During our ecology unit, we learned many new vocabulary terms which I was able to incorporate into this project. Our task was to study an endangered species that has been impacted by humans, dependence vs independence, biodiversity, reproduction, and chances of survival. As an assignment we were required to work as a team with integrity due to many project work days where we had the free time to finish our project. By focusing on the Arctic Fox and how we are able to save a population as well as their ecosystem and biome taught me many life valuable skills.
Evidence of Work
Slideshow-
For our in-class presentation we created a slideshow highlighting how human impact has changed the environment and how we can potentially limit these impacts. We were instructed to incoorporate our vocabulary in order to create a deeper understanding of how ecology works in an ecosystem.
Posters-
In order to raise awareness for the Arctic Fox's state of endangerment I took the liberty in creating a series of informational posters. Our action plan concisted of hanging the creative posters around campus in areas such as the library, the gym, math building, and other places. Our information touched on keys ways individuals can help the Arctic Fox population stay sustainable on their way to and from home, at home, and online. As a solution shown in our slideshow, humans should limit their electricity usage by turning off lights when necessary, saving electricity, reducing carbon emissions, public transportation, and other human impacts destorying the environment; as well as the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Website Link
My group wanted to raise awareness by offering a place for people to donate to the Arctic Fox's cause. The World Wild Life Fund has vowed to make change if we join their movement. "WWF works to make sure fragile ecosystems are supported and protected. We mitigate the effects of climate change to ensure the survival of the Arctic fox and other species." - WWF
https://savethearcticfoxtoday.weebly.com
Vocabulary
Carrying Capacity- the average population density or population size of a species below which its numbers tend to increase and above which its numbers tend to decrease because of shortages of resources. The Arctic Fox population's ecosystem was effected by carrying capacity due to human impact on the melting ice bergs. The terrain became advantageous to the Red Fox, as well as the Arctic Fox, but this relates to carrying capacity because there was a decrease of resources as the population grew, causing an effect of competition in the ecosystem. Abiotic- non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems. Biotic-A factor created by a living thing or any living component within an environment in which the action of the organism affects the life of another organism, for example a predator consuming its prey. Carbon cycle- the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels. Nitrogen cycle- the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition. Water cycle- the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration. Symbiosis- a close and prolonged interaction between organisms of different species. This includes mutualism, predation, competition, and parasitism. Mutualism- a relationship that is mutually beneficial to two living things. Predation- A form of symbiotic relationship between two organisms of unlike species in which one of them acts as predator that captures and feeds on the other organism that serves as the prey. Supplement. In ecology, predation is a mechanism of population control. Competition- an interaction between organisms or species in which both the organisms or species are harmed. In the Arctic Tundra, Red Foxes have competition against the Arctic Fox. Parasitism- relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, sometimes without killing the host organism.In the Arctic there is parasitism typically seen in the case of a liver tapeworm cyst. These organisms are prone to live and thrive in the bodies of various animals including wolves, caribou, polar bears, and moose. They feed on the food the animal eats, and as a result, the animal develops malnutrition. Commensalism- An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm. The caribou eat lichens when the temperature gets super cold. Often, it’s the only available food they have, but does provide them with nourishing carbohydrates for heat and energy. The arctic fox instinctively knows to follow the caribou since the caribou helps the fox get its food as well by unintentionally digging up mammals as it finds its own food to eat. This is a true example of symbiotic relationships. Biodiversity- the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Dependent limiting factors- factors whose effects on the size or growth of the population vary with the population density. There are many types of density dependent limiting factors such as; availability of food, predation, disease, and migration. Independent limiting factors- such as weather and climate, exert their influences on population size regardless of the population's density. In contrast, the effects of density-dependent factors intensify as the population increases in size.
Conclusion
Throughout this project I improved tremendously on my characteristics regarding being a good member of a team. We put our heads together to create a Ghaant chart, solution to the human impacts, research, posters, website, and brochure. The ecology project helped me improve my collaboration skills. Although we struggled with the amount of time we had to complete this project on a daily basis, we pulled through. Around 4 days before the project was due I honestly did not feel that we were close to being done. Our website was not finished, we had finished an instagram post, and our slideshow did not contain all the components we were being graded on. I decided to turn our outlook on this project around by taking charge and always conversing with my team in order to make sure we were all on the same page. This helped us work towards our goals more efficiently and offer our help to others once we finished our individual tasks. I believe these traits helped me forwards my leadership abilities.