Pond
Exploration
Concepts:
A pond is (a) a body of standing water and (b) shallow
enough that rooted water plants with leaves floating on the surface
can grow throughout the pond (usually
not more than 12-15 feet deep).
Objectives:
1) Students will use simple equipment to help them make observations on a
visit to a pond.
2) Students will use Activity Sheets to record these observations.
3) Students will evaluate a wetland in terms of its wetland functions and
provide evidence for their responses.
There are four life zones in a pond. Each contains a different set of plants
and animals:
(a) The surface film - occupied by plants and animals that walk,
swim or float on the surface or hang underneath it.
(b) The open water - occupied by free swimming animals (like
fish) and tiny free-floating plants and animals (plankton).
(c) The pond bottom - a calm sandy or mucky habitat occupied by animals
that burrow into it.
(d) The sides, tops and undersides of plants, stumps, branches and
rocks constitute a zone that supports a unique population of crawling
animals.
What sorts of plants and animals are found in a pond?
(a) Aquatic - Plants
that grow principally on or below the surface of the water for most
of the growing season. e.g. duckweeds or algae.
(b) Emergents - Bottom rooted plants with stems and leaves that project
above the surface. e.g. cattails and pond weed.
(c) Scrub-Shrub - Plants include true scrubs, young trees and trees
or shrubs that are small (less than 20 feet tall) or stunted because
of
environmental
conditions. e.g. willow, cottonwood and Arizonia Ash.
Look for these types of animals or evidence of animals:
(a) Invertebrates - e.g. insects, crustaceans, molluscs
(b) Fish - e.g. sunfish, bass, minnows
(c) Amphibians - e.g. salamanders, newts, frogs
(d) Reptiles - e.g. turtles, snakes
(e) Birds - e.g. ducks, herons, geese
(f) Mammals - e.g. muskrats, beavers, bats
Materials:
-
notebook or clipboard with paper and pencil for each student
plankton net
dip nets (one for every 2-3 students)
thermometer
bottom sampler
secchi disk and line
boat or dock
eyedropper and soft forceps to pick up small animals
assorted small containers - transparent plastic are ideal
white enamel pan or plastic basin for displaying specimens
hand lens (10X is powerful enough)
Preparation and Procedure:
Make sure students are prepared to "dig in" with
this activity. They will need comfortable clothing, protective foot
wear and outer clothing
and an old towel to keep their hands clean. This lesson is designed to
encourage the exploration and investigation of a wetland. Ponds are ideal
because of
their small size and accessibility. The activities are also suitable for
a lake, marsh, bog or swamp.
Visit a pond, marsh, swamp or lake.
Characterize the conditions, plants and animals that you find in each of
the following zones using student worksheet 1. Have students use the thermometer,
plankton net, hand lenses, bottom sampler, secchi disk, dip nets and other
materials to help them explore.
-
6 feet from the shore on shore
-
at the water's edge
-
at the water's surface
-
in the open water
-
on the pond bottom
Don't forget to look on the sides, tops and undersides of plants,
stumps, branches and rocks.
After the students have had a chance to muck about,
have them evaluate
the wetlands in terms of its ability to
fulfill any
of the following values
of wetlands.
Use student worksheet 2.
-
serving wildlife by providing food, homes or nurseries
-
preserving water quality
-
storing flood waters
-
serving people by providing
valuable aesthetic, educational and recreational assets
Then have students provide evidence of the values they believe
this wetland fulfills. Questions are provided to guide
the students' thinking. Evidence
of the ability of wetlands to reduce sedimentation of
adjacent water bodies might be demonstrated by digging up and
observing
the network of roots and
organic matter present in the soil. Evidence that wildlife
use wetlands might be present in the form of an animal
home, shell,
bone, scat, feather or live
specimen.
Pond Exploration - Student Worksheet 1
Use your senses and equipment to explore the following places in
and near the pond you are visiting. Write descriptions of the
abiotic (non-living) and
biotic (living) features you find. Abiotic features include soils,
water and human-made objects. Biotic features include algae,
trees, insects and
birds. Make some guesses as to why things are the way they are in
that particular environment.
|
ABIOTIC
FEATURES |
BIOTIC
FEATURES |
on shore,
6 feet from the water's edge |
|
|
at the
water's edge |
|
|
at the
water's surface |
|
|
in open
water |
|
|
on the
pond bottom |
|
|
Pond Exploration - Student Worksheet 2
Give this wetland a score on how well it performs the four following
jobs that wetlands do. Use the questions to help you figure out how
this wetland performs
those functions. Use your observation skills and a topo map of the area
if you have one.
Circle the word HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW to reflect the degree to which you think
this wetland fulfills each function.
1. Serving Wildlife by Providing Food, Homes or Nurseries
-
Does the upland
area surrounding the wetland contain mostly natural wildlife habitat?
-
Are there undisturbed
travel routes for animals to get to other nearby wetlands?
-
What kind
of vegetation is present in the greatest amount? What does that
indicate to you about animals that will be present?
-
Are there any threatened
or endangered species using this wetland?
HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW
What evidence are you using to support your answer?
2. Preserving Water Quality
-
Is there a
stream, lake or drinking water reservoir downstream that this
wetland can protect by removing or trapping pollutants?
-
Are there
many potential sources of soil erosion in this watershed?
-
Is the vegetation
surrounding the wetland intact or has it been disturbed?
-
Is this
wetland a buffer between land and open water?
-
Are there
drinking water wells within one half mile of this wetland?
HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW
What evidence are you using to support your answer?
3. Storing Flood Waters
Use a map and grid to get the figures for this equation:
-
Wetland
Size = __________ acres
-
Watershed
Size = __________ acres
-
Width
of Wetland Outlet = __________ feet
Now make the following calculations:
-
Ratio "A" =
watershed size/wetland size = __________
-
Ratio "B" = wetland
size/width of wetland outlet = __________
Flood
Storage Ratings:
|
High |
Medium |
Low |
| Ratio "A" < 10
10 - 100 > 100 |
|
|
|
Ratio "B" > 16 4 -16 < 4 |
|
|
|
Overall Rating: HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW
4. Serving People by Providing Valuable Aesthetic, Educational and Recreational
Assets
-
Is this wetland
unusual for the local region because of its type, size or presence?
-
Does the wetland
provide a view over open water or vegetation?
-
What are the sources
of noise at the site?
-
Is there much litter
at the site?
-
Is the area safe
to visit?
-
Is it accessible
for people who wish to visit?
-
Is the area on public
land or private land with cooperative landowners?
-
Is the water quality
of the wetland a problem?
-
Is it possible to
canoe, fish or hike there?
HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW
What evidence are using to support your answers?
|