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Lab Three

Name

SCI 207

Instructor

May 5, 2013
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Lab 3 - Experiment 1: Interdependence of Species

Table 1: Interdependence of Species Results

Round Species Missing (Bead Color and Name)
1 Red-Flowers
2 Yellow-Bees
3 Orange-Trees
4 Blue-Humans

Hypothesis: If trees were not part of the ecosystem, then there would be a lack of food for the
bees.

Post-Lab Questions
1. Restate your hypothesis. Was it confirmed or denied? How do you know?
If trees were not part of the ecosystem, then there would be a lack of food for bees. It was
confirmed because of the chart that showed each part of the ecosystem and how it affected
other parts of the ecosystem.
2. Indicate which species was removed during each round of the experiment.
Flowers were removed the first round, bees in the second round, trees in the third round,
and humans in the last round.
3. Explain how the ecosystem was affected by the missing species for each round of the
experiment.
In the first round the flowers weren’t there, which means the bees would lose out on a food
source. In the second round there were no bees, which means the flowers and trees would
not get pollinated. In the third round there were no trees, which means that the flowers
wouldn’t get shade and wind protection. In the last round there were no humans, which I
personally felt made the least significant change to the ecosystem.

4. What actions do we as humans engage in that can lead to extinction of any of these
components?
We as humans pollute the air and environment with our cars and littering carelessly.
Also, we chop down trees to build building we do not need as much as the trees.
5. What can we do to minimize our impact on the ecosystem?
We can plant more trees and flowers, use environmentally safe cars, pick up trash or throw
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our trash away instead of littering, and we can use more “green products”. Going green has
become popular lately and almost every product has a green version.

Lab 3 - Experiment 2: Diversity of Plants

Table 2: Number of Each Plant Species Present in Pot 1 and Pot 2

Species Observed Number in Pot 1 Number in Pot 2
Zinnia 4 2
Marigold 0 2
Morning Glory 2 1
Cosmos 1 1
Ryegrass 1 0
Total Number of Species in Pot: 8 6

Hypothesis: If I scatter the seed mixture for the experiment, then I will end up with more
ryegrass in both pots.

Post-Lab Questions
1. Restate your hypothesis. Was it confirmed or denied? How do you know?
If I scatter the seed mixture for the experiment, then I will end up with more ryegrass in both
pots. This was denied because I ended up with more Zinnia in both pots instead. I thought
ryegrass would be prominent in both pots because they looked like simple plants.
2. How many different kinds of species did you find in your sample?
I found four different kinds of species in my sample.
3. Which species is the most numerous in your sample area? Which is the least numerous?
The species that was numerous in my sample are was the Zinnia. The least numerous was
the marigold in pot one and the ryegrass in pot two.
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4. If each peat pot was a sample you found in a group of wildflowers, would you determine
based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy?
Yes I would because not every type of flower need the same thing to grow. So I would
assume the ecosystem would have to be healthy to still flourish a diversity of different
types of flowers grouped together.
5. How does biodiversity contribute to overall health of an ecosystem?
Biodiversity increases ecosystem productivity. If the ecosystem is productive, then its health
is well off. There are plants that that have certain ingredients we need for medications in the
United States. So if biodiversity (diversity of life in an area) is abundant, then many people,
insects, and other plants benefit from it.