Kacie's+First+Visit

==First Visit  ==  Free Journal

In my first visit, I went to the middle of the stream (between the bridge and start of the concrete walls). While I was there, I noticed many plant and animal species. Some interesting vegetation along the riverbed included wedilias, water reeds, umbrella plants, ginger, coconut trees and a hala tree. With all these plants it was very easy to understand where all the leaves and branches in the water came from. One side of the bank is lined with houses while the other side holds wild vegetation of weeds and trees, etc. The was also a diverse animal species types; with ducks, fish, tadpoles and possibly crayfish living in the same area. While I was there, I counted around 17 ducks/birds. I also saw many small fish swimming near the shore, but they were very fast and camouflaged so well with the dirt, that it was hard to see them. The tadpoles also were along the shore. I think there is a possibility for there being crayfsh in the stream because I saw some remains of what looked like crayfish, but I can't be certain. The stream also had many rocks that differentitiated in size. The smallest rocks, laying on the bottom of the stream floor, making little ripples in the water and then there were a some giant slabs of rock and concrete that caused a sort of tiny waterfall effect. In think that these smaller rocks, serve as a protection for many different types of creatures live, such as other fish, maybe even some sorts of crayfish or other microorganisms. I also noticed that some rocks where piled on top of each other into what looks like a former dam, but maybe after time or human disturbances has been destroyed and now left with only piles of rocks. The water looked dirty, mimicking the shade of the dark gray brown mud. Although there is natural pollution, I wasn't able to find a lot of man-made trash in the area. Then I went upstream to make some comparisons. By the bridge, the water is a lot more calm because there are hardly any rocks, but as the water progresses down it gets more rapid and becomes rougher. I also observed that the size of the river's width and depth varied as the stream went down. For example, at the bridge the water was relatively wide and deep, but as I progress down the river the increase of rocks made the stream shallower and more narrow. There also is a tiny patch of grass (an island) growing in the middle of the river. I also noticed that there are many disturbances to this natural area from people and animals. Since it is located right on the edge of Manoa District Park and along side many houses there are many people and their pets going through the river. Just while I was there an older man and his grandson walked on the rocks to go back to their house on the other side of the river. Also a dog ran through the water, upsetting many of the ducks that were there. Even with these disturbances, I think that Manoa Stream would be a great place to observe because there are many different variables to study. There are numerous plants and animals that would be great to observe through the semester. There also is the combination of water and land which helps me to be able to compare the differences. Also Manoa Stream is a very convenient place for me to observe especially since I go there every weekend for my brother basketball clinic and games.

Assigned Journal

Manoa stream holds numerous amounts of different niches both in the water and on land. With all these niches brings a variety of different animal and species. As said before I ducks, small fishes, tadpoles and possibly crayfish. One niche was that of the small fishes. They live near the shore, but are the same color as the water, which helps animals not in the water have a hard time seeing them. I guess it is a way of avoiding predation. I think that their main predators are bigger fish, crayfish and ducks. I think that they also probably hide in the tiny rocks and also use the rocks as a source of food, nibbling at the algae that grow on them. Ducks also occupy a large space of the stream. The ducks live more towards the bridge. The males are very colorful with bright orange feet and bills. Both ducks are mainly brown, but the females have more of whites with brown speckles and the males are brown with white tail feathers and black primary and secondary wing feathers. They also occupy a large grassy area near the stream where they seem to like sunbathing. The ducks get most of their food from the stream from fishes or from humans. While I was there, I saw a woman feeding the ducks with crumbs of bread. I think that the human disturbances also provide negative effects on the ducks because of rubbish. Birds, like cardinals, brown pigeons, and much more are all around the stream. They live mainly on or in the trees, but are frequently seen along the river side, picking up scraps or eating at the fruit. They probably cause a lot of competition in this ecosystem among the ducks. The range in sizes, but to me are pretty chubby. They seem to be the second highest-ranking animal that best suits this area, behind the ducks, mainly because of their size and ability to get food. Lastly there is the large amount plant species that occupies the stream. Some plants include the minature unbrella plant (sparkler grass), sea oats, lehua, hidden-petaled ilima, hala tree, weedilia and weeds. These plants give shelter, food and even protection for some animals. These are a huge part of this ecosystem. Without it many ducks and birds would not get food. Then if the ducks and birds left, the fish population would grow so grand that there would either be no space or resources that everyone would die (like the rabbits and grass) or many other animals would populate the area.