Studying Ecosystems Report
09/18/12
Emma Waymouth

Goal/Purpose
To assess the biodiversity of two different ecosystems by collecting qualitative and quantitative data about the biotic and abiotic factors that exist in them. The two ecosystems in which the biodiversity will be assessed are the DCVI soccer field and Sparling Bush. The independent variables that will be examined are temperature, moisture, amount of light, and soil. The dependent variable in this inquiry is the level of biodiversity.

Hypothesis (What do you think will happen?)
Temperature
I hypothesize that it will be warmer at Sparling Bush because creatures, plants, cells, etc, are able to grow and live in a warmer climate much more easily. The temperature will be warmer at Sparling Bush because there will be many trees around creating a higher density which will help keep the heat in better. Wind will be able to pass through the soccer field much more easily compared to Sparling Bush therefore the soccer field will not be able to maintain the heat.

For example, plants have a tougher time trying to grow in colder conditions making it harder for the organism to survive. This means that the living organisms at Sparling Bush should have a greater level of biodiversity compared to an open soccer field because trees protect the biotic and abiotic organisms.

Moisture / Humidity
I hypothesize that the humidity level at Sparling Bush will be higher compared to the soccer field. I believe this because, if the morning dew soaks up into the air, then the humidity level will stay high because the trees at Sparling Bush create a dense barrier, making it hard for the humidity level to decrease and escape Sparling Bush.

The moisture content at the soccer field should be less than at Sparling Bush because if the moisture is soaked into the air, then the wind is able to make it flow while you get a cool breeze. This should make it feel less humid because you are only feeling the breeze of the wind since there are no trees around to block the wind from its path.

Amount of Light
I hypothesize that the amount of light will be greater at the soccer field because there are barely any trees around to block the sunlight from reaching the ground. Therefore, the soccer field should have rich grass since the ground will have enough sunlight for the grass to grow.

At Sparling Bush, I hypothesize that there will be less light for the plants and other organisms because there are very tall trees that block the sunlight from reaching the ground. If the sunlight is very low, then the competition for sunlight will be high because some plants and organisms need sunlight to grow. Some plants should be able to survive because some of the smaller shrubs have adapted to the shady conditions.

Soil
I hypothesize that the soil at the soccer field will more compact compared to the soil at Sparling Bush. If the ground at the soccer field is maintained and is walked on by many people all the time, then the ground will be packed tighter together because it is used more frequently. Since the ground at the soccer field is so compact, I hypothesize that worms and bugs will not be able to survive or create homes in the dirt because the holes they make could get filled back in.

I also hypothesize that the ground will be thinner and drier at the soccer field compared to Sparling Bush. If the sun is shining down onto the soccer field then the morning dew will be able to dry up much faster compared to Sparling Bush. This is because the sun dries up the ground and the wind carries the water particles away so the area will be much drier. Since we are assessing the ecosystems in the morning, the dew might not even be dried up, which could be a potential source of error.

Experiment Layout
Materials
- Notepad & pen to write all observations down
- Thermometer for temperature
- Thermometer for humidity level
- Proper clothing for weather

Safety Rules
This is a very low risk experiment.
~Make sure you do not eat, or put any of the outdoor substances on your face.
~Bring proper outdoor shoes.
~Be conscious of the people around you and try not to detract them.
~Tell your teacher any allergies you have that could affect you, while conducting the lab report outside.

Procedure
1. Go to the DCVI soccer field and pace off a 4 meter square area.
2. Record quantitative and qualitative data about the independent and dependent variables within the marked off area. If you see or hear evidence of other biotic organisms, you should include those in your observations as well.
3. When instructed, walk to Sparling Bush and pace off a 4 meter square area.
4. Record quantitative and qualitative data about the independent and dependent variables within the marked off area. If you see or hear evidence of other biotic organisms, you should include those in your observations as well.

Diagram of Map (on printed copy)
Conducting and Observing
While observing, it was a cool temperature so you might have wanted to wear a sweater or longer pants. This shows that not all abiotic organisms would want to blossom, or wake up quite yet and go into the cool air, and that they may possibly wait till later in the day to come out. There are more biotic organisms than abiotic. At Sparling Bush, there are many different trees and bushes, and at the soccer field there are fewer kinds. The list of recorded data is on page 4.

Sparling Bush ~ Warm, about 20 celsius.
~ Cool enough for jeans and a t-shirt. ~ The moisture is soaked into soil and air making it more humid. ~ Shaded with small patches of sunlight.
~ Sunlight was blocked from the tall trees ~ Thicker and less compact.
~ Moist and cool.
~ Bumpy and rough.
~ No grass.
Soccer Field ~ Cool, about 18 celsius.
~ You’d want to bring a sweater. ~ The moisture content was less.
~ The humidity felt less because of the wind. ~ Very bright without trees blocking the way of the sunlight. ~ Very compact and thin.
~ Dry and warm.
~ Thick grass.

Here is a list of things I recorded on my notepad.
Biodiversity: Soccer Field

the temp is 18 degrees
Barely any trees so there is a wind
Light
Thick grass
Humidity feels very low (unable to find humidity level)
A lot of dead leaves covering the ground
Only 1 or 2 sticks
Grass is wet
Holes in the leaves of the weeds (caterpillars)
Ground is partially flat
Soil is very compact and somewhat dry
Small clovers
Bear patches (2 small)
Grass is hard to pull so it is alive and healthy
Bee
Sound of some birds chirping and trees leaves
Little black bugs that can fly
Biodiversity: Sparling Bush

Very tall trees with scratched bark (sign if animal)
Small growing maple trees up to knees
No grass just dirt
Sticks everywhere
When you walk, some tiny, black, bugs fly away off little maple trees
Broken tree
Ground is not as compact but dirt is thick and rich
Key leaves
Temp is warmer, 20 degrees (feels warmer than the soccer field)
The is barely any Light because of the tall trees
Dirt is moist but not muddy
Sound of trees leaves swaying from above
Sound of a few different birds chirping
Smells dewey
Different kinds of bushes and trees
2 holes in dirt (snake holes)
Air feels stickier
Holes in many of the shrubs leaves (caterpillars)
Little flies and mosquitoes.

Analyzing the Results
Temperature
The temperature felt warmer at Sparling bush then it did at the soccer field. The reason is because there were many trees at Sparling Bush making it more dense so the heat had a harder time getting out. The soccer field had a cool morning breeze so you would have wanted to wear a sweater which shows that some abiotic organisms won't come out of hiding until the weather gets warmer.

Moisture / Humidity
The humidity level at Sparling bush felt a little higher compared to the soccer field although I was not able to get quantitative data. My reasoning for the humidity level being higher at Sparling Bush is because the moisture in the air is unable to get out of Sparling bush as easy since the trees make it more dense making a barrier in the winds path. If wind cannot flow through, then the moisture content will stay higher and feel stickier.

Amount of Light
At Sparling Bush, there are extremely tall trees that towered all of the plants near the ground. The trees had barely any branches until the top of the tree so that the leaves could get most of the sunlight however; the tall trees then take away the sunlight for the growing bushes and shrubs making it harder for them to grow. Some plants have adapted to living in the shaded area, but others die from not getting enough sunlight. The competition for sunlight at Sparling bush is very high. Since there is no sunlight at Sparling Bush, there was no grass at all covering the ground.

Soil
The soil was much thicker and less compact at Sparling Bush compared to the soccer field. Since kids are always running on the soccer field, the dirt tends to press together making the soil more compact. This should've made it much harder for bugs and worms to build a home under the soil.The soil at the soccer field got a lot of light which means that the ground was able to produce a habitat for grass. The grass was thick and rich, and was somewhat hard to pull out of the ground however, the grass is always cut and maintained.

Possible Sources of Error
This list is the possible sources of error that could have occurred while assessing the ecosystems;

Time of day - the sun always moves across the sky so light could possibly get in from different angles at Sparling Bush.
We examined both ecosystems only once - the day gets hotter as we get more and more throughout the day.
Sparling bush could be maintained because there is a trail - so the data could be wrongs once the ecosystem we were trying to assess what a forest type.
Was not able to get quantitative data on the humidity level - answer could be wrong

How could there be more Biodiversity
Throughout the day, abiotic organisms blossom or wake up at different times. This could mean that there could have been more biodiversity at 1:00pm then at 9:10am. Some of the bugs hide inside the dirt or under tree bark until a certain time, which could have affected the recorded data.

Even though there was a dead tree that had fallen over, this shows that there could be more biodiversity living inside of the log like moss, bugs, fungi, etc. even though there are dead organisms, it could create a food or shelter source for different organisms.

If Sparling bush was a little bigger, than that could create more biodiversity because there would be more space for other organisms to reproduce and grow. Since Sparling bush is maintained for the pathway, the biodiversity cannot grow on the pathway. If it was not maintained, more trees and shrubs would grow to create a thicker, denser forest and more abiotic organisms can survive.

Conclusions
In conclusion, our goal of this lab is to assess the biodiversity of two different ecosystems, which was Sparling Bush and the Soccer Field, and collecting qualitative and quantitative data about the biotic and abiotic factors that exist in them. For this lab, I was able to assess, compare, and record my results to help support my hypothesis.

Sparling Bush
Temperature
The temperature was warmer at Sparling bush then at the soccer field. The reason is because there were many trees at Sparling Bush that created a dense barrier making it harder for the heat to get out.

Moisture / Humidity
The humidity level at Sparling bush felt a little higher compared to the soccer field although I was not able to get quantitative data. The reason for the humidity level being higher at Sparling Bush is because the moisture in the air is unable to get out of Sparling bush as easy since the trees make it more dense. If wind cannot flow through, then the moisture content will stay higher and feel stickier.

Amount of Sunlight
At Sparling Bush, there are extremely tall trees that towered all of the plants near the ground. The trees had barely any branches until the top of the tree so that the leaves could get most of the sunlight however; the tall trees then take away the sunlight for the growing bushes and shrubs making it harder for them to grow. Some plants have adapted to living in the shaded area, but others die from not getting enough sunlight. The competition for sunlight at Sparling bush is very high. Since there is no sunlight at Sparling Bush, there was no grass covering the ground.

Soil
The soil was much thicker and less compact at Sparling Bush compared to the soccer field. This should've made it much easier for bugs and worms to build a home under the soil, there was even two snake holes to prove it. The soil at Sparling bush did not get a lot of light which means that the ground was not able to produce a habitat for grass. The ground was only moist soil and dead leaves and sticks lay ontop of it.

Soccer Field
Temperature
The temperature felt cooler at the soccer field then at Sparling bush. This is because there were no trees making it easier for the heat to escape the field. The soccer field had a cool morning breeze making some students chilly. This shows that some abiotic organisms won't come out of hiding until the weather gets warmer.

Humidity
The humidity level at The soccer field felt lower compared to Sparling bush although I was not able to get quantitative data. The reason for the humidity level being lower at The soccer field is because the moisture in the air is able to get away since the wind flows taking the evaporated water particles with it. If wind can flow through, then the moisture content should be lower and feel less sticky.

Amount of Sunlight
At the soccer field, there were no trees that shaded the ground so there was plenty sunlight. The competition for sunlight at the soccer field is low since there are no trees or shrubs that take away the sunlight. Since there is sunlight at the soccer field, there was thick, green grass covering the ground.

Soil
The soil was much thinner and compact at the soccer field then at Sparling bush. Since kids are always running on the soccer field, the dirt tends to press together making the soil more compact. This should've made it much harder for bugs and worms to build a home under the soil. The soil at the soccer field got a lot of light which means that the ground was able to produce a habitat for grass. The grass was thick and rich, and was somewhat hard to pull out of the ground however, the grass is always cut and maintained.

The outcome of this lab shows that the biodiversity level was greater at Sparling Bush when comparing it to the soccer field, the dependant and independent variables, and the results/data that support my hypothesis.