Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:

-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Abiotic factors of the Marine ecosystems

Salinity = Amount of salt dissolved in water. Ranges from 10 35 ppt. Can use
electrical conductivity, data logger, refractometer, or density
measurements
pH = Measure of how many H+ ions are in the water. Can be measured using
pH paper, data logger, or pH meter.
Temperature = measured with a conventional or electronic thermometer as well as data
loggers. Marine organisms have an optimal temperature for metabolic
processes, being ectothermic (cold blooded) water temp is very important.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Dissolved Oxygen= Necessary for respiration, is affected by temp. and wave action.
Can be measured using data logger or Winkler Titration.

Wave Action = Increased wave action mixes more air with water to dissolve more
oxygen. A dynamometer measures the force of the waves.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Abiotic factors of the Freshwater ecosystems

Turbidity = Measures the clarity of water. The more clear the deeper sunlight can
reach producers. Measured using a secchi disc.
pH = Is greatly effected by the surrounding soil and rock as well as by rainfall. Like
in the marine environment its the measure of how many H+ ions are in the
water. Can be measured using pH paper, data logger, or pH meter.
Flow velocity = can be measured using a floating object or a flow meter. Increase flow
requires organisms to be able to anchor themselves well.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen = Colder waters can dissolve more oxygen. Dissolved
Oxygen of 5 mg/L is necessary for a balanced ecosystem. The maximum D.O.
at 15C is 9.8 mg/L.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Abiotic factors of the Terrestrial ecosystems

Temperature = a maximum and minimum thermometer will tell you a range of
temperature particularly in land where temp can vary greatly in a short
amount of time.

Light intensity = Measured with a light meter and varies throught the day and
according to cloud cover.

Soil moisture content = Soil mass is measured before and after applying low heat to dry
the sample. The difference is the moisture content.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Wind Speed = measured with an anemometer

Soil Particle Size = Measured with graduation sieves. Larger particles drain faster than
smaller.
Soil Mineral Content = Measured by taking the mass before and after burning all of the
organic matter in the sample, this is called the (LOI) Loss On Ignition
method. Indicates how well the soil holds water and its fertility.

Slope = influences runoff and the potential for erosion. Measured using leveling poles
or a clinometer.
Drainage = influenced by slope and soil content. Less drainage prevents oxygen and
nutrients from being available to plants and take longer to warm up in the spring
preventing germination.

Measuring abiotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for measuring at least three abiotic factors within and ecosystem.

Choosing and evaluating field techniques

Reliability = the reliability of results can be increased by taking samples over multiple
occasions and taking the average.
Accuracy = accuracy can be increased by choosing equipment with a lesser degree of
error.
Appropriateness = a data logger would be a good choice for measuring light intensity
over 24 hours.

Measuring biotic components of the system

Students will be able to:
-Describe and evaluate methods for estimating abundance of organisms.
-Describe and evaluate methods for estimating the biomass or trophic levels in a community.
-Define the term diversity.
-Apply Simpsons diversity index and outline its significance
-Construct simple keys and use published keys for the identification of organisms.