1E3_2011 Group 6 - Great Lake


 Group 6

               ~~Team members~~

 

Names / Roles:

 Celine

 Hafiz

 Lydia

 Saqif

 

 

Overview

In this section, include a brief description of the allocated ecosystem. You should include the following information:

 

This is the map of the Great Lakes!! It is located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border~~ 

THE Map of Great lakes 

 

The Great lake is a collection of freshwater lakes named lakes Superior,Michigan,Huron,Erie and Ontario.

It is located at the northeastern North America,on the Canada-United States boarder.

It has a total surface of 208,610 km2  and a total volume of 22,560 km3 .It contains 21% of the World's surface freshwater.

The Great lake supports thousands of wetlands,and a variety of landscapes,plants,more than 150 species of fishes and wildlife.It is rich in natural resources and it is very much full of life!!
 

 

Physical Factors

Search the Internet for information on the following physical factors in the allocated ecosystem. 

     
   The availability of sunlight is sufficient at the Great lake as lighthouses are placed in different areas of different lakes. E.g. the 'Split Rock' lighthouse at Lake Superior and 'Old Presque Isle ' lighthouse at Lake Huron.The Great lake have a name of the effect on the weather, which is the 'lake effect'.  The lake also has seasonal temperatures,  as it can absorb the heat to make the weather cooler in summer, and the heat absorbed is used to make it warmer in autumn. Great lakes contain freshwater and they contain about 22% of the world's freshwater and 95% of the freshwater in U.S. Although it contains a high percentage of the world's freshwater,it supplies a small amount of drinking water in the U.S. The water in Great Lakes are freshwater it is known as water with less than 500 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved salts. Air around Great lakes are polluted!! These air pollutions come from mostly smoke and chemicals which are thrown from smoke stacks and hospitals located near the Great Lake Basin. It is also polluted with acid rains, rains that are acidic as the water molecules react with the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen, that can affect the organisms. The pH of Great Lakes is about 8.2-8.4 and the water is alkaline. The lake contains sufficient amount of nutrients and mineral salts as it has alot of algae and phosphorus growing. It may be danger to humans as excessive amount of these nutrients can pose a health risk for people who use the lake as a source for drinking water.

 

Classification of Living Organisms

Classify at least eight of the living organisms found in the allocated ecosystem into the categories below:

  1. Producers
  2. Primary Consumers
  3. Secondary Consumers
  4. Tertiary Consumers 
  5. Decomposers

For each of the living organism, find a picture and write a short description on the organism. You may wish to include feeding habits, region in the ecosystem where it is normally found etc. 

 

Food Producer

Plankton

Plankton are drifting organisms that provide a crucial source of food to fishes.

The plankton inhabit the pelagic zone of ocean,seas or bodies of fresh water.

 

Planktons in different shapes..COOL!! 

" Pictures found in the following websites : http://www.mindfully.org/Water/2005/Plankton-Vanishing12jul05.htm and http://planetsave.com/2007/11/19/iron-seeding-to-the-rescue/ " 

 

 

Primary Consumer

Sculpin

Sculpin feed on worms,crabs,squid,octopus,fishes,shrimps and plankton.

It can camouflage with rocks and plants around them because its body is the colour of

red to brown with blotches and spottings.Sculpin can also survive on moist areas for hours!!!

This is the SCULPIN!! 

Pink Salmon

The Pink Salmon are coldwater fishes.They generally feed on Zooplankon,swimming mollusks,and other

small fishes.They can only live up to two years.They are commonly found in Lake Superior of the Great Lake.

A Pink Salmon!!

 " Pictures found in the following website : http://pond.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Cottidae/slimy_sculpin.html and http://terryleewilde.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html " 

 

 

Secondary Consumer

Lake Trout

This fish strongly prefers a water temperature of 45-55 degreeF.It is a true wanderer,

often swimming many miles to search fo its prey.It lives mainly in lakes in Northern North American.

It can also be found in Lake Superior of the Great Lake.

Lake Trout!!~~ 

Double crested Cormorant

It  mainly feed on fishes and hunts by swimming or diving.Its feathers are not waterproof and

it must dry them out after spending time in the water.This bird can be found throughout the Great Lake.

ze Cormorant!! 

Pink Salmon

 

Sea Lamprey
Sea lampreys are dangerous jawless fishes that eat mostly blood and fluids of other fishes. They have bodies shaped like eels and a circular suction-cup mouth with many razor sharp teeth that are used to attach itself to its prey and eat the fish's innards. 

Thats very scary!!!EWWWWW!!!! 
 " Pictures found in the following websites : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Trout_GLERL.jpg http://geo.atspace.com/UrbanExpansion/ http://www.topnews.in/usa/sea-lamprey-research-provides-insight-stress-hormones-evolution-24884 http://www.emilydamstra.com/portfolio2.php?illid=918 "

 

Tertiary Consumer

Bald Eagle

The bald eagle feed on a variety of animals but most feed mainly on fishes.These birds prefer habitats near

seacoasts,river,large lakes,ocean,and other large bodies of open water with an abundance of fish.It is also

extremely sensitive to human activities so it is found most commonly in an area free from human activities.

Behold!! The Bald Eagle!!

 

Sea lampreys

Decomposers

 

Bacteria
Bacteria are decomposer that are found in all habitats on Earth. They are also found on human and animal bodies too. In Great Lakes, bacteria recycle the nutrients in the water.

 

" Pictures found in the following websites : http://www.majestyofbirds.com/baldeagleflyingcatchingfish.html and http://www.nextnature.net/2008/12/bacteria-that-eat-waste-shit-petrol/ "  

 

 

Food Web

Create a food web using at least eight of the living organisms listed above. You may wish to use Microsoft PowerPoint to create your food web. Save your food web as a picture. Finally copy and paste your picture in this section of your wiki. 

 

 

IT TOOK ME 4 HOURS TO DO THIS. LOL 

Interrelationship in Ecosystem

Give at least one example for each of the following relationships in the ecosystem:

  1. Predator-prey relationship
  2. Parasitism
  3. Mutualism

   Predator-Prey

  There are many examples of this relationship.One example would be

  the Eagle feeding on fishes such as Salmon,Sculpin and Cormorant.

 

   Parasitism

   One example of this relationship would be :
    The Sea Lamprey feeding on the bloods and fluids of other fishes such as Salmon, Sculpin and Trout. 

 

   Mutualism  

   One example of this relationship would be :
    The Sea Lamprey and Bacteria. The Sea Lamprey will benefit by eating the blood and innards of other fishes, and soon the fish will die immediately or die from the infection of the wound. The Bacteria will also benefit by decomposing on the dead fish.

Useful Links

Plagarism is a strongly discouraged.

 

Include the links of all websites you obtained information from to complete your ecology wiki. 

For example:

Wild World @ nationalgeographic.com ( http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html )