Zara's+Journal

Due: 10/21/08
 * Free Journal Entry #1: **
 * Map & coordinates on group page

With a wide variety of organisms and many abiotic factors, Makiki Stream is one of a kind. Its countless mosquitoes, calming atmosphere, invasive species, and running water, among others, all contribute to this great place for our group to study. I partly helped choose Makiki Stream because of its convenient location, but also because I knew that it would be a fun place to go to and study. I was worried that in some places, abiotic factors would be looked over because of all the animals there, but at Makiki Stream, the abiotic factors are the main focus. The relaxing sound of moving water, not to mention the shade, show off what Makiki Stream has to offer. (I wanted to study abiotic factors.) There are also fish and many bugs to study, as well as many plant species.

Due: 10/21/08
 * Assigned Journal Entry #1: **

The first niche that I saw occupied was that of the various plants. The many trees, bushes, bamboo, and even rocks kept the soil in place and prevented it from getting into the stream. Makiki stream can keep running because it is not all clogged with dirt-if it were filled, there wouldn't be any stream! However, all of these plants can't be doing the exact same thing (no two species can occupy the same niche in a given habitat at the same time, so there are actually many different niches being occupied here). Thus, I observed that the rocks were mostly responsible for holding down the dirt in the stream itself--with the constant movement of water, it would be easy for the dirt to get swept up and make it harder for organisms in the water to see and live. I saw that the taller trees had deep roots and held down the soil at the parts where the land sloped downwards (see picture above). Their long roots could hold down roots along the sides of the hills around the stream (see pictures). The rest of the many plants-various flowers and bamboo, among others, held down the rest of the soil-on flat ground, mostly. There were some pockets of soil along the stream by the rocks, where these plants held down the dirt and mud.

Another niche that I noticed was the one occupied by the fish in the stream. I wasn't able too see their source of food, so my guess is that there are some very small organisms or many algae in the water that they consume. This would be their niche-to control the populations of what they eat and live in the stream. Without these fish, there would be a problem with too much algae or other species.

The last niche that I observed was from the mosquitoes. Despite the fact that they are invasive, (and very annoying,) they still play a role in this ecosystem. They lay eggs in the pools of still water, and consume the blood of other organisms (including humans). I have to wonder though: If this niche wasn't occupied, would it necessarily be filled?

Due: 10/21/08
 * Free Journal Entry #2: **

__Air:__ -VERY hot and humid -Still, no wind

__Soil:__ -Very wet, must rain a lot here (when put in a plastic bag, moisture seeps out of the soil and condenses on the plastic-in the ecosystem, this would go back into the air, see above) -Made up mostly of rocks, and some leaves too -Held down by plants -Can clog some parts of stream if not held down by rocks/plants

__Water:__ -Running water -Lots of dead plant matter in it, some pools clogged with it as well as rocks -Foaming at still water, leptospirosis (rats)? -Very shallow -Some green stuff (algae?) on rocks in the water

Due: 10/21/08
 * Assigned Journal Entry #2: **

Invasive Species: As soon as we got to the stream, we were bitten up by mosquitoes on many, many occasions. I know that mosquitoes are an invasive species and that they breed in still water, and I noticed that there were some pockets of some where there were a lot of rocks and was clogged with dead organic matter. Mosquitoes can sometimes carry disease and are partly responsible for the extinction of many native Hawaiian species. Most of the plants around here are also invasive. Overall, this ecosystem is made of of introduced (and invasive) species. What would this area have looked like before foreign species invaded?

Due: 11/12/08
 * Free Journal Entry #3: **

__Water:__ -Murky, can barely see the bottom of the stream -Running very quickly, high water levels -Somewhat clogged with leaves (rain/wind?) -Hardly any still water, unlike before; saw a couple logs in the stream

__Rocks & Soil__ -Moist (rain) -Some soil washed away with small rocks -Lots of organic matter, lots washed away by rain -Signs of human intervention, people cleared away rocks and dead organic matter, piles everywhere

__Air:__ -Cool -Windy -Humid

Everything is wet!! Most of these observations are different from previous ones because of the rain, which changed a lot of the land’s features. The water was running more quickly, and was also murkier. There was a little more clogging, but the running water washed a lot of it away. There was almost no still water, but there was still some dead organic matter in the stream. The rocks and soil were also wetter. The soil and rocks in and near the running water got washed away a lot. There were some signs that people cleared away some invasive species.

Before I came to the stream this time, I didn’t have many questions, but now I have a ton—

First off, one of the main inferences that I made was that the plants, mostly trees held down the soil, along with some rocks. Without the plants, the soil and rocks would all get washed away every time it rained… What would happen if it rained every night here? There might be a flash flood, and most of the rocks and soil could be washed away if I use my previous inference. Now supposing it did rain that often and rocks and soil kept getting washed away, how would this ecosystem change over time? My guess is that it would it turn into a wetland. There would be more plants and aquatic life, and most of the rocks (smaller ones) would be washed away, leaving a mostly flat land. Some of the plants would also be washed away—when the soil gets washed away, so will the plants. I inferred that the plants and rocks and soil all depend on each other so that they don’t get washed away when it rains.

One of my previous inferences was that this ecosystem is made of mostly introduced, invasive species, and then I wondered what this ecosystem could have looked like before these foreign species came. Using prior knowledge, I inferred that there would be a lot of native species in this ecosystem.

In my previous observations, I also noted that the water had foaming in it (in other words, not very sanitary,) and I inferred that maybe there is leptospirosis in the water, maybe from rats.

Another question I thought of was where the water along the stream was the cleanest or high nutrients. At first, I inferred that the water at the top was probably cleanest because the debris is carried downstream, but then I noticed that there were also more pockets of still water upstream. So in the end, I thought that maybe the cleanest at a place in the stream where the water ran quickly. Fish would probably gather in these places, or where they could also get food, like from the algae on rocks.


 * Hypotheses:**

1) If it rains, then some soil and rocks are carried away in the stream because higher water levels will be stronger.

Experiment: Set up “mini environments”—a slanted tray (ground at Makiki Stream is on a hill) with soft foam and rocks and soil on it (foam will keep it from sliding) with a “stream” where there is less. Have some running water there. Add more or less water to represent rainfall and measure how much of the dirt and rocks get swept away. Same amount of dirt/rocks for all trays, to keep it controlled.

2) If there are plants in the soil, then the soil and rocks will not be swept away by the water as easily because the roots will anchor it down.

Experiment: Set up “mini environments”—a slanted tray (ground at Makiki Stream is on a hill) with soft foam and rocks and soil on it (foam will keep it from sliding) with a “stream” where there is less. Have some running water there. Have trays with and without plants in the soil. Measure how much dirt is swept away, same amount of dirt/rocks for all trays, to keep it controlled.

3) *There are actually three hypotheses here, to get more accurate results.*

If we move along the stream, then we will see that there are more fish at the top of the stream, and as you move downstream there are less because there is more pollution (debris is carried downstream). Experiment: On many occasions, count the number of fish at different points along the stream, and compare the numbers to see where more fish reside.

If we go to various places along the stream closer to rocks, then there will be more fish there because there is algae growing on the rocks for the fish to eat. Experiment: On many occasions, count the number of fish at different points along the stream, some with more rocks, some with less or none at all and compare the numbers to see where more fish reside.

If we go to places along the stream, then there will be more fish where there is running water because it is cleaner. Experiment: On many occasions, count the number of fish at different points along the stream, some with water that runs quickly, and some less quickly, others that are still, and compare the numbers to see where more fish reside.


 * This is partly an ‘animal’ experiment, but where there are more fish is also where the water is best (for example, high in nutrients), so in a way, we are testing where the water is the healthiest along the stream.*

Due: 11/12/08
 * Assigned Journal Entry #3 **

Something that could be driving natural selection here is competition among the plants for sunlight. I noticed that while trees used their height to tower above the other plants for better access to sunlight, a lot of the plants that grew close to the ground had larger leaves, so although they might have a harder time getting the sunlight, they would make sure to get all that they can by having larger leaves to absorb sunlight. The reason that plants would compete for sunlight is that they need the sun to carry out processes like photosynthesis so they can provide food and survive. Without the sunlight, plants would die out. This is a race between size of leaves versus height and how widely the branches are spread out.

Another thing that could be driving natural selection here is a symbiotic relationship, specifically commensalism or parasitism. I noticed that there was a vine-y plant that was wrapping itself around the other plants there, mostly the trees. It was everywhere, and hung down. I had a hard time deciding whether this was a commensalism or parasitism, because I didn’t know whether or not the host plants and trees were being harmed. For now, my inference is that this is a commensalism because the plants didn’t seem to be dying or suffering from having this vine on them. It seemed that this plant was the only one that used the other plants to live on. If there used to be another plant that did this, then there was competition and this current plant won out. However, if this is more like parasitism, then natural selection would be driven by which plants could withstand or repel this vine. I noticed that these vines grew on trees that were close together, so maybe trees that were better suited to growing where other plants could not (for example, on a steep hill or in the water) would survive better. media type="file" key="zaraMovie 20.mov"**
 * See video:

Due: 12/3/08
 * Free Journal Entry #4**

-Very murky, hard to see -Not as much foamy stuff as last time (because of running water everywhere?)
 * __Water:__ **-Running very quickly (rained yesterday), but not as quickly as last time

**-Very wet, some moss/algae on some rocks -More plants this time, especially on the hills around the stream -A lot of dead plant matter on the ground
 * __Rocks & Soil:__

-Tons of mosquitoes buzzing around (ew) -NO wind!! (all the times before, it was very windy, but today is different) -A stronger smell in the air, not sure from what
 * __Air:__ ** __-__ Very hot and humid, a lot more than before
 * Experiment Procedure:**

1) Count fish in 4 sections of the stream, separated by “mini waterfalls” separately. Record data (# Fish). (In other words, go to the first, lower part of the stream and count fish, record, move up, repeat, etc.)

2) Wait 24 hours and repeat step #1. Do this 4 times in all.

3) Count fish in 4 sections of the stream separately, one with water running very quickly, one with still water, and two in between. Record data. (In other words, go to the first part of the stream with water running very quickly and count fish, record, move to another part where water runs more slowly, repeat, etc.)

4) Wait 24 hours and repeat step #3. Do this four times in all.

5) Count fish in 4 sections of the stream separately, one that has a lot of rocks (i.e. the little tidepool-like areas) ranging to one with open space with no rocks, and two in between. Record data. (In other words, go to the first part of the stream with a lot of rocks and count fish, record, move to another part where there are a little less rocks, repeat, etc.)

6) Wait 24 hours and repeat step #3. Do this four times in all.

7) Record data, calculate averages, and graph. //   **Data:**

//

**Conclusion:** Based on the results of this experiment, I can conclude a variety of things. For the first experiment, I wanted to see if fish were more or less likely to live upstream or downstream. Although there was a small decline in fish counts as I moved upstream, it was only a change of 1 fish, so I can say that upstream/downstream did not affect whether or not fish lived in a certain area. The second experiment tested whether fish preferred water that ran quickly or slowly. The results of this experiment refuted my hypothesis (If we go to places along the stream, then there will be more fish where there is running water because it is cleaner). My results show that fish live in places in the stream where water is calmer. I think that this is because the type of fish that lives in Makiki stream is not a strong swimmer, and wouldn't be able to swim against the current--it would live in a place where it would be able to swim more easily. I also saw that in some groups of fish, there were babies. Babies especially wouldn't be good at swimming upstream because of their smaller, weaker bodies. My third experiment tested whether or not fishes lived in places with more rocks. The data that I collected from my experiment supported my hypothesis (If we go to various places along the stream closer to rocks, then there will be more fish there because there is algae growing on the rocks for the fish to eat). As mentioned, I noticed baby fish in the stream--and many of these babies not only liked still water, but I observed that they also liked the 'tidepools'. Where there were a lot of rocks, there were a lot of small pools and nooks and crannies for them to grow. I observed that there was moss and algae on the rocks, so the baby fish could get their nutrients from the rocks. Being surrounded by rocks could also protect them against possible predators (although I didn't observe any). Parents might be inclined to lay eggs in places like these so that their babies will be safe and also have a food source.

**Assigned Journal Entry #4** Due: 12/3/08

The carbon cycle in Makiki stream, unlike other places, would probably not be too influenced by human activity like fossil fuel burning because it is not in an urban area. (Makiki stream is more secluded.) To start off, the numerous plants in the ecosystem would use photosynthesis to take in carbon dioxide gas and produce oxygen. Through cellular respiration, plants would use some of this oxygen, but it produces more than it needs. This oxygen goes to many places. If the plant is in the water, then the carbon dioxide would go into the stream, where organisms like fish and shrimp could use it. Carbon dioxide in the water is also released back into the atmosphere, where plants once again, take this in and produce oxygen. Humans (like us!) that visit the stream would use some of this oxygen, as well as species that live on land, like the bugs. Carbon dioxide that is released when plants die goes into the soil and back into the stream again. Makiki Stream's carbon cycle is different than the carbon cycle I've observed in other places because it has a stream, where carbon cycles through as well. The carbon cycle in the stream itself is different than the one on land, but also similar because the general cycle is the same. (Animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, plants take this in and give off oxygen, etc.) This carbon cycle is an example of an ecosystem that is not very influenced by human activity--no cutting down the trees, and not too much fossil fuel burning. It's very different from what I experience in my day to day life.