You are here: Home / Resources / Compare

Resources: Compare

#429, v1.0 Published:
#611, v1.0.0 Published:

Title

No changes found.

Authors

Old VersionNew Version
1J. Phil Gibson (University of Oklahoma) 1J. Phil Gibson (University of Oklahoma) 
2Deborah Rook () 2Jessica Joyner (CUNY Brooklyn College)
   3Jessica Joyner ()
   4Anna Petrovicheva (Brooklyn college)

Description

Old VersionNew Version
1<p>Food webs and trophic dynamics are important biological topics that explain community interactions, ecosystem energetics, and other ecological phenomena. Interactions among organisms in different trophic levels is a particularly important factor shaping the structure and function of communities and ecosystems. To investigate the interactions between producers and consumers, you will construct a simple ecosystem containing an algal producer and a crustacean herbivore and observe what happens over the course of a two-week period in this simple food chain. In this experiment, you will use an experimental design&nbsp; developed by Hudon and Finnerty (2013), but in a &ldquo;flipped&rdquo; format. You should first view the assigned videos that describe the fundamental features of the experimental procedure. Make notes about experimental design to investigate bottom-up or top-down effects in a simple ecosystem composed of a single producer and consumer species.</p>  1<p>Demonstrating predator-prey dynamics rarely fit the timeline of a lecture&nbsp;course or the scope of student experiences.&nbsp;This lab explores food chain dynamics in a&nbsp;microcosm of a simplified ecosystem with a&nbsp;primary producer and a grazer. It can be accomplished in two class sessions (one for experimental setup and the other for data collection).&nbsp; The primary producer is a marine algae and the grazer is brine shrimp (<em>Artemia </em>sp.), both of which are accessible and have low risk in culturing and maintenance. For the ecological context of predator-prey dynamics, the population densities&nbsp;are compared after a 2-week incubation of student designed experiment.&nbsp;Additionally, the concepts of &#39;bottom-up&#39; or &#39;top-down&#39; influences on an ecosystem can be taught and discussed in a broader context of ecosystem ecology.</p>
2  2  
3<p>The producer is a unicellular, marine alga in the genus (<em>Platymonas</em> sp.). This species has a flagellum which allows it to swim through its aquatic environment. The consumer is <em>Artemia salina</em> (brine shrimp), a crustacean related to crabs and lobsters. They hatch from cysts and are easily grown in lab. The larva, called a <em>naupilus</em>, are active swimmers and develop into the mature adult form in a few days. The mature adults are grazers that feed on algae.</p>  3<p>In this experiment, you will use an experimental design&nbsp;developed by Hudon and Finnerty (2013), but in a &ldquo;flipped&rdquo; format. You should first view the assigned videos that describe the fundamental features of the experimental procedure.&nbsp;</p>
4  4  
5<p>Hudon, D. and J.R. Finnerty. 2013. To build an ecosystem: an introductory lab for environmental science and biology students. The American Biology Teacher 75:186-192.</p> 5<p>Hudon, D. and J.R. Finnerty. 2013. To build an ecosystem: an introductory lab for environmental science and biology students. The American Biology Teacher 75:186-192.</p> 

Attachments

1 file — Food Chain Dynamics In A Simple Ecosystem 1 file — Food Chain Dynamics In A Simple Ecosystem
2 file — Excel Algae Concentration Calculations 2 file — ./FMN-FoodChainDynamics-NotesReflections.docx
3 file — Excel Anova for Algae Comparisons 3 file — ./IMG-0633.JPG
4 file — Algae Ecosystem Hypothesis Worksheet 4 file — ./IMG-0634.JPG
5 file — Teaching Notes 5 file — ./IMG-0635.JPG
6 file — Excel T-test for Aglae Jars 6 file —
7 file — ./Videos Links.docx
8 file — Excel Anova for Algae Comparisons
9 file — Algae Ecosystem Hypothesis Worksheet
10 file — Excel T-test for Aglae Jars
Close

Home

Search