Biology Blog link. http://anishwells.blogspot.com/
Csi project
This project was called the CSI project, it was basically figuring out how to solve a crime with all the evidence that was provided to the detective, I:E blood typing, blood spatter analysis, DNA research, fingerprint analysis, trajectory testing, crime research, ect.
I think for this project, I did really well at figuring out the problems that were put in front of me, but didn't do well at writing the evidence log forms for the final grade.I liked the way we did this project, but i feel like we should have done it with actual roles and actual victims that were in the school, like a giant game of clue.
I think for this project, I did really well at figuring out the problems that were put in front of me, but didn't do well at writing the evidence log forms for the final grade.I liked the way we did this project, but i feel like we should have done it with actual roles and actual victims that were in the school, like a giant game of clue.
community connection
For my community connection, I worked at adaptive sports at the beginning of the year, in adaptive sports, we took clinics on how to help the mentally / physically disabled ski / snowboard. I was a junior instructor which meant that I went out with the full instructors and helped them teach the disabled how to ski.
dissection
In biology we did a project called "Dissection" for this project we were given the option of dissecting a fetal pig, a dogfish shark, or a cat. I did the shark, in which we studied the circulatory system, urogenital system, reproductive system, and the sharks outside anatomy. In the project we were given the basic guidelines of dissecting a shark and figuring out how all of the systems I stated above worked and functioned.
Lucy blog
Imagine if humans weren't the only dominate species, monkeys walked around checking their face-books and sharks with jet-packs and water rebreathers flew past while drinking Starbucks pumpkin spice latte's. Well that is a possibility! In this study done by a normal family, a chimpanzee named Lucy was raised as a human and, in turn, believed she was one.
In this story, the chimpanzee named Lucy was taken as a child and raised as a human; she was taught to speak through sign language by a professor, and she was able to combine words together to make assumptions about things. She actually felt human like properties such as attraction to human males, blame / lying, she called a watermelon "sweetjuice" and was constantly torn between her apelike tendencies and the tendencies the human that she was raised as. After a long time, lucy's parents/owners decided that she was too much trouble and tried to bring her into the wild, which she did not like at all. Eventually because she walked up to a group of poachers, she was poached and killed.
One thing that Lucy taught us about chimpanzees is that they are so like humans that they can be raised as one and actually believe that they are one. They can feel human emotions and they have human characteristics, such as lying and blaming.
Lucy also taught us that we are animals too, in this case, it was almost like a feral child except the exact opposite.
Yes, my opinion has changed quite a bit about chimpanzees during this project, I have learned that chimpanzees are alot like humans and are much more intelligent than I believed at first.
I do believe the experiment was worth while.
Lucy's end was very sad, but I feel that she wouldn't have fit in very well in the monkey kingdom after all.
Imagine if humans weren't the only dominate species, monkeys walked around checking their face-books and sharks with jet-packs and water rebreathers flew past while drinking Starbucks pumpkin spice latte's. Well that is a possibility! In this study done by a normal family, a chimpanzee named Lucy was raised as a human and, in turn, believed she was one.
In this story, the chimpanzee named Lucy was taken as a child and raised as a human; she was taught to speak through sign language by a professor, and she was able to combine words together to make assumptions about things. She actually felt human like properties such as attraction to human males, blame / lying, she called a watermelon "sweetjuice" and was constantly torn between her apelike tendencies and the tendencies the human that she was raised as. After a long time, lucy's parents/owners decided that she was too much trouble and tried to bring her into the wild, which she did not like at all. Eventually because she walked up to a group of poachers, she was poached and killed.
One thing that Lucy taught us about chimpanzees is that they are so like humans that they can be raised as one and actually believe that they are one. They can feel human emotions and they have human characteristics, such as lying and blaming.
Lucy also taught us that we are animals too, in this case, it was almost like a feral child except the exact opposite.
Yes, my opinion has changed quite a bit about chimpanzees during this project, I have learned that chimpanzees are alot like humans and are much more intelligent than I believed at first.
I do believe the experiment was worth while.
Lucy's end was very sad, but I feel that she wouldn't have fit in very well in the monkey kingdom after all.
Biology Paper.
Durango Nature Studies, wants to manage their 140 acre property in order to promote
the Rana pipiens (leopard frog) population and take out the invasive species called the
Rana catesbeiana, (bullfrog). Bullfrogs were first seen on the DNS property three years
ago. Bullfrog’s are the 76th most invasive alien species due to their aggressive behavior
1. Because the Bullfrogs are so aggressive, they can easily out-compete a native
amphibian population. It is important to get rid of this invasive species in order to
maintain ecosystem, balance and biodiversity.
In order to assess habitat health, Animas high school students performed water quality
tests such as dissolved oxygen tests. In addition, macroinvertebrate samples were
collected in order to gauge water quality and biodiversity in the river and the pond.
Visual encounter surveys of the amphibians were done in order to estimate frog
populations.
DNS’s property was acquired in 1998 and they host a variety of activities on this property
. DNS offers workshops, service projects, hiking, training, research opportunities, And
children discovering nature programs. They collaborate with Fort Lewis College,
Colorado State University, and the Breeding Bird Association to conduct research on the
property. Durango nature studies is located at 1309 E. Third Ave, #2 Durango, CO
1 Spitzen 2010
81301 and they have a 140 acre property.
Durango Nature Studies has an annual operational budget of about $140,000. Future
recommendations for monitoring and management will be made with this budget in
mind. This monitoring and management can be done anywhere on the property as long
as it doesn't disturb ongoing research.
Species Overview
Rana catesbeina
Bullfrogs or Rana catesbeiana is a invasive species of frog that can grow up to ten to
eighteen centimeters. They are native species to eastern north America and they have
been introduced into over forty other countries and four continents. They have a diet of
mainly anything they can fit in their mouth (i.e rodents, small birds, and other frogs.)
Most of the times bullfrogs hibernate in the winter and try not to live in cold places. The
bullfrogs normally breed within April to May, and lay around 2,000 eggs. Bullfrog males
are very territorial especially during mating season. The bullfrog is an invasive species.
Many of the world's amphibians, which include frogs, toads, newts and salamanders,
could die out faster than expected this century. Conservationists think about a third of the
estimated 6,000 amphibian species in existence are in peril.Researchers found that
instead of acting independently of one another, climate change and habitat loss
combined as a "double whammy" to hit amphibians particularly hard, making it difficult
for them to recover if their populations crash.
Rana pipiens
Leopard frogs or Rana pipiens are a green frog with prominent black spotting that
sometimes appears as a leopard pattern. They can be from nine to eleven centimeters
and are native to north america. Their range is most of northern North America, except
on the Pacific Coast. They generally live near ponds and marshes, but will often venture
into well-covered grasslands as well, earning them their other common name, the
meadow frog. Leopard frogs will eat just about anything they can fit in their mouths. They
sit still and wait for prey to happen by, then pounce with their powerful legs. They eat
beetles, ants, flies, worms, smaller frogs, including their own species, and even birds,
and garter snakes. Hibernation is a common response to the cold winter of temperate
climates. After an animal finds or makes a living space (hibernaculum) that protects it
from winter weather and predators, the animal's metabolism slows dramatically, so it can
"sleepaway" the winter by utilizing its body's energy stores. They breed normally around
mid- to late March and normally have around 2,000 to 6,500 eggs.
Results.
Based on 8 veg plots, the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index was 1.3, which is found to be
sufficient.
Based on macroinvertebrate data the index was calc to be 1.3435 which is found to also
be sufficient.
Phosphate levels were, in the pond: 5ppm Which is considered very high. And in the
river: 4ppm which is also considered high.
Dissolved oxygen levels were, in the pond 7.5 mg/L which is normal, and in the river it
was inconclusive.
The Ph levels in the pond were 8, which is non acidic, (alkaline) and in the river it was
also 8.
The Nitrate levels in the pond were 1ppm, which is unpolluted. In the river it was 2ppm
which, is also unpolluted.
The Coliform that was tested in the river and pond were both positive.
Discussion and Recommendations.
The Shannon-Weiner Indices show the overall stability of the products and levels of
Nitrate...Coliform, ect. If the Shannon-Weiner indices is over 1 than the product is stable.
We did not find any stoneflies in the Florida river because stoneflies are sensitive to
pollution and the high phosphate levels in the river make it hard for the stoneflies to live
there, there for saying the water quality is not suitable for stoneflys. We found lots of
phosphates in the river and pond because of organic pollution, organic pollution can
occur when inorganic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphates accumulate in aquatic
ecosystems. High levels of these nutrients cause an overgrowth of plants and algae. As
the plants and algae die, they become organic material in the water. The enormous
decay of this plant matter, in turn, lowers the oxygen level. Excess levels of nitrates in
water can create conditions that make it difficult for aquatic insects or fish to survive. We
can decrease the amount of phosphates by testing the pond or river parameters and
water quality. The elevated phosphate levels in the pond can be something that is not
good for it, even a modest increase in phosphorus can, under the right conditions, set off
a whole chain of undesirable events in a stream including accelerated plant growth,
algae blooms, low dissolved oxygen, (causes impact on aquatic life) and the death of
certain fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals. Since the bullfrog or Rana
Catesbeiana is a mainly aquatic species, students of Animas High School could better
the catching and removing process by obtaining counts close to the egg laying areas,
students can do this for the most accurate cumulitive reproductive output (Mid to late
March). Also, this counts the masses as early in development as possible. In addition,
the observers / students should walk a predefined area, (along stream or pond).2 In order
to better monitor leopard frog or Rana Pipiens population, Students of animas high
school could place traps in thalweg, along stream margins, or place the traps in ponds
then secure them. Also a barrier fence around the breeding pond with pit traps on either
side.3 Getting rid of bullfrogs altogether on the DNS property would be a great way to
increase and promote leopard frog populations, because the leopard frog would have no
other competitor and it would be easier for them to survive and get more nutrients.
The visual encounter surveys provided the estimate of 6 frogs, but the mark-recapture
data calculated 20 frogs. The mark-recapture data estimate was generated using
numbers, causing it to seem more reliable, and therefore the method that should be
2 Crump and Scott 1994, Green 2006, Zimmerman 1994
3 Adams 1997, Dodd and Scott 1994, Metts and Graeter 2006
"Bullfrog." Bullfrog. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
"Rana Pipiens." Rana Pipiens. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
"Animal Diversity Web." ADW: Lithobates Pipiens: INFORMATION. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct.
2013.
"Northern Leopard Frog- Rana Pipiens." New Hampshire Public Television. N.p., n.d. Web. 17
Oct. 2013.
Spitzen 2010