freenight+and+the+pond+ecosystem

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= = = ** Amazing finds so close to home ** =

Hi, I’m from the 6th grade in the [|Amigos School]. My class went to Black’s Nook pond on a field trip and it was amazing times ten. Though it was a working field trip, but it was super fun and we were learning at the same time. We saw so many producers, consumers, and decomposers; it would blow your mind! I want people to truly appreciate the subtle beauty of the little beasties hidden in the sparkling water. We had a great time and I hope you have as much fun following along!

We went to [|Black’s Nook Pond] in [|Cambridge, Massachusetts], but it wasn’t that simple. We walked to the [|Train/Bus station in Harvard Square], and then took a bus to the location. We first walked into the [|Maynard Ecology Center], where we got some background information about what we would need. We took a short walk through the woods, and reached a pristine little pond. Not small, really, but not large compared to others I’d seen. Now, I suppose you know what [|abiotic] is, but just in case, something abiotic is something that is not living or formerly living. For example, a dead rabbit isn’t abiotic, but a tire is. Anyway, the natural (not man-made) abiotic were sunlight, air (72ºF), soil, small rocks, and mud. Oh, how could I forget one of the most important, fresh water? Well,we tested the water with a [|World Water Monitoring Day] kit. The water was 70ºF, and the acidity was 7pH, the dissolves oxygen was 4ppm, and the turbidity was 40 JTU. Now, for the unnatural abiotic (man-made) abiotic; we saw pavement, rubber, and plastic. Unfortunately, litter has snuck into the ecosystem. First up, the producers, organisms that get their energy from the sun. There were at least two hundred [|Norway Maple Trees], and [|smartweed] and slimy [|algae] blanketed the pond. Also, [|phytoplankton] was too small to see, but we knew the little producers were there. Then, how could we forget [|poison ivy]? Luckily, none of us got up close to that rash-creating producer.

Now onto consumers, [|organisms] that get energy from other organisms. Lets start with herbivores, consumers that get their energy from producers. We saw a really cute [|chipmunk] with caramel colored fur, chowing down on a small nut. Also, if we looked really close, we could see tiny [|zooplankton] and small white crustaceans that we concluded had to be little [|shrimp].

Second, we have omnivores, which are consumers that eat both producers and other consumers. A [|sparrow] trilled a merry song from the treetops as we bent at the water. Larger shrimp flitted around in the water, finding plankton for their supper. Small [|fish] ate those shrimp and snatched up some algae as well. Some zooplankton ate each other and some phytoplankton as well. [|Dragonflies] and dragonfly nymphs sprinkled the pond, dome beautifully colored and some a murky brown. Later, at the ecology center, we realized we had caught a [|daphnia], a transparent, multicolored creature that had feathery antennae.

For our final consumers, we have carnivores, consumers that eat only other consumers. A [|great blue heron] stood still in the pond for thirty seconds, it’s long, majestic head turned toward the water. It shot its head into the water, snatching up a fish and soaring into the air. A beautiful [|red-tailed hawk] soon followed suit. As we crouched at the water’s edge, [|leopard frogs] sat on a log, and [|crawfish] crawled around in the shallow pond. Someone caught a [|water scorpion] and that spiked everyone’s interest.

Lastly, the decomposers, who break down dead organisms for energy. We saw brownish-pink [|earthworms] and multi-colored [|fungi.] We couldn't see [|bacteria], but we knew it was there. We also saw the pale teal [|lichen], which is technically a mix of algae and mold. Thats all for [|biotic]!

Thanks for listening to me talk about the pond ecosystem! I hope it inspired you to check out some ecosystems in your area. It was especially fun because we went back to the ecology center and looked at things under microscopes we wouldn't normally see. We had so much fun learning about the biotic and abiotic of the environment and how they fit together in perfect harmony. Learning about an [|ecosystem] is enjoyable and definitely helps you in science class! Check out my web and energy pyramid for more information.