User:Whitney Morales/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU
January 24, 2014 (Lab 2)
After having a sample of our prairie transect in a jarred container with deer park water and powdered milk, the following: - semi- thick film on surface of water - some underlying mold-like substance underneath globs of soil that float on top of water's surface - greenery remained intact in the plant stem - 3-apparent niches
1) a soil based bottom
2)liquid water middle (water pretty transparent)
3) a thin film layered surface
- water in the container again is transparent with a brownish tint - mildew surrounding the perimeter of the jar at the surface layer
Organisms found in soil based bottom niche 1) Paramecium Vorticella (40x) - 6oc=15 um -small cell with elongated body -swims rapidly in a corkscrew fashion -body covered entirely with cilia
2)Colpidium (40x) - 10oc= 25 um -white/colorless -small body, oval shaped with small mouth -fast swimmer
3)Amoeba (40x) - 1oc= 2.5 um -small -creeps using false feet -single disk-shaped nucleus
4)Gonium (40x) -14oc=35 um -colony flat, disc-shaped, usually containing 16 cells -organ of locomotion is long whip-like flagella -white/colorless
Serial dilutions of prairie transect
After snowfall that occurred on 1/21/14, our prairie transect was naturally covered with snow
January 16, 2014 (Lab 1)
- Prior to defining our niche on campus, samples of green algae were looked at in determining the Volvecine Line - Compared the following green algae using microscopes: 1)Chlamydomonas 2)Gonium 3)Volvox - When comparing the evolutionary specialization of members of the volvocine line we looked at: number of cells, colony size, any functional specialization of cells, and reproductive specialization - classifying these cells according to their special functions (ie reproduction) provided insight on the evolution of green algae in the volvocine line by observing an differences or similarities between unicelluar algae such as Chlanydomonas and muticellular green algae such as Volvox.
Group 5: Prairie
Goal/objective: Analysis of 20 by 20 transect of prairie land
- Determining what what set of specific requirements collectively make the niche prairie land. - What interactions, if any, are there between the organisms within the community inhabiting prairie land? - what organisms are there to even begin with? Is there much biodiversity? - How does weather/ change in season affect the prairie transects topography and the organisms that reside there?
Materials Used: - 50 ml conical tube - 10 grams of sample of prairie transect - open jar for hay infusion culture - 0.1gram dried milk - 500 ml deer park water
Procedure: Exactly as followed from Lab 1:Biological Life at AU Step 1: describe the general characteristics of the prairie Step 2: take a sample of soil and vegetation from transect and put it in the 50 ml conical tube. Step 3: make a hay infusion culture
- weigh 10 grams of soil sample, place in jar with 500 mls of deerpark water
- add 0,1 gram dried milk into the jar containing at this point water, and soil sample
- place jar cover on and mix up all the components for 10 seconds
- remove the jar lid and let it sit
- The fact that the jar lid was not left on, poses the question of how oxygen will affect the hay infusion culture over a period of time. Will our initial prairie niche stay in tact? is there the possibility hat other niches may form? will there be any new organisms?
Characteristics of Prairie land
Abitotic Elements:concrete benches, walkway stones, metal lining surrounding soil, rocks pebbles
Biotic Elements:soil/fertilizer, bushes/shrubs, leaves, flowers, grass, birds (chicks)
- Area mostly consists of biotic elements with the implementation of man made factors such as the concrete benches and walkway stones (abiotic elements) - Due to the current winter season, the plot of land is essentially barren. Dead flowers on the bushes/shrubs, little to no grass directly on the soil. - On this particular day, there was a good amount of sunlight (source of energy for any potential growth of the biotic factors)
