What Was This Project?
For this unit of STEM, we delved into Ecology, the study of the interaction between organisms and their environment. In order to understand this more fully, we had to pick a ecosystem or animal species and apply concepts from our study of ecology to it, describe how humans are affecting it, and put into place an action plan on how to address it. My group (which consisted of Lucy Mogan, Tanner Spence, and Lucy Ostrowski), looked into the impacts of human poaching on the African Savanna and of the African Bush Elephant. On this page, you can find different Ecological concepts we used in our project and my reflection on the project. You can also find our slideshow, links to our Instagram and website, and our flyer that we hung copies of around San Marin, which were all apart of our campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the African Bush Elephant and of the African Savanna.
Our Flyer:
Concepts Used In This Project:
Carrying Capacity- The amount of organisms that can be supported by the environment. During our project, one of the aspects of our ecosystem we had to look into was what factors affect its carrying capacity.
Abiotic- Anything that is not living. Examples of abiotic things in our ecosystem would be the soil, oxygen, and the water that flows through it.
Biotic- Anything that is currently living or was once alive. Examples of biotic things in our ecosystem would be lions, elephants, and acacia trees.
Mutualism- An interaction between organisms in which both benefit. A great example of mutalism that can be found in the African Savanna which is the relationship between bees and flowers.
Competition- When two or more organisms use the same resources, with both organisms getting less fitness overall. An example in the savanna would be hyenas, lions, and cheetahs all competing for wildebeests.
Predation- An interaction between two organisms, in which one gains fitness by eating the other, and the other loses fitness. An example in our ecosystem would be the relationship between a lion and a gazelle.
Commensalism- An interaction between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected. An example in the savanna would be the relationship between birds and elephants, where birds get to perch on an elephants back, while the elephant is unaffected.
Organization In Ecology- In ecology there are certain levels at which ecology is measured. In order those levels are: individual (a single organism), population (a species that lives in the same area), community, (the interaction of different populations) ecosystem (the interaction of communities and their environment), biome (a collection of similar ecosystems), and lastly biosphere (where all life on Earth exists). The African Savanna is an ecosystem that contains individuals,populations, and communities.
Limiting Factors- Factors that stop a population from growing to a certain size. There are two types of limiting factors, with one being density dependent factors. These are factors that only come into play when the population is a certain size, such as amount of resources, competition, and space. The other kind, is density independent factors, which affect a population no matter the size such as natural disasters, unusual weather, and human activities. Limiting factors affect populations all over the savanna.
Disturbance of homeostasis- If homeostasis in an ecosystem, it can have drastic effects on the organisms that live in it. If just one population's size is altered it can have drastic effects on the rest of the ecosystem. For example if the wildebeest population in the savanna, if altered can affect the organisms that it depends on and those that depend on it.
Biomass- Biological matter that is reused for energy. This kind of energy has yet to be used by people in the African Savanna.
Biodiversity- The variety in the different populations that exist in an ecosystem. There is a lot of biodiversity in the African Savanna, which can be seen in the food web below.
Food Web- Webs that show the interactions between populations that live in an ecosystem. An example of the African Savanna food web can be seen below.
Abiotic- Anything that is not living. Examples of abiotic things in our ecosystem would be the soil, oxygen, and the water that flows through it.
Biotic- Anything that is currently living or was once alive. Examples of biotic things in our ecosystem would be lions, elephants, and acacia trees.
Mutualism- An interaction between organisms in which both benefit. A great example of mutalism that can be found in the African Savanna which is the relationship between bees and flowers.
Competition- When two or more organisms use the same resources, with both organisms getting less fitness overall. An example in the savanna would be hyenas, lions, and cheetahs all competing for wildebeests.
Predation- An interaction between two organisms, in which one gains fitness by eating the other, and the other loses fitness. An example in our ecosystem would be the relationship between a lion and a gazelle.
Commensalism- An interaction between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected. An example in the savanna would be the relationship between birds and elephants, where birds get to perch on an elephants back, while the elephant is unaffected.
Organization In Ecology- In ecology there are certain levels at which ecology is measured. In order those levels are: individual (a single organism), population (a species that lives in the same area), community, (the interaction of different populations) ecosystem (the interaction of communities and their environment), biome (a collection of similar ecosystems), and lastly biosphere (where all life on Earth exists). The African Savanna is an ecosystem that contains individuals,populations, and communities.
Limiting Factors- Factors that stop a population from growing to a certain size. There are two types of limiting factors, with one being density dependent factors. These are factors that only come into play when the population is a certain size, such as amount of resources, competition, and space. The other kind, is density independent factors, which affect a population no matter the size such as natural disasters, unusual weather, and human activities. Limiting factors affect populations all over the savanna.
Disturbance of homeostasis- If homeostasis in an ecosystem, it can have drastic effects on the organisms that live in it. If just one population's size is altered it can have drastic effects on the rest of the ecosystem. For example if the wildebeest population in the savanna, if altered can affect the organisms that it depends on and those that depend on it.
Biomass- Biological matter that is reused for energy. This kind of energy has yet to be used by people in the African Savanna.
Biodiversity- The variety in the different populations that exist in an ecosystem. There is a lot of biodiversity in the African Savanna, which can be seen in the food web below.
Food Web- Webs that show the interactions between populations that live in an ecosystem. An example of the African Savanna food web can be seen below.
Carbon Cycle- The operation of carbon being cycled through an ecosystem. Respiration, decayed organisms and factory emissions get carbon into the atmosphere. This operation is key in the African Savanna. Below is a model of the cycle.
Water Cycle- The way in which water gets shifted around an ecosystem. The major steps of it are evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. The African Savanna is greatly impacted by this cycle. Below is a model of the water cycle.
Nitrogen Cycle- The process by which nitrogen gets distributed through an ecosystem. Nitrogen has to be converted into different forms in order to get around. The cycle plays a key role in the African Savanna. Below is a model of the nitrogen cycle.
Reflection:
This project overall, was a success for my group and I. One of the strongest aspects of our project was our use of many different methods of getting our message out there, between our Instagram, in-class presentation, our flyers, and our website. The fact that we were able to implement all of these methods was a success for our project and our message. Another thing that went well was our efficiency. We all made sure to stay on task throughout the entire process, and were able to finish our project in good time.
For all that went well, there were some weaker aspects to our project. One of which being our communication as a group. During the project, there were times were we weren't communicating to each other about what we were doing as much as we should have. Something else that could have gone better is we could have practiced more on our presentation. We didn't practice our presentation as much as we should have, with us being less prepared and less coordinated that we could have been. Both of these things are something I will work on in the future.
For all that went well, there were some weaker aspects to our project. One of which being our communication as a group. During the project, there were times were we weren't communicating to each other about what we were doing as much as we should have. Something else that could have gone better is we could have practiced more on our presentation. We didn't practice our presentation as much as we should have, with us being less prepared and less coordinated that we could have been. Both of these things are something I will work on in the future.