A.
Number Pyramid for a 24-hour
Period
·
Only students with last names starting with A
through H perform this part.
·
What
to submit for this part:
o
A
drawing or depiction of the completed number pyramid, scan or photograph. You
may not copy and paste someone else’s pyramid (7.5 points)
o
Calculations
for number 3, 4, and 6 (4.5 points)
o
Answers
to questions 1-4 (6 points)
A
number pyramid is an ecological pyramid that indicates the total number of organisms in
each trophic level.
1.
Draw your pyramid on a
separate piece of paper, labeling the number of 3o, 2o,
and 1o consumers. Remember, your one owl, represented by the one
pellet, is the 3o consumer.
2.
From the number of skulls in your pellet (same type or different
types) determine the number of prey consumed. One skull = one prey animal. If
your pellet does not have any skulls, then make an estimation of the number of
animals based on large parts of the skeleton, such as shoulder blades
(scapulae) or hips (pelvises). I only had one skull within my pellet so I used pairs of
jawbones to come to my conclusion, as well as a few bones that were found from
a bird.
Determine the ratio, R, of
the number of 2o consumers to the number of 3o consumers.
R
= # 2˚ Consumers = 7prey
animals Therefor R = =7
# 3˚ Consumers 1
owl
3.
Use R to calculate the number of 1o consumers by
multiplying the number of 2o consumers by R.
# 1o Consumers = R (# 2˚ consumers)
7 prey * 7(R)= 49 Primary Consumers
4.
Label your pyramid with the number of 1o consumers.
5.
Calculate the number producers by multiplying the
number of 1o consumers by R.
# Producers
= R (# 1˚ consumers)
Producers = 7 (49)= 343 Producers
6.
Finish your pyramid by labeling it with the number of producers.
Answer these questions.
1. What are owl
pellets? Pellets are tightly condensed parts of animals and insects that an owl is unable to digest such as hair, teeth, fur, bones, and insect shells. All these items are bound tightly together within the owl's stomach and then regurgitated.
2. During the
nesting season the young need an enormous amount of food for growth. If the
nest contains three young and each of the young eat five mice per night for a
month and the two adults eat four per night, how many mice would the parents
have to capture in 30 days? 23 per day*30 days= 690 mice in 30 days
3. The pellets are
from what owl family? "Herbert" the pellet, that I was in charge of dissecting, was of a dark brown color indicating that it was from a barn owl.
4. Environmentalists
are concerned about the accumulation of certain poisons in predators. Why do
you suppose owls, eagles, swordfish, humans and lions are often the most
threatened organisms of a community that are exposed to DDT or mercury? Because we are all mostly 3* consumers and we eat a lot of secondary consumers whom ingest insects and grass that highly contaminated, as other animals eat us the toxicification gradually decreases or is diluted.
:) I have no idea where she comes up with these things, but she certainly is a creative little creature.
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