Assignment

Pre-Lab Questions

1. Would you expect endangered species to be more frequently generalists or specialists? Explain your answer.

Endangered species are expected to be more specialists species since a specialist species only survives in a narrow or a limited environmental conditions. More so, the specialist species have limited diet that they can feed on. Specialists quickly becomes extinct because they are normally unable to cope the environmental changes.

2. How does temperature affect water availability in an ecosystem?

Very low temperatures cause water in the ecosystem to freeze while when the temperatures are extremely high, ecosystem water tends to evaporate leaving the ecosystem with insufficient liquid water. However, extreme high temperatures can cause ice on high mountains to melt hence raising water levels in the seas and oceans.

3. Choose a species and describe some adaptations that species developed that allow them to survive in their native habitat.

Balaenoptera musculus commonly known as Blue whale is warm blooded marine mammal.

• To adapt to the cool temperatures of the ocean, blue whale have a blubber that acts as a thermal insulator to prevent excessive loss of heat.

• Blue whales lack gills making it difficult to breath underwater to counter this problem, blue whale have a blowhole that enable them to inhale as well as exhale oxygen.

• To survive under water, blue whale have a highly efficient lungs with a trachea that extends up to the centre of their lungs to enable them survive underneath the water.

• More so, the blue whales are adapted in such a way that they cannot fall asleep completely since they could otherwise drown. Blue whales have the ability to rest only half of their brain while the other half remains alert.

Experiment 1: Effects of pH on Radish Seed Germination

Data Tables and Post-Lab Assessment

Table 1: pH and Radish Seed Germination

Take a picture of your results. Include a note with your name and date on an index card in the picture. Insert picture here:

Post-Lab Questions

1. Compare and construct a line graph based on the data from Table 1 in the space below. Place the day on the x axis, and the number of seeds germinated on the y axis. Be sure to include a title, label the x and y axes, and provide a legend describing which line corresponds to each plate (e.g., blue = acetic acid, green = sodium bicarbonate, etc...).

2. Was there any noticeable effect on the germination rate of the radish seeds as a result of the pH? Compare and contrast the growth rate for the control with the alkaline and acidic solutions.

3. According to your results would you say that the radish has a broad pH tolerance? Why or why not? Use your data to support your answer.

4. Knowing that acid rain has a pH of 2 - 3 would you conclude that crop species with a narrow soil pH range are in trouble? Explain why, or why not, using scientific reasoning. Is acid rain a problem for plant species and crops?

5. Research and briefly describe a real world example about how acid rain affects plants. Be sure to demonstrate how pH contributes to the outcome, and proposed solutions (if any). Descriptions should be approximately 2 - 3 paragraphs. Include at least three citations (use APA formatting).