Rough Draft of the Final Report
Lab 3 – Biodiversity
Experiment 1: Effects of Water Pollution on Plant Diversity
Water pollution can have severely negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly on plant populations. In many cases, these pollutants are introduced to the environment through everyday human activity. In this experiment, you will contaminate several water samples, as well as purify a water sample. You will then evaluate the effects of water pollution and purification on the biodiversity of wildflowers.
POST-LAB QUESTIONS
| Table 1: Water Observations (smell, color, etc.) | |
| Beaker | Observations |
| 1 | No smell, plain clear water |
| 2 | 2 layers(oil on top), smells like veg. oil, small bubbles, clear water, light yellow oil |
| 3 | Smells of vinegar, clear liquid, tiny bubbles |
| 4 | Smells of laundry soap, clear liquid, white bubbles |
| 5 | No smell, light brown/golden liquid |
| 6 | Smell of veg. oil, brown liquid w/ small bubbles, 2layers |
| 7 | Smell of vinegar, light yellow in color liquid, tiny bubbles |
| 8 | Smell of laundry soap, brown liquid, bubbles |
1. What effects did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Use Table 1 for reference.
Answer = The effects that the contaminants had on the water is that each one significantly changed the composition of the water. For example, the vinegar added a nasty smell to the water, the oil changed the color of the water and gave it two layers, and the detergent made the water cloudy. The soil also changed the color of the water and left behind particles in the water
2. What kinds of human activities could cause oil, acids, and detergents to contaminate the water supply?
Answer = The main thing that could cause oil and other contaminants to enter the water supply is not being careful when handling these contaminants. Oil spills are the main cause of oil contaminating nearby water sources. It is important to dispose of oil, acids , and detergents in the proper way. A person washing their car in the front yard could cause detergents and cleaning supplies to contaminate a water supply from runoff from their yard into a water supply.
3. What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc. between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water?
Answer = Looking at the contaminated water you can tell it is un-drinkable by how it looks. It is dark and murky, and has a strong dirt smell. The treated water has a faint brown tint to it,and I cant tell as easily if it smells.
4. From the introduction to Lab 2, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab and describe how they were performed.
Answer = The five steps to treating water are disinfection, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and corrosion control. I used Alum to the water to the particles to come together which is part of the coagulation process. Then I used sedimentation to allow the soil to settle. Then I used a very basic filtration system utilizing cheesecloth, gravel, activated charcoal and sand. I used these items as a filtration and layered them by pouring the contaminated water a few times through.
5. Develop a hypothesis regarding how using contaminated or purified water might affect plant biodiversity. Which pot do you believe will contain the greatest biodiversity (greatest number of species)? Why?
Hypothesis = Tap water is stored and transported through metal pipes and metal containers. With that I believe it is likely to pick up sediments while being stored and transported and will match the numbers of contaminated water. With this I believe purified water will produce the greatest number of plants due to lack of foreign object hindrance.
| Table 2: Number of Plant Species Present in the Pots | |||
| Species Observed | Tap Water | Contaminated Water | Purified Water |
| Zinnia | Y 3 | Y 4 | Y 9 |
| Marigold | Y 0 | Y 4 | Y 6 |
| Morning Glory | Y 2 | Y 0 | Y 3 |
| Cosmos | Y 4 | Y 5 | Y 5 |
| Ryegrass | Y 12 | Y 1 | Y 14 |
| Total Number of Species in Pot: | 21 | 13 | 37 |
Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 5? Explain how you determined this.
Accept/Reject = I didn’t think contaminated water would really grow anything, and I am surprised at how many plants grew in this batch. My tap water had more but just by a little bit. I still believe tap water contains contaminants from metal, but ultimately my purified water batch produced healthier plants. Of note; my tap water and contaminated water batches had smaller plants, and some blades of rye were just stubs.
Alum contains aluminum. Research the effects of aluminum on plants by finding a scholarly source online. Does your research provide any insight into your results? Discuss your findings as they relate to the results of your experiment.
Answer = According to Abedi, Barelheimer & Poschlod (2013), Aluminum can be a deterrent in plant growth. Although some plants are more susceptible to growth with aluminum contaminants. There is a scale developed that shows aluminum tolerant seedlings. This research actually makes sense of my claim, where I thought all plants would be effected from tap water and found that to not be true.
Imagine that each pot was a sample you found in a group of wildflowers. Based on the diversity of flowers in each pot, would you consider the ecosystem to be healthy? Why or why not?
Answer = I think before this class and seeing these plants I would think there was a healthy batch of different plants. As aforementioned with my contaminated and tap water samples I had stubs where my purified water was healthier and longer.
How does biodiversity contribute to the overall health of an ecosystem? Provide specific examples and utilize at least one scholarly resource to back your answer.
Answer =The more biodiversity that is present the heathier the ecosystem is. When various species are alive and working in an ecosystem the higher the chance for that ecosystem to survive, each species counts on another for something. “Each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a “balanced ecosystem” refers to” (2014). The biggest example of biodiversity I can think of would have to be the rain forest. There are hundreds of species of animals and plant life and they all have their role in maintaining that ecosystem. The rain forest has its own ecosystems and without all of them the rain forest would slowly deteriorate.
Rank the following three scenarios in terms of having the most to least biodiversity and provide your rationale for these rankings.
A vacant lot behind a car repair facility.
A designated national wilderness area.
A grassy strip along the highway.
Answer = I think that a designated national wilderness area will have the most biodiversity,followed by the vacant lot behind a car repair facility, and finally a grassy strip along the highway. The designated national wilderness area will have the most biodiversity because it contains genetic biodiversity, and ecosystem diversity
References
Abedi, M., Bartelheimer, M., & Poschlod, P. (2013). Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients - a case study in dry sandy grasslands. Journal Of Vegetation Science, 24(6), 1074-1085. doi:10.1111/jvs.12016
Shah, A (2014) Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares?,Retrieved fromhttp://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares
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