Ecology Unit: Field study
Purpose: We started a unit on ecology, which consists of our environment and how we interact with it. Our goal is to pick a site in nature and study its biological and physical changes. We have created a document to show our site in pictures and display our data collections. For the last 6 weeks of the school year, this document will be updated every week with new data, recordings, and photos; and it is posted on this webpage. For the last few weeks of school, we will be monitoring our site's recordings and creating a final report about our site for our final project for the year.
Last Updated: June 9, 2015 - Final Project Update
Last Updated: June 9, 2015 - Final Project Update
STEM Field Study Site Data | |
File Size: | 9917 kb |
File Type: |
Analysis/Conclusion
Analysis: We have been working on this project for about 6 weeks. This last data input is our final data for this project. From the Introduction of this site, 6 weeks ago, my site was a small river bed with a the Novato creek flowing through it. Over the course of 6 weeks, a lot has changed. Firstly, The creek in the beginning was about 6 feet across in most areas and was at an average speed of 8-9 mph. Within the last couple weeks, the creek width is now about 4 feet across and the speed has slowed greatly. This concludes that there is not enough water flowing through the Novato creek. This can affect the plants around the creek. If the water supply is slowly decreasing, then the plants aren’t going to be receiving the right amount of water they need to grow steadily and healthy.
Other biotic changes include the plant coverage. I have been observing a spiky weed plant over the course of these 6 weeks. The plant has grown from about 2 feet in the beginning to now about 4.5 feet tall. This observation shows that the plant is receiving the right amount of nutrients in the soil to allow it to grow healthy and fast. I’ve been watching a small purple flower over the course of the 6 weeks. I saw this flower when it first was a bulb about to bloom in the first couple weeks. Now the flower is a very bright purple and is fully bloomed. Biotic factors such as animal population and plant coverage has changed over the course of 6 weeks. In the first few weeks, many deer and and raccoons have visited my site and I could see visible evidence of footprints along the riverbed. More flying insects have populated the area as well. Any abiotic factors such as water supply and temperature could affect these plants. Since the creek doesn’t have much water flowing through it, some of the plants along the riverbed have less water supply. If the water supply keeps decreasing at its steady rate, the plants along the riverbed could soon die. While performing other labs in school, I have learned how to supply nutrients and take care of small plants in my area. For example, to keep a delicate flower from dying, the flower must be water on a daily basis and supplied the right amount of nutrients to keep the plant growing healthy.
From this field study, I have learned much information and lessons about nature and how we affect our environment. I have learned that everything in an environment affect each other. For example, if a water supply is low, than the plants surrounding the water won’t be receiving as much water as those plants need or if a huge tree is blocking a small plant that needs sunlight, that small plant might die due to lack of vitamin D from the sun. Everything in an environment affects each other because it is all part of an ecosystem. A system only works if it works together.
Conclusion: Originally, our main objective of this project is to pick a site in nature; then collect and study the data from the site. The data included any biotic or abiotic factors within the site and observe the physical changes done to the site within the course of 6 weeks. My prediction for my site was to originally see more plant growth based on the water level increasing and the temperature slowly increasing. Instead, over the course of 6 weeks, the water level slowly decreased. For the middle 2 weeks, it was cloudy in the morning and then the sky cleared up around 12 pm. For the last 2 weeks, it has been sunny with nice weather. My final thoughts on this project are high. I liked doing this project because I learned a lot about ecology and nature and how we interact with our community and environment.
Opinion: My favorite part of this project is getting the chance to get outside and enjoy the forest. While I was collecting data, I had the chance to just sit back and relax to the calming sound of the creek and birds. This is truly a wonderful experience. By far, this will be one of my favorite projects from the STEM program.
Analysis: We have been working on this project for about 6 weeks. This last data input is our final data for this project. From the Introduction of this site, 6 weeks ago, my site was a small river bed with a the Novato creek flowing through it. Over the course of 6 weeks, a lot has changed. Firstly, The creek in the beginning was about 6 feet across in most areas and was at an average speed of 8-9 mph. Within the last couple weeks, the creek width is now about 4 feet across and the speed has slowed greatly. This concludes that there is not enough water flowing through the Novato creek. This can affect the plants around the creek. If the water supply is slowly decreasing, then the plants aren’t going to be receiving the right amount of water they need to grow steadily and healthy.
Other biotic changes include the plant coverage. I have been observing a spiky weed plant over the course of these 6 weeks. The plant has grown from about 2 feet in the beginning to now about 4.5 feet tall. This observation shows that the plant is receiving the right amount of nutrients in the soil to allow it to grow healthy and fast. I’ve been watching a small purple flower over the course of the 6 weeks. I saw this flower when it first was a bulb about to bloom in the first couple weeks. Now the flower is a very bright purple and is fully bloomed. Biotic factors such as animal population and plant coverage has changed over the course of 6 weeks. In the first few weeks, many deer and and raccoons have visited my site and I could see visible evidence of footprints along the riverbed. More flying insects have populated the area as well. Any abiotic factors such as water supply and temperature could affect these plants. Since the creek doesn’t have much water flowing through it, some of the plants along the riverbed have less water supply. If the water supply keeps decreasing at its steady rate, the plants along the riverbed could soon die. While performing other labs in school, I have learned how to supply nutrients and take care of small plants in my area. For example, to keep a delicate flower from dying, the flower must be water on a daily basis and supplied the right amount of nutrients to keep the plant growing healthy.
From this field study, I have learned much information and lessons about nature and how we affect our environment. I have learned that everything in an environment affect each other. For example, if a water supply is low, than the plants surrounding the water won’t be receiving as much water as those plants need or if a huge tree is blocking a small plant that needs sunlight, that small plant might die due to lack of vitamin D from the sun. Everything in an environment affects each other because it is all part of an ecosystem. A system only works if it works together.
Conclusion: Originally, our main objective of this project is to pick a site in nature; then collect and study the data from the site. The data included any biotic or abiotic factors within the site and observe the physical changes done to the site within the course of 6 weeks. My prediction for my site was to originally see more plant growth based on the water level increasing and the temperature slowly increasing. Instead, over the course of 6 weeks, the water level slowly decreased. For the middle 2 weeks, it was cloudy in the morning and then the sky cleared up around 12 pm. For the last 2 weeks, it has been sunny with nice weather. My final thoughts on this project are high. I liked doing this project because I learned a lot about ecology and nature and how we interact with our community and environment.
Opinion: My favorite part of this project is getting the chance to get outside and enjoy the forest. While I was collecting data, I had the chance to just sit back and relax to the calming sound of the creek and birds. This is truly a wonderful experience. By far, this will be one of my favorite projects from the STEM program.