Erin's+Journal



 First Visit (Journal #1) : Free Journal: This past Sunday, my group, Lindsey, Quinci, Travis, Jaren, and I met at Travis’ house. As a group we went behind Travis’ house and to the niche we were observing, Aiea Stream. As we observed, I noticed that there are many different organisms living there. Some life forms living in the Aiea stream include various birds such as white ducks, frogs, toads, guppies, mosquito larva, and crayfish. Tadpoles and guppies linger near rocks covered in algae for protection from predators such as crayfish. The eggs of toads and frogs are laid in the muddy ponds near the edge. The eggs hatch as tadpoles and the tadpoles and probably fed on the algae and microorganisms of the pond. Over time they grow larger and grow legs, as they are transforming into a frog or toad. When they have fully evolved they lose their tails that they hatched with. Other organisms that also lay their eggs in the pools of water are dragonflies, mosquitoes, and guppies. Much like the tadpoles, the dragonflies and mosquitoes are born in the water as larvae and eventually evolve into an adult. The other organisms, guppies, are born and remain in the pond. They feed on the algae or whatever food source is available to them. Predators of the dragonfly and mosquito larvae are probably guppies and tadpoles because they are much smaller. The predator of the guppies is ducks and crayfish. The crayfish are a muddy color like its surroundings so they can easily blend in with their habitat. With a swift dart, they attempt to catch the guppies and tadpoles. Unlike the dirt-colored crayfish, the ducks seen at the little pool were white and stood out. The duck’s large beaks scoop into the water and catch the small life forms living there. Aiea Stream is a good place to "study" because of the many different organisms living the area, the plants growing there are wild, the large spaciousness of the area, and convenience of the location so that all members may meet. Abiotic factors of the stream were humid /cloudy skies, the heat, rocks/ boulders, small pools of water, mud/dirt. I noticed that although rainfall from mountains and other water sources flow into the steam, there was not much, if any, water flow. The stream was more like many tiny pools of water, like separate ponds not connecting to each other. Here and there were the puddles surrounded by large areas of grass. Biotic factors included California grass, sleeping grass, frogs/toads/tadpoles, guppies, crayfish, birds, mongoose, chickens, ducks, pigs, mosquitoes, dragonflies, bees, yellow flower, purple/White flowers, and algae. In the tiny ponds of water lingered many lively tadpoles and guppies, stealthy crayfish, ducks, and other microorganisms. Many of the organisms fed on algae and smaller organisms. In the grassy areas were many flowers that bees polinated. Many mosquitos and other insects inhabited the tall grass and weeds . Assigned Journal: As I observed the stream during my first visit I noticed the many forms of plant and animal life. The little pools of water, all separated from each other, seemed to have the most forms of life. Within the waters I noticed a crayfish. Crayfish, as I had observed, eat dying or decaying pieces of food or any other smaller creatures. Because the crayfish, aside from the ducks that are seldom seen in the water, are one of the biggest organisms in the pond. Because they are one of the largest, they have a larger choice of food. They probably predated on the smaller tadpoles and guppies. An advantage to the crayfish is its color and ability to blend in with their surroundings. Because crayfish have are dark and dirt-colored, the murky, muddy water gives them the advantage of not being seen easily. Another advantage they have is their ability to swim and dart at their prey very quickly. However, I do not know how much of an advantage this is because I have not had the chance to see if they are able to swim quickly for long periods of time or if they are tired out quickly. Besides their ability to swim quickly and their outer color giving them camouflage, I did not see any organism that predated the crayfish. This is a very good advantage for the crayfish because it does not have to worry about being eaten. Although, it does not seem as if the crayfish are being predated on, I will need to observe closer at my next visit to see if this is true. Another organism I noticed in the waters were tadpoles. They seemed to be quite numerous in size and some were in the process of evolving into a toad. They mainly predated on the algae growing on roots of plants and rocks and, although I am not sure, there is a high chance they also ate the mosquito larvae that were wiggling around. The only fish I noticed in the pond was the guppy, many of which were silver and had vibrant colored tails. I observed that they also mainly predated on the growing algae. They also were consuming the wriggling, worm-like mosquito larvae. The organism that I noticed to have a narrow niche was the larva of mosquitoes. Unlike the other aquatic organisms, the mosquito larvae cannot eat more than the nutrients, protein, and microorganisms found in the pool of water. Unfortunately for the larvae, it has more than one predator present in the water. For example, the guppy is a predator of the larvae. It is probable that guppies eat the larvae because larvae are often used as fish food. Another possible predator present is the tadpole. Because the larvae are so small, it is easier for tadpoles, being small themselves, to eat them.

 

<span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">Second Visit <span style="font-size: 220%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(60, 10, 174);">(Journal #2) <span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">: <span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Free Journal: <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(91, 128, 236);"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(93, 138, 233);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(65, 147, 241);">For this past visit, my assigned role was to observe the Amphibian and Reptile life. Like the last time, in the stream I noticed many kinds of aquatic animals such as guppies, mosquito larvae, crayfish, and tadpoles. However this visit I was fortunate to see more frogs and toads than I had last time. The frogs were very small and about the size of my fist or even smaller. They were very quick so I was not able to get a good picture of the frogs. After, I learned I needed to have my camera at ready. Aside from frogs, I saw about two or three toads. The toads were much bigger than the frogs; they were about five to six inches in length. Their skin was a dark, mud like color that you can observe in the picture above. I found many of the toads in smaller pools of the stream; the pools in which the toads were found in were about 1 ½ to 2 feet in length and 1 foot in width. The water was about three or four inches deep so that their heads would stick out and many tiny rocks, boulders, and patches of grass and other plants surrounded the tiny pools. Most of the pools were isolated from others except for a few where miniature dams had been created that allowed water to flow at a steady pace rather than just sitting. As I observed the pools of water, I noticed how tadpoles were not found in the smaller pools of water. However, the older tadpoles (frogs and toads) appeared to be found more in smaller pools rather than the larger pools. At the upper part of the stream where my observations started, there were larger bodies of water, which had a very abundant amount of tadpoles. The tadpoles were about one centimeter in length and half of a centimeter I width. They had very small tales that were used for swimming and their bodies were very round and shaped like small balls. They had two small eyes and dark, black bodies. When I saw that the tadpoles were very abundant in larger bodies of water, it made start wondering why they thrived there and why the frogs and toads may prefer smaller bodies of water. Lastly, a reptile species that I observed were lizards. I am not too sure what kind of lizards, but they had yellow, brown, white, and dark brown spots along their back. Their hands and feet had very long fingers/toes. Their tales were about eight centimeters in length and their actual body was about six or seven centimeters. Many of these lizards, like the one in the picture above, were found under rocks, in the large areas of grass, and on rocks. Their brown bodies made it easy for them to blend in with their surroundings, which was a good camouflage to hide them from any predator. <span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Assigned Journal:

<span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(65, 147, 241);"><span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(93, 138, 233);">The Aiea stream is teaming with many plants, animals, and insects of all shapes and sizes. Some of these organisms are the tadpoles, ducks, frogs, toads, mosquitoes, guppies, crayfish, and lizards. While I was visiting the eco place with my group, I did not notice many environmental pressures. One that I noticed did not strike me as a very momentous pressure other than the fact that the grass had been weed wacked a week or two ago. I did not see this as a huge pressure because it did not see as if the grass was interfering greatly with the wildlife, not too many species should be harmed. Although I am not sure how much the grass affects the organisms so I would need to look into that. Three organisms at the stream that have heritable variations are the ducks living next to the stream, guppies, and the toads. The ducks’ heritable variation would be their white feathers. These white feathers stand out in the mass of green foliage, which may not help protect them against predators such as dogs or cats. However, whether is this a heritable variation or not, many of the ducks are so large, it is beneficial to their protection because cat probably would not attack a larger creature. The second organism I noticed to have a heritable variation were the guppies living in the pools of unconnected water. A heritable variation is their vibrantly colored tails belonging to the male guppies. Many of the tails are red with splotches of black or black on the ends. This may not help as a defense or camouflage against predators such as ducks or crayfish, but like the theory of sexual selection, the male with the most beautiful tale may be able to mate with more female guppies. So if a male has a tail that is not as vibrant, they may not be able to mate. Lastly, the other organism I noticed to have a heritable variation were the toads. The toads appeared mostly by pools of water that were located next to many rocks and boulders. The heritable variation of the toad was its dark skin. Because their dark skin is a brown, dirt-like color, it gives them a camouflage that will help them to blend in with their surroundings like the sediment. The sediment of the water was a very dark brown and so was much of the other matter drifting in the tiny pools. Another heritable variation of the toad i<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">s its poison. The toads have poison in their skin that will protect them from a predator such as a dog. For example, a friend of mine had a dog that licked a toad and it got very sick from the poison. So Therefore, three organisms within the stream with heritable variations are ducks, guppies, and toads.



<span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">Third Visit <span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);"> <span style="font-size: 220%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(60, 10, 174);">(Journal<span style="font-size: 60%; color: rgb(120, 0, 255);"> #3) <span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">: <span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Free Journal:

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(93, 138, 233);"><span style="color: rgb(65, 147, 241);"> <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(84, 181, 242);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 105, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(65, 147, 241);"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">      <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> **If the water is deeper, then there will be more aquatic animals.** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">I have inferred this because last visit, I noticed many aquatic animals in the larger pools of water. As observed the Aiea Stream is a large canal full of much plant and animal life. The actual water of the stream is very thin in width and unconnected. The small segments or areas of water vary both in length, width, and depth. Many of the small pools are wide and long and deep, while the smaller pools are thin and shallow. Some areas are in the shade of trees or boulders and others are not hidden from the sunlight. Also, no plants surround few pools at all, for California grass covers almost the entire canal. For example, in one of the smaller, more isolated pools, I noticed there were not many life forms. Some of the creatures were small guppies and a large group of mosquito larvae. Because of this, it made me begin to wonder why such a limited amount of species inhabited the pool. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**If there are more algae, then there will be more tadpoles.** During my visit to the stream I noticed the many aquatic and land animals such as ducks, bees, dragonflies, lizards, tadpoles, guppies, mosquito larvae, crayfish, and chickens. At each visit, I observed these creature’s habits and niches. Excluding the bees, lizards, and chicken, I realized that many, if not all, the creatures relied on the stream for food and a home. Two live examples I observed were the dragonfly and the tadpole. First, the dragonfly, I noticed it stopped on many plants and dipped into the water sometimes. Unlike the other animals, I could not watch to see the natural niche they actually would be living in. Although I did not find the niche of a dragonfly, I knew that the insects were most commonly found near bodies of water, this might be because they lay their eggs in water and eat mosquito larvae. Second, I observed the tadpoles living in the stream. Many of the tadpoles stuck near to the edge of the pond. This may have been because they consume algae, which is found mostly on the plants that extend into the pools of water. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**If there are no crayfish, then there will be more fish in the pools of water.** For my last inference, I observed why the population of fish and other aquatic animals may be quite large in one area than another. As said above, Aiea stream is broken down into many different, section-like areas of water. The many pools all differ in the creatures they hold. Because of this, I wanted to know why this is. So during the visit, I observed the guppies in the tiny pools. In one larger pool, I noticed many guppies and tadpoles, yet no crayfish. While in smaller pools I saw at least two or three crayfish and not as many guppies and tadpoles. Because I am not sure of the crayfish’s diet, I am not confident to say that they are consuming the tiny fish and tadpoles, but there was a trend in the number of crayfish compared to the amount of other aquatic creatures.

<span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Assigned Journal: <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">Fourth Journal <span style="font-size: 220%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(60, 10, 174);">(Journal #4) <span style="font-size: 300%; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 162, 122);">: <span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Free Journal: <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">  <span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230);"><span style="color: rgb(117, 162, 230); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(117, 162, 230);">This past visit to Aiea stream was very much like the rest. In the afternoon, I met with Lindsey and Quinci and we went down to our area of observation. Fist, I noticed that during the time I had not been at the stream, which was about two weeks because I was not able to visit the week before, the grass had been cut and had time to grow. As I made observations, I realized that that there were more ducks in the area. Usually I am only fortunate enough to witness about one. During this visit, I was able to see their interactions, which was not much being that they only swam around. I observed them and saw that they did not bother with one another. The ducks seemed to mind their own business and rarely did they follow or stick together. Another species that I noticed to not associate with one another were the tadpoles. However, although they seemed to be minding their own business, they were always congregated together. If you were to visit the stream as well, it would be rare to see a lone tadpole swimming, eating, and resting on rocks by itself. Even as larger tadpoles, they continue to gather together. After making observations, I began with the conduction of my experiment. Of my three hypotheses, I chose, “If there are more algae, then there will be more aquatic animals.” I had hypothesized this because during my former visits to Aiea Stream, I noticed there were a large number of aquatic animals gathered near some algae. First, I divided the area of observation into three sections. After, I began to conduct this experiment at the first section. This section was about a foot deep, 2 feet in width, and 3 feet in length. While I observed this particular area, I noticed it did, in fact, occur that there was quite a large number of tadpoles and guppies congregated around a plant that had extended into the stream and became covered in algae. As observed in former visits, I knew that guppies and the tadpoles mainly fed on the algae. Algae were mainly found on stray vines that had fallen into the water or at the edges by the rocks. After finding that the hypothesis was true for that area of the stream, I made my way further down the stream to the next section. This section was about half a foot deep, 2 feet in width, and 3 to 4 feet in length. Here, I noticed that besides many tadpoles, there were also guppies and crayfish. The numbers of tadpoles were not as great as the other area, but I did notice a large source of algae available. Finally, I made my way to the end of the area of observation, the last section. The third section was about one foot deep, 2 feet in width, and 2 feet in length. At that area, the amount of sources for algae was quite low and I did not see many, if any tadpoles. However, there were about three or four guppies visible. Therefore, it was decided that if there were more algae, then there would be more aquatic animals.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(8, 96, 201); font-size: 110%;">Graph: As you can see in the graph above, as the amount of algae decrease, the population size decreases.

<span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(31, 93, 168);">Assigned Journal: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">