Lab # 7 Different adaptations

Explain adaptive radiation and how the different paper forms made by the “finches” helped or hurt that particular “finch species”

When Charles Darwin was in the Galapagos Islands, one of the first things he noticed is the variety of finches that existed on each of the islands. All in all, there were many different species of finch which differed in beak shape and overall size. This is adaptive radiation and natural selection at work. This is where species all deriving from a common ancestor have over time successfully adapted to their environment via natural selection.

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, 2014 Sparknotes.LLC. [Internet]. [Cited March 8, 2014 ] Available from: http://www.biology-online.org/2/15_adaptive_radiation.htm 

Explain how behavioral adaptations my lead to genetic changes in a population

All organisms have adaptations that help them survive and thrive. Some adaptations are structural. Structural adaptations are physical features of an organism like the bill on a bird or the fur on a bear. Other adaptations are behavioral. Behavioral adaptations are the things organisms do to survive. For example, bird calls and migration are behavioral adaptations. Adaptations usually occur because a gene mutates or changes by accident! Some mutations can help an animal or plant survive better than others in the species without the mutation. For example, imagine a bird species. One day a bird is born with a beak that is longer than the beak of other birds in the species. The longer beak helps the bird catch more food. Because the bird can catch more food, it is healthier than the other birds, lives longer and breeds more.

2014 New Hapshire Public Televicion, Duham, NH 03824. [Internet][3/08/2014]. Available from: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep1.htm

A species that has a behavioral adaptation that may allow its predator not to be able to eat it or find it. Explain what this BEHAVIORAL adaptation is.

This trait is an ADAPTATION that helps the Giraffe survives because the giraffe can eat very high food that others cannot, so this is an advantage for this species to keep surviving.

A species that has a physical adaptation that allows it to survive in cold weather.

penguin parents raise their chicks in just one season to survive on their own in the sea before the ice starts to melt. March along with these penguins as they protect their eggs in the harshest climate on Earth. This species can support very cold temperatures and they been adapted to that.

 

A species that has a physical adaptation that allows it to survive from its predators.

Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being found in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. Many scientists believe that cacti developed their physiological traits in response to changing climatic conditions several million years ago. The major traits that people see when they first observe cacti is the abundance of spines on many species.

(Ivenrock Gardens, 1997-2013 All rights reserved.  Available in : http://www.rivenrock.com/adaption.htm)   

An example of mutualism in nature. Explain what mutualism is this case.

mutualism,  association between organisms of two different species in which each is benefited. Mutualistic arrangements are most likely to develop between organisms with widely differing living requirements. The partnership between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and leguminous plants is an example, as is the association between cows and rumen bacteria (the bacteria live in the digestive tract and help digest the plants eaten by the cow). The associations between tree roots and certain fungi are often mutualistic (see mycorrhiza.)

Ecology. Edited by Connexions BiologyNM on Mar 25, 2013. [Internet blog][3/09/2014]. Available from: http://cnx.org/content/m45555/latest/?collection=col11612/latest

An example of commensalism in nature. Explain how your picture represents commensalism.

commensalism, in biology, a relation between individuals of two species in which one species obtains food or other benefits from the other without either harming or benefiting the latter. (This kind of relation can be contrasted with mutualism, in which both species benefit.) The commensal (the species that benefits from the association) may obtain nutrients, shelter, support, or locomotion from the host species, which is substantially unaffected. The commensal relation is often between a larger host and a smaller commensal; the host organism is unmodified, whereas the commensal species may show great structural adaptation consonant with its habits, as in the remoras that ride attached to sharks and other fishes.

Encyclopedia Britanica, 2014. Mar 25, 2013. [Internet blog][3/09/2014]. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/127789/commensalism)

An example of mimicry in nature. Explain what the mimicry is in this case.

When one animal copies the appearance, actions, or sounds of another animal, the first animal is called a MIMIC.  You can think of  it as a copycat. Usually, an animal will MIMIC another to avoid predators. If it can trick its enemy into thinking it is something less tasty or more dangerous, it will survive. Two of these are Bumblebees(with stingers) and two are Robber Flies (which also make a sound similar to a bee).

One species from your country (plant animal insect etc) that has an adaptation that lets it survive in your country. Explain.  

Common kingsnakes live throughout much of North America. Over the millennia, the wide-ranging species has evolved into seven subspecies. Clad in jet-black scales, Mexican black kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula nigrita) prowl the low-elevation deserts of southern Arizona and northwest Mexico, perfectly adapted to their desert habitat. Like other subspecies, Mexican black kingsnakes are immune to the venom of native pit vipers. Despite this, kingsnakes do not specifically seek out venomous snakes; instead, they consume them opportunistically.

Ben team. 2014, adaptations of the mexican black king snake. Sired in 03/10/2014, available in: http://animals.pawnation.com/adaptations-mexican-black-king-snake-8728.html).   

Graph of survivor Trey 

graphs

Terrestrial Carbon Cycle

Terrestrial Carbon Cycle

The terrestrial carbon is the carbon that is stored in the vegetation and soils of the Earth’s land surface. Also the carbon cycle describes the flow of carbon between reservoirs in the Earth system and the largest pools of carbon are fossil carbon, Deep Ocean and reactive sediments. Processes of photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, accurse in the Terrestrial Carbon Cycle.   Also most of the things are made of carbon, and the fuels that people use for energy as well.

The carbon in the terrestrial biosphere is stored in the forest. For some reason the the carbon is stored in the plants and then they transform it into oxygen that is what we need to still alive. Approximately a tree is made of 86% of carbon and the soil about 73%, and it is happen because the photosynthesis. When the plants die or some trees start to lose their leaves, all of this organic material starts to decompose in the ground and with help of the decomposer organisms and it helps to the soil to have a better duality, and be much more good soil to plant some plants.

The animal’ role is to eat the plants and at the same time they are eating carbon because all the materials are made of carbon so the animals eat them and then they store the food  and some become manure. The carbon is in the atmosphere until the plants absorbed the CO2 by the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis and respiration impart distinct isotopic signatures to the atmosphere.

Lab # 5

Part1

The propose of the lab is to know and prove if our hypothesis was wrong or right. Two different ways how the lab was doing. To prove the hypothesis is necessary to leave the planting seeds in two different environments so, the first one was in on environment where the seeds can receive sun light so that the plants can do photosynthesis. The other one was in a dark place.

Hypothesis

The seeds cannot germinate in dark places. It was wrong because when the different trays were open the one that was in the dark germinate but not the same and different color as the one that was outside. The tray that was outside germinate better and the plants were color green, and the one that was in the dark germinate but most of the plants were almost dead and the color yellow.

Start to count the germinate plants was the next step. Each group planted 4 seeds per cup in 36 cups for every example. The data of the plants that were planted in the dark place were 50 germinate plants.

Then started measuring all the seeds that were germinated and the average was 15cm.

Part 2

1.    What was the control for this experiment?

The control for this experiment was the following: first put two trays in different places so, one has to be in a dark place and the second one has to be somewhere that has enough sun light. Then take care about the one that is outside like watering and see if the plants have their needs.

2.    What is the percent germination for the light treatment and for the dark treatment?  

The percent germinate of this was 50/144*100=34.72%

The percent germinate of this was 69/144*100=47.9%

Part 2 GPP and NPP

Step 1, step 2, step 3, step 4

Once you have measured the seedlings and gathered the data for part 1 carefully pull out each seedling gently from the soil. Then once you have all the seedlings with the roots separated from the soil weight the plants on the scale. Place all the sprouts on a piece of aluminum to weight the mass. Once it is done then put the plants in the oven so de plants can get dry and then weight the mass after try them.

Weight before 8.9g

Weight after 1.9g

Then calculate the GPP and NPP.

NPP+R=GPP

2.0g  +  1.9g  =  3.9g

·         Different between dark treatment and light treatment.

The different between both treatments is because the one that was in dark place the plants germinate but with different color (yellow), and most of them start to die because of the lack of sunlight and water. The treatment that was outside was more alive because most of the plants were color green and almost most of them germinate and grow as a plant. Also the percent of germination was higher.

·         Explain why that growth may have take place even though light was not present.

Because even though the treatment that was in the dark did not receive sunlight was present water, and so many nutrients from the soil, so that is sufficient to permit the plants germinate but not with the same characteristics as the one that was outside receiving sunlight and water.

·         Using the calculations of the class’ data make 3 graphs showing the different in respiration, net primary productivity, and gross primary productivity. 

Lab # 4

Dam Removal and Sediment Transport in the Sandy River Basin, Oregon

The Sandy River is a 56-mile (90 km) tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Measured by a United States Geological Survey (USGS) gauge downstream of the Sandy's confluence with the Bull Run River, 18.4 miles (29.6 km) from the mouth, the river's average discharge is 2,300 cubic feet per second (65 m³/s). The maximum daily recorded flow is 84,400 cubic feet per second (2,390 m³/s), and the minimum is 45 cubic feet per second (1.3 m³/s).^[6] The Sandy joins the Columbia about 14 miles (23 km) upstream of Portland. (Brinckman, Jonathan (October 12, 2002).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_River_(Oregon)

 

Dam Removal

The dam was removal in 2007. The dam was a barrier for some wildlife such as fish because with pressure of that dam the fish can’t go back and forth. Also was less genetic diversity and store the fish. Some of the benefits were free flow and the fish can have a free environment to live without barriers. Now naturally flowing without dams from its water source at Mount Hood, the river flows to the mighty Columbia River. The Sandy River offers paddlers and other excellent opportunities just minutes from the greater Portland area.

After the dam was destroyed the people who manage the river start to find different strategies to keep the river clean and preserve the vegetation and wildlife that we can find there. Some of the strategies have been doing are for example to reforest the area near where the dam, connect a corridor with different path for the wildlife, all the activities they have done were with volunteers. The whole area is secondary succession because the soil already exist, but in areas the soil is been compact because the human’s activities.

 Some of the big reforestation projects were in 2010. In 2007 they did an experiment to see which kind of vegetation can grow in this area and after that they start to have reforestation projects. When the dam was destroyed, it does not affect too much the wildlife because it was so rapidly. In some part where the dam was now is present a little bit of soil erosion but that is okay because it is natural.

In this area we can find two different type of forest because one of them looks like there are just young trees, no too much woody debris, and the soil has not too much nutrients but still been a nice forest. The other part is a total different forest because we found that in this area is present lots of woody debris, and the soil has lots of nutrients and as a result this area has more vegetation.

In the 1930s, the Oregon Game Commission redirected the main branch of the Sandy River, also known as the East Channel, in an attempt to improve fish runs. A 750-foot long dam was constructed on the East Channel to direct water flow toward the West Channel of the Sandy River. (http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions).

LAB # 1

Air pollution in Mexico

When I was riding the both articles I identified that of course the scientific article has so much more information than the article that I just found on a website. Also I realize that the scientific article for me it is so much difficult to understand because most of them writer use so many different terms or words that are difficult to understand. Both articles are a little bit different because one of them is about the effects of air pollution in Mexico and it is the scientific article. The other article for me is more understandable because is more directly about air pollution but both of them have relation because is similar topic but in different way. (published by the Secretaria del Medio Ambiente del Gobierno del Distrito Federal). 2010. Cited 1/21/2014. Available on: http://www.mexicocityvibes.com/air-pollution-in-mexico-city/.    

 Soil erosion in Mexico

On these two articles we can see that the information is a little bit different because one is more related with the soil erosion in some parts of Mexico such as the 80% of the land is subject to erosion. The central state of Michoacán has one of the highest levels of soil erosion, with more than 2 million hectares affected, 70% of the surface area. The second article explain more about soil erosion caused by prehispanic agriculture this scientific article has more information about the why and how the prehispanic agricultures helps to accelerated the soil erosion. Something interesting I saw was that both articles are so different because maybe is a different topic I was trying to find similar articles but I couldn’t.  (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Michoacana San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Colegio de Postgraduados en Agrociencias).  (UE 2002-2006)  cited 1/27/2014. Available in: http://en.ird.fr/the-media.

The article I like 

The article I think is more important for me is the one that is about the (air pollution in Mexico). For me it is a very important article because the air in Mexico is has been polluted principality for the smock of the many cars that most of them have not catalytic converter and the CO2 that cars make is so bad for our environment. Also is because there are so many people living in the city so consumption and the burning of fossil fuels are enormous. Some of the chemicals that affect and are bad for the air such as: Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, those are some of the main contaminants that cause air pollution in Mexico City. (published by the Secretaria del Medio Ambiente del Gobierno del Distrito Federal). 2010. Cited 1/21/2014. Available on: http://www.mexicocityvibes.com/air-pollution-in-mexico-city/.    

1.      What are you exited about learning in your tropical ecology class?

Been honest I don’t exited about this class but I think it is a helpful and important class we have to take. I think it is going to be a really nice class and it is what I hope as well. I am interesting on many different thinks about ecology such as: learn and practice different experiments about ecology, learn about the how the different species interact each other, learn more about our ecosystem and how does the ecosystems change. Learn more about plants and trees is something that I really want to know even though the plants of Oregon are not the same as the plants we can find in my country.

2.      What is one of the environmental issues in your community?

One of the environmental issue that we have been facing in my community is that people have remove the soil from the forest and currently the vegetation start to die because the lack of soil. There are approximately 15 families that have been doing that and it started to be a big problem because the vegetation is been killed. People have been doing that because they want to growth their own crops in their home and they need the soil to do that.

3.      What things have you learned to improve the environmental conditions of your community?

I think I have learn a lot and one of the classes that I really enjoyed, and I learn a lot from the class was soils because my cap project is about composting. On soils class I learned how to identify the soils and how the soil is important for the vegetation we have. Also I learned the different types of soil and how does are structured and which soil is the more productive for the plants.

4.      Video about ecology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYyuKz0Fd3o

5.      Information about wildlife and vegetation of my country  

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/mexico/Aguascalientes-M-xico/M-xico.html