For this project, we were tasked to use our knowledge of Ecology to find a solution to save an animal or ecosystem. My group chose to focus on Sperm Whales and their ecosystems. Below is our slideshow for our work.
Content:
Ecology: Scientific study of the relationship between living organisms.
Cycles:
-Nitrogen: biogeochemical process where nitrogen is converted into different forms. It can affect marine ecosystems, which is the focus of our project.
-Water: Cycle of water as it moves through the atmosphere, land, and bodies of water. Water can be affected by pollution, directly relating to whales.
-Carbon: biogeochemical process where carbon is exchanged throughout the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Pollution can affect the carbon cycle.
Climate Zones:
-Climate: how the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time.
-Weather: how the atmosphere behaves during a short period of time.
Human Impact: How humans affect natural things. Worst impact is pollution and tree cutting.
Independent: Manipulated during experiment. It is the cause of changes.
Dependent: Happens because of another thing. Dependent on the independent variable.
Photosynthesis: plants convert light energy into chemical energy for use in growth and cellular repair. Effects our oxygen.
Cellular Respiration: processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and then release waste products. Organisms release carbon dioxide during this process.
Biosphere: land where organisms exist. Consists of several layers including the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Biomes:Large communities of plants and animals in a region. Separated based off climate and grassland. 7 Biomes; tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, scrub forest (called chaparral in California), grassland, desert, tropical rain forest, and temperate rain forest. Our organism is in the ocean so it can go to different biomes.
Trophic Levels: organization of organisms based off function in ecosystem and where nutrition is found. Levels include; producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.
Ecological Succession: process by which the structure of a community evolves over time.
- Primary: happens in lifeless areas (where soil is incapable of sustaining life. Like aftermath of lava flow)
- Secondary: Where a community previously existed, but no longer does. Nutrients can still exist.
Abiotic: nonliving. Ex. Sunlight, temperature, water, and soil.
Biotic: living things in an ecosystem. Ex. plants, animals.
10% Rule: When energy is passed from on trophic level to the next, only 10% of the energy makes it through. The rest of the energy is lost during transfer, broken down in respiration, or lost during digestion.
Niche: specific area where an organisms inhabits. Ex. Squirrel lives in tree.
Population: group of organisms of one species that interbred and live in the same place at the same time.
Carrying Capacity: amount of organisms an environment can sustain with the resources it contains.
Autotroph: organisms that make their own energy from things like the sun.
Heterotroph: Obtains food and energy by eating other organisms.
Ecology: Scientific study of the relationship between living organisms.
Cycles:
-Nitrogen: biogeochemical process where nitrogen is converted into different forms. It can affect marine ecosystems, which is the focus of our project.
-Water: Cycle of water as it moves through the atmosphere, land, and bodies of water. Water can be affected by pollution, directly relating to whales.
-Carbon: biogeochemical process where carbon is exchanged throughout the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Pollution can affect the carbon cycle.
Climate Zones:
-Climate: how the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time.
-Weather: how the atmosphere behaves during a short period of time.
Human Impact: How humans affect natural things. Worst impact is pollution and tree cutting.
Independent: Manipulated during experiment. It is the cause of changes.
Dependent: Happens because of another thing. Dependent on the independent variable.
Photosynthesis: plants convert light energy into chemical energy for use in growth and cellular repair. Effects our oxygen.
Cellular Respiration: processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and then release waste products. Organisms release carbon dioxide during this process.
Biosphere: land where organisms exist. Consists of several layers including the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Biomes:Large communities of plants and animals in a region. Separated based off climate and grassland. 7 Biomes; tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, scrub forest (called chaparral in California), grassland, desert, tropical rain forest, and temperate rain forest. Our organism is in the ocean so it can go to different biomes.
Trophic Levels: organization of organisms based off function in ecosystem and where nutrition is found. Levels include; producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.
Ecological Succession: process by which the structure of a community evolves over time.
- Primary: happens in lifeless areas (where soil is incapable of sustaining life. Like aftermath of lava flow)
- Secondary: Where a community previously existed, but no longer does. Nutrients can still exist.
Abiotic: nonliving. Ex. Sunlight, temperature, water, and soil.
Biotic: living things in an ecosystem. Ex. plants, animals.
10% Rule: When energy is passed from on trophic level to the next, only 10% of the energy makes it through. The rest of the energy is lost during transfer, broken down in respiration, or lost during digestion.
Niche: specific area where an organisms inhabits. Ex. Squirrel lives in tree.
Population: group of organisms of one species that interbred and live in the same place at the same time.
Carrying Capacity: amount of organisms an environment can sustain with the resources it contains.
Autotroph: organisms that make their own energy from things like the sun.
Heterotroph: Obtains food and energy by eating other organisms.
Reflection: I enjoyed this project because we worked together to find a way to help an animal. My team worked very well together and we all took each others ideas into consideration and decided stuff as one. We also finished our work in a timely matter and focused well. Something we could work on would be project presentation. If we had more time, we could have ordered compostable straws to show our solution better. We also could have added more slides and information to our project as some issues were unclear. Overall, I really enjoyed this project and the team I got to work with and I learned a lot about ecology.