1. Before actually testing the river, i assumed we would recieve bad water quality results. With the recent flooding occuring, I assumed that the nitrogen levels and the phosphorous levels in the water, would be extremely high along with the dissolved oxygen levels. I also thought we would recieve high numbers in the fecal coliform area. With recent work being done on the sewer lines, being immediately followed by a sever flood, I assumed that some of our human wastes had to have entered the water.
I guess...that before the tests, I wasn't giving our river enough credit. I was prepared for the worst, and i was even a little aprehensive about going near it, to do the tests. From all the bad things i've heard about the river, and after all the things I've seen thrown in it, i immediately judged the water quality of the Grand River, at being the worst it could be.
2. At the river i learned alot. With the help of Woldumar, I learned about what actually goes into acurate river evalution. I also learned alot about what causes the different changes in water quality. There are many things in our natural environment that can hider our water quality. Not only do these things enter the water naturally, they can also enter the water by human activity.
Another thing I learned at the river, was how vast aquatic life really is. We seriously found soooo many macroinvertebrates, that I never though could exist. Seeing these different organisms made me realize how expansive biodiversity really is.
3. I wasn't in charge of completeing a particular water test, therefore i do not have my own Q-Value. From what I have observed though, and from other groups results, we can infer that the water quality in the Grand River in Eaton Rapids, isn't really that bad, but rather satisfactory. The overall satisfactory water quality explains why there is so many macroinvertebrates living in our waters successfully.
The outcome of our results is the exact opposite of my perception. i guess that just proves, you can't judge a book by its cover...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Questions for Woldumar
What can I do in my youth, to make an impact on the environment?
Are their any internships available for students through Woldumar?
How will the recent flooding, affect aquatic ecosystems?
Does the standing water that remains from the flooding, serve any risk to humans?
What can we do to help repair the overall water quality of the Michigan Water Shed, afer the recent flooding?
Are their any internships available for students through Woldumar?
How will the recent flooding, affect aquatic ecosystems?
Does the standing water that remains from the flooding, serve any risk to humans?
What can we do to help repair the overall water quality of the Michigan Water Shed, afer the recent flooding?
Water Quality
Problem- How does water pollution affect an ecosystem?
Background: ecosystems are areas where things live together symbiotically while growing and interacting with one another. An ecosystem can exist in forests, rivers, lakes, swamps, or even mud puddles. Various things can affect the survival rate of organisms in an ecosystem. If an ecosystem was exposed to toxins and pollutants all organisms within the environment will ultimately be affected due to their symbiotic relationship. Pollutants from our wars, from mining, farming, and industrialization affect all of our ecosystems. Not just plants and animals are affected, because humans are affected by being at the top of the food chain. The consumption of plants and animals affected by toxic pollutants will inevitably change vulnerable human lives.
My biobottle will not be recieving a pollutant. instead, my biobotle will be serving as the constant variable; in our classroom experiement. Other students in the class will be polluting their bibotles with various pollutants, to compare the effecs of particular pollutants, in the environment.
Water Quality: Water Quality depends on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water. Different toxins can affect the overall water quality. Some pollutants are runoff from agricultural areas, storm water, and sewage. Levels of acidity, nitrates, and phosphates, can affect the overall water quality. Different levels of sewage can increase C02 and fecal coli form levels as well. Too many solids in water such as metals, organic compounds, and pharmaceuticals can significantly contaminate the water. The overall water quality is affected by many things, which can be tested for chemically or observed physically.
Hypothesis: If pollutants or toxins enter bodies of water, then ecosystems willl ultimately be affected.
Constant Variable: My biobottle, modeling the interaction of aquatic ecosystems, temperate ecosytems, and tropic ecosystems in their originality.
Other variables Monitered: Temperature, pH, dissolvd 02, BOD, nitrogenm phosphorous, fecal colifom, total solids and turbidity.
“I will be monitoring and maintaining the homeostasis and original condition of my biome, while comparing it to the other biomes that will be undergoing various alterations.”
“I will simply be watering my biome with 10 ml. of water daily, as I make comparative observations of my regulated biome, to the other polluted biomes.”
I am excited to be a participant in this project :)
Background: ecosystems are areas where things live together symbiotically while growing and interacting with one another. An ecosystem can exist in forests, rivers, lakes, swamps, or even mud puddles. Various things can affect the survival rate of organisms in an ecosystem. If an ecosystem was exposed to toxins and pollutants all organisms within the environment will ultimately be affected due to their symbiotic relationship. Pollutants from our wars, from mining, farming, and industrialization affect all of our ecosystems. Not just plants and animals are affected, because humans are affected by being at the top of the food chain. The consumption of plants and animals affected by toxic pollutants will inevitably change vulnerable human lives.
My biobottle will not be recieving a pollutant. instead, my biobotle will be serving as the constant variable; in our classroom experiement. Other students in the class will be polluting their bibotles with various pollutants, to compare the effecs of particular pollutants, in the environment.
Water Quality: Water Quality depends on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water. Different toxins can affect the overall water quality. Some pollutants are runoff from agricultural areas, storm water, and sewage. Levels of acidity, nitrates, and phosphates, can affect the overall water quality. Different levels of sewage can increase C02 and fecal coli form levels as well. Too many solids in water such as metals, organic compounds, and pharmaceuticals can significantly contaminate the water. The overall water quality is affected by many things, which can be tested for chemically or observed physically.
Hypothesis: If pollutants or toxins enter bodies of water, then ecosystems willl ultimately be affected.
Constant Variable: My biobottle, modeling the interaction of aquatic ecosystems, temperate ecosytems, and tropic ecosystems in their originality.
Other variables Monitered: Temperature, pH, dissolvd 02, BOD, nitrogenm phosphorous, fecal colifom, total solids and turbidity.
“I will be monitoring and maintaining the homeostasis and original condition of my biome, while comparing it to the other biomes that will be undergoing various alterations.”
“I will simply be watering my biome with 10 ml. of water daily, as I make comparative observations of my regulated biome, to the other polluted biomes.”
I am excited to be a participant in this project :)
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Michigan Great Lakes' Water Shed
I am very passionate about the significance of the Michigan Great Lakes Watershed. Not many people realize, that the Great Lakes, are the largest source of fresh water in the world and a crucial resource to our natural environment.
The saddest thing about the Great Lakes' Watershed is that people aren't aware of the watershed's global improtance. As fresh water becomes a limited resource around the world, the Great Lakes' watershed will inevitably become depended on by many people. The sad thing, however, is that people are ignorant about certain aspects of Great Lake conservation.
The various pollutants that get into our Great Lakes' from farming, the auto industry, and lack of waste managment, could truly change the components of our largest source of fresh water. This wasteful and careless attitude could potentially change the biodiversity of our lakes, which would become a huge impact on not only plants and animals, but also human life.
Ecosystems are complex collaborations of living organisms. The symbiotic relationship of organisms within the ecosystems, rely on each other and would be affected by things such as, a change in water quality. By being proactive about the conservation and restoration of our Great Lakes' , humans can potentially reverse the declining water quality, and save the future of global biodiversity.
The saddest thing about the Great Lakes' Watershed is that people aren't aware of the watershed's global improtance. As fresh water becomes a limited resource around the world, the Great Lakes' watershed will inevitably become depended on by many people. The sad thing, however, is that people are ignorant about certain aspects of Great Lake conservation.
The various pollutants that get into our Great Lakes' from farming, the auto industry, and lack of waste managment, could truly change the components of our largest source of fresh water. This wasteful and careless attitude could potentially change the biodiversity of our lakes, which would become a huge impact on not only plants and animals, but also human life.
Ecosystems are complex collaborations of living organisms. The symbiotic relationship of organisms within the ecosystems, rely on each other and would be affected by things such as, a change in water quality. By being proactive about the conservation and restoration of our Great Lakes' , humans can potentially reverse the declining water quality, and save the future of global biodiversity.
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