Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to create simulated ecosystems in an effort to learn about ecosystems in the real world.

Part I: Set-up of your eco-column

Steps 1-3 you should conduct in class with your eco-column group members. Steps 4-7 you should do at home.

  1. On the first day of this Lab, follow the Eco-Column Assembly Guide to assemble your eco-columns. You will need a pair of scissors or box cutters, five 2-liter, clear, plastic bottles with the labels removed and a straw. You need to keep three caps. One bottle cap needs a hole the size of a straw, with smaller holes around the larger hole, a second cap has a series of smaller holes that are in a circular pattern in the cap. The third hole has several random holes drilled in it.
  2. Once your eco-column is assembled, identify what you are trying to discover through the creation of your eco-column. Look over theassembly diagram to understand each chamber.
  3. Decide what components to include in each chamber (which organisms, type of soil, etc…) See the list of possible organisms you might want to include in your eco-column.
  4. Decide what background sources of information you will use (which parts of the textbook or what other references you will need.
  5. Write a hypothesis for each of the three chamber: aquatic, decomposition, terrestrial
  6. Draw a DETAILED diagram of your eco-column and identify the biotic and abiotic factors present in each habitat.
  7. Draw the food webs you anticipate taking place within your eco-column. Make every effort to identify the species you have added as specifically as possible. If any organism is unidentifiable, include a drawing of it.

Part II Observations and Data Collection

Each week for five weeks you will make observation sof your eco-column. Each observation should include:

  • Date of observation & number of days your eco-column has been running
  • Quantitative Data: pH, temperature, nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen in aquatic chamber;in terrestrial chamber: nitrogen, phosphorous levels, pH
  • Qualitative Data: turbidity, plant growth, decomposition rate, fish status, odor, color of aquatic chamber

Part III Lab Write-Up

The following are provide detailed instructions for your eco-column write up. The purpose of the write up is to clearly present the information about your eco-column to your reader. Your report should include each of the sections below. Except for drawing and labels, you write up should be typed, double spaced. FOLLOW THIS FORMAT!

  1. Title page: name of project, authors, large fonts, pictures or drawings are nice.
  1. Contribution page: This page is to be done only if it is a team lab report. On this page each person on the team is to be listed, followed by what they did to contribute to the project. EVERYONE must write at least a portion of the report as well as perform the necessary lab work.
  1. Next Page – Abstract: An abstract is a single paragraph that summarizes the entire lab project including the results and conclusion. All research reports found in professional journals have abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to let the reader know what the report is about so that he or she can decide whether or not it will beneficial to read the entire report. The abstract is written LAST.
  1. Next Page – Purpose/Introduction: This is where you identify the problem that you are trying to solve. Tell what you are attempting to discover through your research. You may want to tell why this research is useful or important.
  1. Background: Every scientist gathers background information before they begin their research. Background information will include lecture notes, magazine, journal, and internet articles, textbook and professionals heard in person. Background information should always be cited. For example, if you read an article, you should identify the name of the article, author, publication date and volume number.
  1. Hypothesis: This should be a statement indicating what you think the results of your investigation will be. THIS IS NOT WRITTEN AT THE END OF THE LAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  1. Materials: List the materials and equipment you used during the lab. Indicate the number of items used or amount used. This list should be completed enough so anyone else could REPLICATE your experiment between your detailed diagram and list of materials.
  1. Procedure: Refer to your detailed diagram to explain your initial set up and detail any changes you made during the lab. Did you replace any organisms? If so, when and why?
  1. Data Presentation: In a table format, present your quantitative and qualitative data. Make sure your data tables are numbered and titled. You may use multiple data tables to better present the information. Make sure you identify the baseline data. You must have 3 to 4 testing sessions.
  1. Analysis: Discuss the logic of your data for your eco-column with regard to your setup. What does your data say about what has gone on in your eco-column?
  2. Chose one nutrient cycle (C, N, P, S) and diagram and explain how you think it would occur in your eco-column. Explain how the biogeochemical cycle affected the organisms living in your eco-column.
  3. Draw a food web and identify the role of each organism by putting letters just beneath the name of the organism (P- producer, C-consumer, D-decomposer, S-scavenger). Make sure your food web has energy arrows going from the energy source towards the organism that gets that energy.
  4. Identify the top level consumers in your eco-column. What would happen if the decomposers were removed? If the secondary consumer consumed 4,200 kilocalories of energy, how much energy would you assume was available to the primary consumer?
  1. Conclusion: What conclusions or generalizations can you make about your eco-column and what connections can you make to other natural systems?
  1. Sources of Error: Identify any weaknesses in your investigation. These could include equipment malfunctions, testing problems, collection errors, simple human mistakes. Sources of error could also include poor experimental design (set up).

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM DATA TABLE

DATES

TEST
pH
Temp.
(ºC)
D.O.
(ppm)
Phosphates
(ppm)
Nitrates
(ppm)
Turbidity
Odor
Color
Aquatic Fauna

Turbidity ScaleCrystal Clear = 1

Slightly Cloudy = 2

Moderately Cloudy = 3

Very Cloudy = 4

Blackish or Brownish = 5

Odor ScaleNo Odor = 1

Slight Odor = 2

Smelly = 3

Very Smelly = 4

Devastating = 5

Aquatic FaunaLive

Dead

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TABLE

DATES

TEST
pH
Nitrogen
Potassium
Phosphorous
Observation – Flora
Observation - Fauna
Odor

Observations: Decomposition Chamber:

Date:______Date:______Date:______Date:______Date:______

APES ECO-COLUMN GRADING RUBRIC

Points AvailablePoints Earned

Overall Format: Title Page, Contribution Page5______

Abstract: Was the abstract a clear and accurate synopsis 15______

of the entire lab report?

Purpose: Was the purpose of the laboratory investigation5______

effectively communicated?

Background: Was their at lease 4 different sources of 10______

information? Did the background lay a solid foundation

for the investigation?

Hypothesis: Were legitimate hypotheses presented for25______

each of the ecosystems?

Materials: Was a complete and accurate list of materials5______

used during the lab presented?

Procedure: Was there a clear description of what was15______

done so that other investigators could repeat and verify

the work?

Data Collection: Was there at least 4 sets of data points?15______

was the data collected thoroughly presented in tables

and graphs and/or charts? Were qualitative data collected?

Analysis: Was the team able to identify biogeochemical25______

cycles? Were food chain diagrams, food web diagrams

included and explained? Was the team able to make

cause and affect relationships? Were limiting factors

identified? Were abiotic factors discussed as a means of

explaining the results of the investigation?

Conclusion: Was the team able to make meaningful25 ______

overall conclusions based on their analysis? Did the

data and analysis support their hypotheses?

Sources of Error: Did the lab report include a 15______

comprehensive discussion of possible errors?

TOTAL POINTS EARNED150______

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