Using Invertebrates to Assess Water Quality Go to: http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/B _!"/B _!".

html Question: #ow $o population changes o% a&uatic invertebrates in$icate water &uality' (urpose: In this investigation) you will $emonstrate how water &uality can be assesse$ by stu$ying the e%%ects o% aci$ rain on $i%%erent populations o% a&uatic invertebrates. *b+ectives: Investigate the e%%ects o% aci$ rain on $i%%erent species o% a&uatic invertebrates ,escribe how the presence or absence o% populations o% a&uatic invertebrates in$icates water &uality (roce$ure: *n the screen you will see three a&uatic invertebrates in the a&uarium. -he p# level in$icator on the a&uarium shows the current p# level. .ote: -he specimens are not $rawn to scale. -he computer ran$omly chooses three specimens at a time %rom the %ollowing: a&uatic earthworms) snails) tubbier worms) clams) leeches) si$e swimmers) $ragon%ly nymphs) cray%ish) %airy shrimps) an$ stone%ly nymphs. /ou can clic0 1232- until you get the selection you want to test. In%ormation: #ow $o changes in populations o% a&uatic invertebrates in$icate water &uality' Aci$ rain results %rom the release o% pollutants in the air. -he pollutants come %rom %ossil %uels such as gasoline) oil an$ coal being burne$ by automobiles) %actories) an$ power plants. When the %ossil %uels are burne$) they release sul%ur $io4i$e an$ nitrous o4i$es as bypro$ucts. -hese pollutants can combine with water an$ other chemicals to %orm nitric aci$ an$ sul%uric aci$ in the atmosphere. When the water %alls to 2arth as rain) snow) sleet) %og or $ew) it is calle$ aci$ precipitation 5aci$ rain6. -he carbonic aci$ use$ in this investigation represents aci$ rain. -he strength o% aci$ rain is $etermine$ by rea$ing a p# scale. -he p# is a measurement o% how aci$ic or basic a solution is. -he p# scale ranges %rom ! to 78. -he lower the p#) the more aci$ic the solution. -he higher the p#) the more basic the solution. *n the p# scale) a change o% one unit is actually a ten9%ol$ change. :or e4ample) pure $istille$ water is neural at p# ;. A solution at p# < is ten times more aci$ic than pure water) an$ a solution at p# = is 7!! times more aci$ic than pure water. -hus) a p# change o% one or two units can seriously a%%ect a great number o% organisms in an ecosystem. All rain naturally has some amount o% aci$ in it. Unpollute$ rain has a p# o% =.!9=.<. By contrast) aci$ rain has a p# range o% 8.!9=.!. In highly in$ustriali>e$ regions) aci$ rain can be e4tremely aci$ic. With p# rea$ings below 8.!) the aci$ rain in these areas can be as strong as vinegar 5?.?.6 an$ sometimes even as strong as lemon +uice 5@.?!6. When aci$ rain %alls) it can pro$uce many problems %or the environment) particularly %or %orest an$ a&uatic habitats. All organisms are a$apte$ to survive within particular p# ranges. Aost %reshwater %ish) %or e4ample) survive best within a p# range o% =.!9<.!. When aci$ precipitation %alls into a la0e) it lowers the p# o% the water) thus 0illing many a&uatic organisms. In$icator species are particular a&uatic invertebrates that alert us to pollution problems in an environment. -he populations o% these organisms change rapi$ly in response to changes in

ecological variables) such as %oo$ availability) water) an$ temperature) amount o% $issolve$ water in the water) p# levels) an$ other %actors. Blic0 on the (opulation Bar Graph on the computer to see the population $ata %or the three species at the present p# level. Blic0 the -able button to open the -AB 2 an$ recor$ the population $ata an$ the current p# level. Blic0 the (I(2--2 to $ispense three $rops o% carbonic aci$ 5aci$ rain6 into the a&uarium Blic0 the (opulation Bar Graph to see the new $ata. *pen the -able an$ recor$ the population $ata an$ the current p# level Bontinue to a$$ Barbonic Aci$ an$ recor$ the resulting population $ata an$ p# levels until you have complete$ the table. When complete9 copy $ata table 5ta0e screen shot6 to inclu$e in write9 up. A%ter you have complete$ the -able) clic0 the graph button to see the $ata $isplaye$ in a graph. 5Bopy Graph an$ inclu$e in your write9up6Analysis Questions: 7: What are the names o% the species use$ in this e4periment' Which o% these species was the most tolerant o% increase$ aci$ity in the a&uarium' Which species was the least tolerant' 9C -he names were the 3i$eswimmer) the A&uatic 2arthworm) an$ -ubi%e4 worm. -he most tolerant were the last two. -he 3i$eswimmer was the least tolerant. @: ,escribe how aci$ precipitation a%%ects ecosystems. 9C Aci$ precipitation coul$ change the p# o% an ecosystems by one or two units or ten to 7!! times. Aost organisms in their set environment have a$apte$ to a set range %or p#) a serious p# change woul$ be lethal to them. ?: What is an in$icator species' #ow are in$icator species use$ to assess pollution levels in the environment' 9C An in$icator species is a species that tells i% there is problem within the ecosystem. -hey see i% the in$icator species is healthy to tell the pollution levels o% the ecosystem 8: 3uppose you are an ecologist stu$ying the e%%ects o% aci$ precipitation o% plant li%e. ,escribe an e4periment you woul$ per%orm in or$er to $etermine which plant species woul$ be an use%ul in$icator species %or aci$ rain pollution. 9C I woul$ %in$ a variety o% plants that grow primarily in neutral or basic water. I woul$ ta0e 7!!Ds o% specimens o% $i%%erent plants an$ put them all in aci$ic water. -he population which su%%ers the most casualties will most li0ely be the best in$icator %or aci$ rain pollution. =: #ow $o the $ata represente$ on the (opulation Bar Graph compare to the $ata represente$ in the line graph title$) E(opulations o% A&uatic Invertebrates at Farious p# evels'G

9C -he line graph shows the increase in Invertebrates. -hey both represent the $ata that is being $emonstrate$ in the e4periment. It shows the population o% a&uatic Invertebrates at various p# levels.