DaAnonymousOne's+Charles+River+Ecosystem

//__INTRODuction__// **Hey,** **I’m a sixth grader at the [|Amigos School] in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Us sixth graders took a field trip to the [|Charles River] to observe the habitat and the organisms that occupy it. We found many different organisms. Consumers like cicadas and geese. We also found producers, for example, algae and plankton, and decomposers, like bacteria and lichen.**

**//Abiotic// **

**The** **sixth graders and their teacher, Ms.Ferhani, started off on their journey riding in a yellow school bus to the [|Charles River]. When we got there, we saw a variety of things. The water was polluted, yet you could still see the beauty. The air was foul next to the road, but as we got closer to the water it became fresher. The wind whistled in our ears, and the sun peeked out from behind a cloud. First, we measured the abiotic things. We used the [|Worldwide Water Monitoring kit] to determine the ph, the dissolved oxygen, and the turbidity of the water. The ph was 7, the dissolved oxygen was 4ppm, and the turbidity was 40 JTU. Then we used a thermometer to measure both the water (14ºC) and the air (15ºC).**

//Biotic//

**At** **the [|Charles River], there was a good deal of biotic life. It ranged from the microscopic algae, to majestic birds, soaring in the sky. We scoured the land, searching for knowledge regarding producers. We found luscious, green plants, and oak trees that towered over, casting a welcoming shadow to shelter you from the heat. We also found plankton, floating on the top of the water. You could almost imagine the plankton sighing and saying, “This is the life,”**

**The** **butterflies that fluttered by, beautiful and elegant, were primary consumers or herbivores, just like the small brown sparrows and the cicadas, bounding and sprinting across the ground. The pigeons, fearless and stout, were secondary consumers or omnivores as are the miniscule zooplankton and the tiny black flies. They may be small, but spiders are still tertiary consumers. Like the fish sparkling under the sun and the soft brown mice, hiding in the bushes, the spider was also known as a carnivore.**

**Yet** **again, we rummaged around, seeking for decomposers. We managed to unearth a worm, squirming and pink, fungi, mushrooms, peeking out from under the ground, and last, bacteria, floating in the air.**

**In** **my energy pyramid, the sun gives energy to the producers. After that, the producers are consumed by primary consumers, or herbivores. Then, the primary consumers are consumed by secondary consumers. Tertiary consumers, or carnivores, then consume the secondary consumers, or omnivores. Finally, the tertiary consumers are decomposed by decomposers. You can also see my web here. :)**

//__Summary__//

**We** **discovered many things about the [|Charles River] Ecosystem. We learned about the process of using a plankton net. First, carefully toss the net in the water. Then, reel it in, skimming it across the top of the water. After that, observe the plankton, the little green specks darting around in the tank at the bottom of the plankton net. We also used little booklets to help identify the species of trees, animals, or plants we were looking at. We found a vast selection of species in the space we overlooked. On top of that, we learned as good as everything there is to know about the abiotic and biotic life in the Charles River. In all, there’s a whole ecosystem, full of more residents than you might think, and it’s all right here. In Cambridge, Massachusetts.** Take a look at my video here!