User:Hussain A. Khalfan/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU

January 15th, 2016: Observations of a Transect

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to observe the biotic and abiotic components within our specific 20 by 20 meter transect at American University. Additionally, we collected dirt, soil, leaves and woodchips in order to make our “Hay Fusion”.

Materials and Methods: While at the 20 by 20 meter transect, we sketched an ariel view of our transect, using a clipboard, paper and a pencil. We then filled up a plastic bag with soil samples from the area. Procedure two was the creation of the Hay Infusion sample by taking 10-12 grams of the soil sample and mixing it with 500 mL of Deerpark water, adding 0.1g of dried milk to the mixture and then letting it sit. Procedure three consisted of looking at three types of algae- Gonium, Volvox and Chlamydomonas, and observing their shape, size and colony size.

Data and Observations: File:Example.png File:Exampl/Users/hussaink/Downloads/IMG 0750.PNGe.jpg

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The following abiotic and biotic factors were found: soil, leaves, woodchips and weeds

Conclusion and Future Directions: Transect three had many biotic and abiotic factors. I presume that the three algae mentioned above-; Volvox, Gonium, and Chlamydonious could be present in the sample, however, further experimentation is needed.

January 22, 2016: Algae and Protists

Purpose: Our Hay Culture Infusion was made by transect 3, which was located in the gardens right behind the amphitheater. The sample was made from the soil in our sample, 500 mL of water, and 0.1g of dried milk and laid outside for approximately a week before careful observation. Our infusion was very dark with clumps at the bottom, indicating there was a form of life as well as algae and protists present in the sample. Surprisingly, the culture did not contain a stinky odor, but smelled rather like pond water.

Materials and Methods: Samples were drawn from three different areas of our Hay Infusion- the bottom, middle and top. The samples were then put into a petri dish using a dropper and observed under the microscope. The organisms were identified using a dichotomous key. Through the use of our dichotomous key, we observed that our first sample was green, with pink along the edges and was moving quite rapidly and possessed flagella. We classified these algae as Euglena. Next, we chose a sample from the middle of our hay culture, which was labeled niche #2. This sample proved to be Gonium, as the sample was flat shaped and had many colonies. The third sample was a bit strange. We could not come up with a name for our niche # 3 but we can describe it. Almost like a diamond shape, this silver colored specimen with maroon brown spots and small white circles in the back just could not be identified. This could be a possible source of human error.

Data and Observation:

Conclusion and Future Directions: After careful observations of the Hay Culture Infusion under the microscope, we concluded that our sample from the transect is very diverse, containing both Algae and Protists. After taking various samples, we concluded that it contained