Kristin's+Journal

=Welcome to Kristin's Journal!!!  =

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Here are the observations I made on Friday, October 4 of the Punahou Lily Pond. ======

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• I believe that the Lily Pond is a good place to study for the rest of the semester because of all the organisms and niches that live there. We can learn about the relationships it has there as well as the biotic and abiotic factors. The location is also part of the reason we chose the lily pond. Our group does not live close together so it was hard to find a location that everyone agreed on. Therefore we chose the lily pond due to the convenience it is to all of us and the fact we can go there during our breaks too. ======

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The niches in the Lily Pond vary. There are a couple different places in the pond with different niches. For example, the big open part of the lily pond is where majority of the lily pads are. It is also the deepest part of the pond. There are a lot of algae on the bottom and sides of it, which I assume, is where the fish get all their food, that and the lily pads. Another niche in the Lily Pond is over on the opposite side where tons of plants live. This where all the insects live, that has yet to be identified. Also, the water is much shallower there. The island in the center of the pond is another niche. This is where the turtles live. Their job on the Lily pond is to help control the insect population. Since we discovered the spider-like insects living in the lilies, I wonder if that’s one of the reasons the flowers are scarce. Therefore, the turtle helps prevent the lilies becoming extinct. ======

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• Feet are red Movement: Mourning doves get around by walking and flying. The structures they posses that enable movement are there two feet, which include their four toes, for walking and their two wings for flying. ======

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• Sizes vary - The smaller koi are about one foot - The larger koi are about two feet - Average size of koi is about 15 inches ======

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Movement: Koi get around by swimming. The structures they posses that enable movement are there six fins that either move up and down or side to side, which helps them move through water. ======

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3. Turtle: I spotted only one turtle. (Couldn’t get a close look) - It was on the island dipping its head in the water. o I assume it was getting food. - Size: your average turtle, about 10 in. long - A brown and green colored shell Movement: The turtle either walks on land to get around or swims in the pond. 4. Spider: We found tiny spider-like insects on the lily bud. - About the size of an ant - Color: back - Only found on the lily bud not the full-grown lily. I infer they only live in the bud because it is closed and a good shelter for them. - 2 part body ======

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Movement: The spiders got around by crawling on the bud. I am not fully sure how they got to the bud but I infer that they swam there. ======

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3. What is the exact reason to how the insects move to and fro land and water? Do they really swim or can they hop form lily pad to lily pad? ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">An interaction that I see happening in the Lily pond is predator-prey. The two organisms are the fish and the algae. The algae are the prey in this relationship and the fish eats it. Since humans don’t feed the fish, they need to find another way to satisfy their hunger. I believe they do this by eating the algae that grow on the bottom of the pond and the sides. The algae just keep on growing and spreading all around the pond, if it wasn’t for the fish, the algae would take over the whole pond. So, the predator-prey interaction between the fish and the algae benefit the pond. . <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">. ======

Biology

__November 12, 2008 – Cycle 9B__
Hypothesis and Inferences:
 * Inferences:
 * The black smaller koi fish, eat not only the algae and lily pads but also the insects and organisms that are on the surface of the pond because they are the most seen swimming on the surface.
 * The big, white Koi fish mostly eat the algae on the bottom of the pond because I hardly ever see them swimming near the surface.
 * The orange fishes, probably eat the algae on the side of the pond and lily pads because they are seen crowded together on near the wall.


 * Testable Hypothesizes:
 * If humans fed the fishes instead of having them fend for themselves, then the growth of the lily pads and algae would multiply because the fishes are what is keeping the population controlled.
 * If we were to increase the amount of turtles in the LIly Ponds to about 10 maybe, then there would be more lilies because the turtles will lower the spider population that eat them.
 * If I were to feed bread to the fishes one day, leave, and then comeback when all the bread is gone, I wonder if they would still approach me because they might have been hungry all along.

Journal #3
 * Q: Describe some of the environmental pressures that could be driving natural selection in your ecosystem.
 * A: Some environmental pressures that could be driving natural selection in my ecosystem is with the Koi fish! Each Koi fish has adapted to it's environment. For example: The small black fish has probably adapted and changed over time due to the competition it faces with the bigger fish. Maybe there's a reason why the color of the fish is the same color as the water; to camoflauge better and not be as noticeable by the bigger fish and other predators. Whatever the reason for the scale color must be working because the most populous fish are the black ones.

__Cycle 11C__
Experimenting: Free Journaling
 * Observations:
 * The lily pond hasn't changed much over the past weeks but i have noticed some new things about the fishes living situation.
 * It seems that the big, white koi fish reside on the west side of the pond, (nearest to the church stairs)
 * On the east side, there were tons of yellow fishes swimming around but they're not seen on the other side.
 * The black fish are populated around the whole pond.
 * The lilies seem to have bloomed more.... i spotted about 26 lilies which was a huge increase than the last time.
 * I also realized that the spider like insects haven't been around much, which probably might explain the sudden increase of the lilies.
 * The two turtles are still only staying on the island
 * The amount of lily pads haven't fluctuated much.

Experiment: For my experiment i decided to compare the reason why the fishes seem to get "excited" whenever humans stand near the lily pad.
 * I observed that every time i stand on the edge of the grass where the lily pond starts, the fishes all come near me. Then I took a couple of steps and they followed me. I wonder why this is.. could it be because they're hungry or just find us interesting?? So, here's what i'm gonna do:
 * Hypothesis: If I were to feed the fish bread and then after they're all fed and full, stand by the edge of the pond, then the fishes will not come to me because i satisfied their needs.
 * Materials:
 * Bread
 * Kristin :)
 * Directions:
 * I will stand by the edge of the pond..
 * Throw some bread pieces in the pond..
 * Come back when majority of it is gone..
 * See whether they still find me interesting!
 * Results:
 * Well it turns out that the fishes were hungry. When i first threw a piece of bread in, it was madness!! the fishes just swam straight to the bread whether there were fish in front of them or not. Then i added the next 12 slices throwing them in one piece at a time. It was actually entertaining because some fishes were jumping and on top of each other and more fish were gathering around me. I brought a loaf of bread with me.. hehe... so below you will find the results:
 * 3 pieces of bread: Return five minutes later, fishes still come to you
 * 5 pieces of bread: Return five minutes later, fishes come to you but there are less small black fishes.
 * 9 pieces of bread: Return five minutes later, Not as much as before
 * 12 pieces of bread: Return five minutes later, Just mostly the big, white Koi fish and a few medium sized fish.
 * Conclusion: Apparently the fishes come to you because they're hungry. When you fill them up, they don't find you as interesting. But of course this is skeptical because maybe some want to be taken out as well.


 * Journal Entry #4:
 * Describe the Carbon Cycle in your environment
 * In the Lily Pond, the carbon cycle is pretty basic. During the day, plants perform photosynthesis and release oxygen. Throughout the whole day and night, fish and plants perform cellular respiration and give out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen. Dead organisms decompose and also release carbon dioxide into the ecosystem.