By Sophia Galleguillos, Lara Glendening, Zack Griggy, and Marilynn Hunt
The goal of this project was to create a policy that would help the environment and ecosystem of somewhere in Marin County. Our group decided to create a Coho salmon fish farm in the Petaluma River.
Content
Ecology: the study of the interactions between living things and their environments
Biotic: living things Abiotic: non-living things Autotroph: organisms that use energy from the environment to create their food (sunlight, chemicals) Producer: autotrophs that are at the bottom of the food chain (all plants) Heterotroph: organisms that rely on other organisms for energy/food supply (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore) Consumer: heterotrophs that are in all the trophic levels but the bottom (animals) Nutrient Cycle: the uptake, use, release, and storage of nutrients by plants and their environment Carbon Cycle: the circulation of carbon between living organisms and their surroundings (photosynthesis, decomposition, & respiration) Nitrogen Cycle: the continuous sequence of events by which atmospheric nitrogen and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted into substances that can be used by green plants, the substance returning to the air and soil because of the decay of plants and denitrification Water Cycle: the continuous transfer of water from air, sea, land, and water in a continuous cycle Weather: the day to day condition of the Earth's atmosphere Climate: the average year after year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region Symbiosis: means "to live together"; happens when two species have a close relationship with each other Succession: the process, in which, ecosystems are constantly changing in response to natural and human disturbances; as an ecosystem changes, older inhabitants gradually die off and new organisms move in Biodiversity: the variety of life in a particular habitat (genetic, ecosystem, & species) Carrying Capacity: the amount of organisms that a piece of land can support Resource: a supply of things that you need to live |
Overview
The unit for this project was ecology. This meant that the main point of the project was to see the effect of humans on the environment. Our teacher gave us 10 work days to complete this project. First, our group chose a site, the Petaluma River, and then discussed how we could make the area better. We wanted our idea to be different, so we decided that our policy would be to build a fish farm and hatchery. It would farm Coho salmon because it is one of the most popular types of salmon to eat and it is native to the river. From there our group started to research the details of our plans like cost, logistics, resources, and its affect on the surrounding environment. We also made predictions with and without our policy to show why our policy should be implemented. They were for 50, 100, 300, and 1000 years. To finish off the project we created a proposal to present our policy to the state government.
Reflection
I think that our group did a good job on this project. We debated over a few things, but got along for the most part. A good aspect of our group was that for the most part we all contributed ideas and thoughts. None of us were afraid to share our opinions. This was good because it helped us make the policy more refined and understandable to people. I was proud of the final product from this project.
A couple of things that I think I can improve on is better communication and planning. Sometimes during the project I didn't get my ideas across correctly and had to re-explain them. I need to improve how I word and present them. I can improve my planning skills by being more organized and making more lists and schedules. This could also help with time management.
Some things I think I did well were thinking creatively and being productive. An example of creativity was our policy. Originally we were going to change the water level, but instead we ended up creating a fish farm because we wanted it to be more interesting. Our whole group worked hard and were dedicated to complete the project. I think that because of our productivity we were able to finish the assignment on time.
This was a long and tasking project, but I think that I learned a lot from it. It taught me that even little things that seem harmless can end up taking a toll on the environment. I am glad we did this project because it opened my eyes.
A couple of things that I think I can improve on is better communication and planning. Sometimes during the project I didn't get my ideas across correctly and had to re-explain them. I need to improve how I word and present them. I can improve my planning skills by being more organized and making more lists and schedules. This could also help with time management.
Some things I think I did well were thinking creatively and being productive. An example of creativity was our policy. Originally we were going to change the water level, but instead we ended up creating a fish farm because we wanted it to be more interesting. Our whole group worked hard and were dedicated to complete the project. I think that because of our productivity we were able to finish the assignment on time.
This was a long and tasking project, but I think that I learned a lot from it. It taught me that even little things that seem harmless can end up taking a toll on the environment. I am glad we did this project because it opened my eyes.