Eco-column Write-up Instructions
In this eco-column write-up, your job is to clearly present the information about your eco-column to your reader. Your report should include each of the sections below. The heart of your report should be your analysis and conclusions. Use this write-up as an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and ideas.
Title
Place a title at the top of the report. Include your lab group number and all the lab group members.
Purpose
State in two sentences why we did this lab and how it connects to the first unit (Chapter 3, 4, & 5).
Background
What is an eco-column and why is it a useful tool? These are just a few ideas to get you started on introduction eco-columns. Please reference one article or document you used for the background.
Materials
List all materials you selected for each habitat. Only list the materials you supplied from home.
Results (data)
· Include a table with your eco-column’s data for the all testing sessions.
· Include a single graph for DO, nitrate, and phosphate and individual graphs for pH and temperature. Your graph should include a title (title should be specific to the experiment – independent vs. dependent variable), labeled axis, key, and units.
· Did you discover any unexpected organisms (for example: fungus grew or new microorganisms appeared)? Did you not see any new organisms? Be specific on where you looked and what you found.
· Summarize your observations of the three ecosystems by date for each of your major testing sessions.
Analysis and Discussion
- Discuss the data from your eco-column with regard to the materials used and the impact those materials had on your habitat(s). What does your data say about what has gone on in your eco-column?
- Compare your lab group’s somewhat “contrived” or “manufactured” ecosystems with ecosystems found outside the classroom. Describe (i) three similarities and (ii) three differences.
- Explain the carbon cycle in the 3 habitats of your eco-column. State how you think it would occur in that habitat. Be careful not to include aspects of this cycle that wouldn’t occur in your eco-column (i.e. emissions of CO2 due to burning coal).
- Propose 3 possible reasons why there are such large differences between the eco-columns in the class.
Conclusions
Discuss three trends or patterns which stand out as you look at the data (nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature and pH) you have been recording for 6 weeks. These trends or patterns should apply to the water quality tests or other observations which you have made over this multi-week time period. Briefly discuss these trends or patterns, providing possible explanations based on environmental science principals. It is recommended that you research mosquito fish to determine what conditions they require to survive.