions being performed today?Why or why not?

The only abiotic additions were the minimal amounts of water added with the organisms and the subtractions occur whenever we perform a pH test or a dissolved oxygen test.

4. Identify at least one new, interesting, or unexpected development in your columns. Why do you think this occurred? How will this effect the balance in your column in the future?

One unexpected development in our flasks is the deaths of our duckweed. Many reasons could be associated with this. The organisms that we added or something caused by the addition of the organisms could be the reason why the duckweed is dying. This will reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen levels and affect the organisms. This will also increase the amount of decaying matter in the column.

5. What were the results of your pH and DO tests? What do these results mean and how will you respond? Identify how the readings compared with acceptable ranges for aquatic ecosystems. Will you continue to run these two tests, or do you want to try some new ones next time. Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.

The results for the pH test was 8.59 for the control group and 9.09 for the experimental group. Both of the results fell in the acceptable range which is between 6.5 and 9.5. The results for the dissolved oxygen tests were a little bit more worrying. The results for the control group was 5.7 m/L and 6.5 m/L for the experimental group. The optimum range is between 9.1 m/L and 11.3 m/L aqautic ecosystems. Both of the levels were too low and we might try to raise it by adding more plants to make up for the dying duckweed and the addition of the organisms. Next time we might consider performing other tests to determine the amount of decayed matter not consumed by the organisms.

6. Read the excerpt printed below. Pick two of the characteristics that make a "“good scientist" and explain in detail how you and your group are doing these things in your ecocolumn work. Taken from: http://newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/gen01233.htm
In response to a question on "What makes a good scientist?"”,
Ric Rupnik wrote the following:
I do not have an author to quote with a profound answerto your question. I will make a few comments as to what I have personally experienced in those I feelfall into the "good" scientist category:
Someone who:

1. has a passion for learning
2. has an open mind and is not disabled by boundaries of thought
3. can look at situations from many angles
4. is not frustrated in finding one or several plausible solutions regardless of the time involved,and who can use failure to improve future approaches to problem solving
5. uses learned knowledge and theories but is not fully bound by them in facing new situations , i.e.can think outside the box
6. can acknowledge input / feelings from others as one source of information but not be overly swayed by that input
7. has at their core a desire to improve the human condition without adversely affecting the environment or other living things
8. is honest in the collection and analysis of data whether they support his (her) own theories or not
9. communicates clearly their findings with honesty as a primary consideration, leaving funding andpolitics for others to consider

I am sure there are other good qualities, someindication of aptitude or intelligence as well as working with others without ego which could increasetheir effectiveness, but lacking these would not makethem ineffective as a scientist.
Ric Rupnik, ScientistArgonne National Laboratory (University of Chicago)

I think that our group and I has been demonstrating these two characteristics very well.
6. can acknowledge input / feelings from others as one source of information but not be overly swayed by that input
7. has at their core a desire to improve the human condition without adversely affecting the environment
In our group we discuss our ideas about why something is happening in our flask and even though we might disagree we listen to the ideas and acknowlege them. However when someone presents a theory or information we don't always just accept it if we believe it is wrong or accurate. While completing this project we try to be considerate to the organisms we use and try to provide them with the necessary environment. We also realize that what we learn from this project could improve the human condition and we work towards this goal enthusiastically. This project can show us how every organism is linked with another and what happens if this chain is broken.

1st JOURNAL ENTRY

1. Give a detailed qualitative analysis in narrative format (paragraphs) of changes that have occurred in your flasks since your initial construction and the addition of producers. Write to give the reader a mental PICTURE of what’s going on in the flasks. What are the similarities and differences? Be sure to remind the reader about what constitutes your control and experimental groups.

Both the flasks rooted elodea and duckweed plants floating on top of the water. This shows that the plants are healthy and growing. In our control group we put algae in and consequently the water is cloudier and the sides of the flask have algae covering it. Although we didn't put algae in the experimental group, we can see evidence of algae in it though not as much is present as in the control group. Another difference between the flasks is that in the experimental group we found at least 3 snails that might have com along with the elodea but we didn't observe any snails in thecontroll flask. A number of different reasons could have been the cause like no snails were on the elodea that we put in the control group or a more serious reason could be that the flask is not able to support life.

2. Which two tests did you run? What were the results for each flask? Did they fall within acceptable ranges? If a test fell within range, give two reasons why you believe the test result was favorable. If not, give twopossiblee reasons describing why the test result was unfavorable.

The two tests we performed on the flasks were a pH test and a dissolved oxygen test. The results for the control group was a pH of 9.05 and a dissolved oxygen level of 10.5 ppm (ml/g). The results for the experimental group was a pH of 9.55 and a dissolved oxygen level of 10.5 ppm (ml/g). The dissolved oxygen levels were the same for both flasks and the result was favorable because the healthy range for fresh water at room temperature is between 9.1 and 11.3. Some reasons that the results turned out the way they did might be that the elodea andDaphniaa arephotosynthesizingg well and producing a lot of oxygen. The environment the flasks were in could have affected the results positively too like the temperature of the room. The pH results for the control group was 9.05 which fell in the healthy range which is between 6.5 and 9.5 while the results for the experimental group was a little over 9.5 making it unfavorable. The reason for the differences in the pH could be that the control group had more algae to keep the pH balanced while the theexperimentall group did not have as much. Another reason for the differences could have been the snails in theexperimentall group. The snails could have affected the pH basically. Although the pH was getting a little too high in the experimental group it show that it could support snails.

3. Have any plant/producer deaths occurred? Give three hypotheses as to WHY using scientific reasoning.

No plant/producer deaths have occurred. It is clear that the elodea has not died because they are nicely rooted in both flask and because the topsoil that we added probably provided enough nutrients to sustain it. Three reasons why producer deaths have notoccurredd could be that there is enough sunlight, nutrients and space for them to thrive.

4. Which consumer organisms (and how many) are you ordering to be added to the column? How is your order different from your original proposal? Why are the organisms that you are adding different in number or type from your proposal? What do you expect to happen upon addition of these organisms?

We are ordering 6 orb snails, 8 hydras, and 12 water fleas instead of seed shrimp because we were unable to find seed shrimp in the catalog. Otherwise everything is the same. When we add these organisms we hope that they have thenecessitiess that will keep them alive and that they will make a food chain that can keep going on its own to become self-sustaining. I also expect the dissolved oxygen content to go down because these organisms will be using some of it up.

THE THINGS THAT WENT INTO OUR ORIGINAL ECOFLASK

In our proposal we wrote that we would put in:

1300 mL of distilled water
30 centimeters of elodea (Alismatales, Elodea)
30 mL of duckweed (Alismatales, Lemna)
green algae (Chlorophyta, Cladophera)
2 three centimeter rocks

Instead we put in:


900 mL of distilled water
60 centimeters of elodea (Alismatales, Elodea)
40 mL of duckweed (Alismatales, Lemna)
1 container of green algae (Chlorophyta, Cladophera)
400 mL of topsoil
gravel

We had to change the the material or amounts of materials for several reasons. We increased the amount of duckweed and elodea because there was enough room for another elodea plant and more duckweed in the ecoflask. We added top soil because previously we didn't realize that nutrition would be necessary for the plants. Then we left out the rocks becuase we thought that the gravel would provide enough protection for the organisms. The original amount of water that we planned to put in did not work because the ecoflask could not hold that much water with the other materials in it.

ECOFLASK PROPOSAL

Purpose and Hypothesis:
The purpose of our experiment is for us to be able to create a self-sustaining ecosystem of our own and along the way learn about our own balance in our ecosystem. We’ll be getting to know the importance of the scientific method and learn how to use it. By observing, making hypotheses, researching, experimenting, making analysis of the data recorded, and concluding, we’ll be able to get the experience of thinking and working together as scientists. We will learn how to plan out an experiment, how to control and compare the variables, and how to write out a lab report clearly. Also from creating our own ecosystem, we can see what factors it needs to survive and learn what importance these factors have on the environment around us. In our experiment, our experimental variable is the green algae. Because the green algae are at the bottom of the food chain that supports the balance of the ecosystem, we wanted to see how an ecosystem would adapt without its most basic food source. Our hypothesis is that “If green algae are not present in the experimental group, then the controlled group with the greed algae will be more successful.”
Background Research:
A self-sustaining ecosystem is an ecological community in which the organisms and their environment live in balance maintaining and regenerating life. A self-sustaining ecosystem works by following a cycle or chain in which organisms give and take nutrients which are replaced or renewed. For example, light energy and carbon dioxide allow algae to produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Higher organisms use up this oxygen while feeding on algae and bacteria. These bacteria break down animal waste into nutrients which the algae reuse. The higher organisms and bacteria also give off carbon dioxide which the algae use to produce food and oxygen starting the cycle again.
Seed shrimp (Ostocoda, Cypris) are extremely small (almost microscopic) which is good because of the limited amount of space available. It is a scavenger and feeds on dead plants and animals or decaying matter. It also feeds on algae, bacteria/ microorganisms, and the shed exoskeletons of other shrimp. We decided to use six seed shrimp per flask because it is a consumer and will be eaten by predators, so there needs to be enough to reproduce and keep the algae and bacteria population controlled. Orb snails (Gastropoda, Heliosoma) are one of the lunged snails that live in clean, quiet water. They eat algae and are very sensitive to acidic water. They don’t need as much oxygen as other types of snails. We decided to use 3 orb snails per flask because they take up a little more space than some of the other organisms, but they will also help control the algae population. Hydra (Hydrozoa, Hydra) live in clean, unpolluted waters. They feed on one-celled animals, water fleas, and seed shrimp. It gets oxygen through its skin. We decided to use four hydras per flask because they are predators and will control the water flea and seed shrimp population. Water fleas (Cladocera, Daphnia) feed on algae, microscopic animals, and organic debris. It’s very tiny and has a transparent body. We decided to use six water fleas per flask because they are consumers and will be eaten by predators, so there needs to be enough to reproduce and keep the algae and the amount of organic debris controlled. Elodea (Alismatales, Elodea) provides excellent oxygenation and can be used in plant respiration and photosynthesis. It is about 6-8 inches long. Green algae (Chlorophyta, Cladophera) provide balance to the ecosystem. It provides food and oxygen for organisms. Organisms leave organic waste which bacteria break down producing carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients. This is then used by the algae again. Algae will also tell if the pH level in the water is too high or if there’s too much or too little sunlight. Duckweed (Alismatales, Lemna) is easy to culture with small leaves and a single root. Gravel, indirect sunlight, larger rocks, and room temperature are abiotic factors that will contribute to column stability. Gravel allows microorganisms to hide from shrimp and other predators that feed on it. Gravel also creates more surface area for bacteria to grow and break down waste materials. Indirect sunlight is what algae uses to create food and oxygen, which in turn allows all other organisms to live. The amount of sunlight also directly affects the pH level in the water. Light energy also helps change chemicals into nutrients. Larger rocks allow organisms like shrimp or snails to hide from predators. It also creates more surface area for bacteria to grow like gravel. Room temperature makes sure that there’s not extra stress on the organisms and that they won’t have slower metabolisms.
Some of the expected interactions would be that producers would provide food for the consumers which in turn will be consumed by the predators. Seed shrimp feed on dead plants and animals, decaying matter, and the shed exoskeleton of other shrimp; orb snails eat algae; hydras feed on one-celled animals, water fleas, and seed shrimp; water fleas feed on algae, microscopic animals, and organic debris. Elodea provides oxygen for the organisms and green algae provides the food for the other organisms except the hydra. Green algae provide food and oxygen for the organisms. By themselves, sunlight and time would create the algae and microbes that some of the organisms need in the experimental group. The microbes act as a food source and help decompose decaying matter.
An ecosystem is a complex interaction of organisms and their environment. In the eco-flask project, which would hopefully become a self-sustaining ecosystem, the interaction between the organisms would balance the ecosystem and help organisms live without being fed. Consumers that occupy a higher trophic level (level of consumption in the food chain), such as the snails, are smaller in total biomass, and, according to the pyramid of numbers, their population should be smaller, and vice versa. The pyramid of energy shows that as energy moves up a food chain, it is either used up or lost during the energy conversion, more energy being available for producers, such as the duckweed and elodea, and primary consumers, but leaving less for the consumers. Biomass is found by multiplying the average dry weight of a population and the number of individuals. The pyramid of biomass also shows that the biomass diminishes as the organism is further form produces in the food chain. In conclusion, the consumers should be less numerous than the producers in the eco-flask. Biotic factors are caused by living things. Abiotic factors are caused by nonliving objects in the environment. Consider: competition between the various organisms in the container may inhibit growth or kill off one of the species, when they are fighting for food, water, space, and resources. A type of plant may choke out the sunlight, or the shrimps and the hydras may compete for the same type of food. Since the size of the container is small, the resources and the space would be limited. A habitat is the location and the environment where the organisms live. The habitat of an organism would be source of competition, and if a species lost, it would be driven away from its home. Water purification systems are needed because this is a closed system, and the water may be blocked from entering the water cycle. Some microorganisms may be able to filter out water. Fist, the plants such as duckweed will make energy. This energy will be carried up the food chain. Then herbivorous animals would become preys for predators that are carnivorous. Though on top of the food chain, when these consumers die, it will be left for the decomposers to feed on the dead organisms. Another factor is symbiosis. Parasitism is one where one benefits and one is harmed. Commensalism is when they are relatively unaffected. Mutualism is when both benefits. Plants and animal should not harm each other if they are part of a symbiosis.
We will be performing different tests to determine and to analyze what must be done to make the ecosystem more habitable. We’ll be performing tests to see the concentration of oxygen and the carbon dioxide level in the water once a week. We need to know whether the plants and organisms beneath the water are getting enough oxygen to survive. Because many chemical reactions and cellular processes rely on oxygen, the concentration of oxygen in the ecosystem will alter the ecosystem itself.
Interesting Facts:
- Many factors affect the overall existence of organisms in the ecosystems. The chemical and physical characteristics will determine which organisms are more likely to survive. But the organisms that enter the ecosystem also have the possibility of changing the whole ecosystem.
- Orb snails have lungs that take up half of their bodies and gills at their feet.
- Water fleas have transparent bodies.
- Hydras have tentacles.
Materials:
- 12 seed shrimp
- 6 orb snails
- 8 hydras
- 12 water fleas
- 1300 mL of distilled water
- 1 graduated cylinder
- 2 flasks
- 80 grams of gravel
- 30 centimeters of elodea
- 30 centimeters of duckweed
- 60 grams of green algae
- 2 three centimeter rocks
Flask Construction Procedure:
Make sure the temperature of the room where the flasks will be stored is set between 15C and 25C
Obtain two flasks
Label one of the flasks “CONTROL”
Make sure the flask is standing upright vertically
Remove the cap of the flask
Put all of the following organisms and materials into the flask labeled “CONTROL”
Place gravel evenly on the bottom of the flask so that it fills about one fifth of the flask
Use a beaker to measure out 200 mL of topsoil
Put 200 mL of topsoil into the flask
Gently shake the flask to mix the gravel and topsoil together
Make sure the soil and gravel layer is level
Place 30 centimeters of elodea (Alismatales, Elodea) inside the flask vertically making sure none of it sticks outside of the flask
Use a graduated cylinder to measure 450 mL of distilled water
Pour the 450 mL of distilled water into the flask
Use a beaker to measure out 20 mL of duckweed
Put 20 mL of the duckweed (Alismatales, Lemna) into the flask
Pour all the green algae (Chlorophyta, Cladophera) from its container into the flask
Place 6 water fleas (Cladocera, Daphnia) into the flask
Place 3 orb snail(s) (Gastropoda, Heliosoma) into the flask
Place 6 seed shrimp (Ostrocoda, Cypris) into the flask
Place 4 hydras (Hydrozoa, Hydra) into the flask
Close the cap of the flask
Place the completed “CONTROL” flask by the window where it can receive indirect sunlight
Label the second flask “EXPERIMENTAL”
Make sure the flask is standing upright vertically
Remove the cap of the flask
Put all of the following organisms and materials into the flask labeled “EXPERIMENTAL”
Place gravel evenly on the bottom of the flask so that it fills about one fifth of the flask
Use a beaker to measure out 200 mL of topsoil
Put 200 mL of topsoil into the flask
Gently shake the flask to mix the gravel and topsoil together
Make sure the soil and gravel layer is level
Place 30 centimeters of elodea (Alismatales, Elodea) inside the flask vertically making sure none of it sticks outside of the flask
Use a graduated cylinder to measure 450 mL of distilled water
Pour the 450 mL of distilled water into the flask
Use a beaker to measure out 20 mL of duckweed
Put 20 mL of the duckweed (Alismatales, Lemna) into the flask
Place 6 water fleas (Cladocera, Daphnia) into the flask
Place 3 orb snail(s) (Gastropoda, Heliosoma) into the flask
Place 6 seed shrimp (Ostrocoda, Cypris) into the flask
Place 4 hydras (Hydrozoa, Hydra) into the flask
Close the cap of the flask
Place the completed “EXPERIMENTAL” flask by the window where it can receive indirect sunlight
Variable:
Controlled
type of liquid – pour in only distilled water
amount of liquid – measure the liquid with a graduated cylinder
size of container – use the container provided from the science class
type/material of container - use the container provided from the science class
temperature of water – keep the temperature at room temperature
amount of rocks/gravel – measure the volume of rocks with the displacement method
type of rocks/gravel – use the same type of rock and soil for each
amount of tests per week – 1 set of testing per week
amount of sunlight – placing it in one location throughout the entire experiment
amount of each organism – making sure each container contained the exact number of organisms
Experimental
The experimental variable is the presence of the green algae in the ecosystem, while the experimental group will have none. Since the algae are producers that photosynthesize, more energy may be able to enter the pyramid of energy. However, more life may increase the competition and inhibit growth.
Dependent
Tests:
pH
level of dissolved oxygen
level of dissolved carbon dioxide
level of dissolved solids
temperature
nitrates
Random Error:
We’ll minimize the error by checking procedures over before doing anything; we’ll write down all of our errors so we won’t make them again. We have to be careful when measuring quantities so that both groups have the same amount of every organism (except green algae) in both groups. We could make an error in maintaining the controlled variables. We could also make a mistake in collecting data from observations.
Environment:
We can learn from the lessons of our eco-flask, which is an accurate representation of our environment, by using the knowledge gained from this experiment and putting it towards better understanding of our environment. For either one of the eco-flask or the environment, organisms must provide other things for other organisms. For example, green alga provides food while elodea provides oxygen. Also, there cannot be too many or too little or any organism. Too many organisms can mean overpopulation, yet too little would mean that there aren’t enough for the organisms to survive. We learn that both the eco-flask and the environment can only survive with a careful balance.
Resources:
(n.d) Great Pond Snail. Retrieved October 10, from http://www. Bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factifiles/424.shtml
2004. Daphnia- The Water Flea. Retrieved October 10, 2005, from http://www.ebiomedia.com/gall/classics/Daphia/daphia-gen.html
(n.d) Ecosphere Care. Retrieved October 10,2005, from http://www.eco-sphere.com/care_manual.htm
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/Stratford/landingES/Ecology/mpages/
duckweed.htm
http://www.planet-pets/plnthsdr.htm
2005. Freshwater Aquarium Specimen Sets. Retrieved October 10, 2005, from http://www.warschi.com/category.asp_Q_c_E-648_A_Freshwater+Aquarium+Speciment +Sets
Retrieved October 9, 2005, from
http://www.biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/search/dict-serach.html
2004. University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://alter.lumnology.wisc.edu/findings.html
Photocopied sources from:
http://www.eco-sphere.com/
http://www.planet-pets/plnthsdr.htm

Ecoflask project for Mr Erdmann's science class