Biodiversity of Ponds
Group Member Names Listed Alphabetically
Honors Biology/Watson
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Biodiversity of Ponds
Objectives: To observe, record and analyze biological data on several local ponds, with emphasis on the types and numbers of organisms found in each.
Materials:
Pond water samples from several local areas
Compound light microscope
Slides and cover slips
Droppers
Pond water organisms identification guides
Introduction:
Include a brief description of what you are studying and how you are studying it. The introduction
should be written in paragraph form, using a minimum of 4 to 5 well written, grammatically correct sentences. This is essentially an overview of the lab. You should include a definition of biodiversity; describe where the ponds are located that are being used for the study; describe the types of organisms you have studied; and describe how the study was conducted.
Data
Observations
Attach your sketches to this report. Use the packet your teacher gave you to record all the important information about your observations of the pond water organisms.
Bar graph
Choose at least 4 ponds that you have good counts for and create a graph that compares the
populations of the organisms in each of the ponds. Be sure to neatly give a title to your graph and
to label the X and Y axis. A key should be included. You can either create your graph using Word or you can neatly hand draw and label it and attach it to your report.
Food web
At least one producer and one consumer included and identified for a generalized food web that would represent organisms that your group found in the ponds you examined.
Conclusions
Describe the overall diversity you found in the ponds your group examined. Which pond had the greatest biodiversity? Did you notice any differences in the number of organisms in the ponds as time went on? Be certain that your data defends your response. (Minimum of 4 to 5 well written, grammatically correct sentences).
References
You should have a minimum of three references listed for your report. Remember to use APA 6 style formatting. You should use the keys used in the lab for identifying the pond water organisms. Your teacher will be glad to assist you with setting up the APA 6 format for your references. The Purdue Owl website is a great resource for determining formatting.