Terrestrial Carbon Cycle

 

All the living things are made out carbon; most of the fuels that people used for energy are made primary for carbon, including the food we eat. The carbon in the terrestrial biosphere is stored in the forests.  Above-ground the trees have 86% of carbon and also soils has 73% of the carbon. The Carbon is stored inside of plants then it is transformed in oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. The carbon can be transported into another organism.  When animals eat plants, for example, the organic carbon stored in the plants is converted into other forms and utilized inside the animals.

 The trunk of the tree also absorbed part of the CO2 and send those thru the roots underground and that is what is called root decomposition. Also when the leaves or branches fall down for a period of time, after that the plant start the process of decomposition that goes all the way thru the soil and it’s absorbed for decomposers, this decomposer help to the soil to be good, and be able to plants can grow, and start to be respired by heterotrophs. 

After the animal eat the plants they are consuming carbon, and they release this carbon thru the atmosphere with the process of respiration. This carbon is stored in the atmosphere until the plants absorbed the CO2 again by the process of photosynthesis with the help of sun radiation.  The carbon is transferred by steps of the food chain from one organism to another. Because the human activities this carbon has huge impacts in the terrestrial biosphere, changing the way it acts, and causing some damages in the ecosystem or causing the climate change in all the planet, because the plants can’t handle it, because it’s something unnatural.

Wikipedia. Modified on 4 September 2013 at 23:47. Terrestrial biological carbon cycle. [Interarticles ][02/20/2014] Available from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_biological_carbon_cycle

Video of Terrestrial Carbon Cycle

 

 

 

LAB #5 GERMINATION AND PRODUCTIVITY

                                   PART 1: Seed Germination

Introduction

The purpose of this lab was to calculate the germination, and total plant growth in heights of the radish of the seeds. Two kinds of treatments were used. One treatment was put with normal light conditions and one treatment of a total darkness. The question on this experiment was: Can plants germinate in the dark? And the Hypothesis was: Seeds do not germinate in the dark. For proof this experiment the students were divided into 4 groups, each group planted 4 seed per cup in 36 for every sample, so the experiment has repetition.

What was our control for this experiment?

The control for this experiment was LIGHT CONTROL, but for proofs the hypothesis was used the dark germination, which consisted to put two tray of 36 samples (6*6). Each sample has 36 cups that were planted with four seeds each one.  One treatment was put in total darkness, and the other in the normal light conditions. Both treatments germinate, but the one that was put in the normal light with better conditions, than the one in the darkness.

What is the percent germination for the LIGHT TREATMENT? For the DARK TREATMENT?

Light treatment

69/144 = 0.479 * 100% = 47.9% = 48%

Dark treatment

50/144=0.347*100%=34.72%    

                                     PART 2: GPP and NPP

Calculate GPP (gross primary production) of the radishes use the following equation NPP + R= GPP.

Plants in the Light                                           plants in the dark

  Weight before dry 11.4g                           Weight before dry 8.9g           
  weight after dry 2.0g                                 weight after dry 1.9g
  Loss 9.4g                                                       Loss 7g                                                                       

 Duration 7min
temperature 400F                                   NPP + R= GPP:

                                                                   2.0g+1.9g=3.9g

PART 3: WRITE UP

What is the difference in appearance in the dark treatment, and the light treatment plants? If there is a difference in appearance, explain why?

Between those two treatments were lot differences, such as: the plants in the light treatment did photosynthesis, the color of the plants in this treatment was dark green, tall, and a lot water in the plant. The plants in the dark treatment had a brownish and yellow color, because those didn’t photosynthesis, a little water in the plant, those didn’t look healthy as the plants in the light treatment.

If there was growth in the dark treatment plants, explain why that growth may have taken place even though light was not reaching the plants?

A plant produces seeds with an embryo inside of it. The embryo is a mini plant inside of the seed with one (monocotyledon) or two (dicotyledon) leafs inside. When the seed germinates the embryo (the leafs go up and the roots go down) breaks the shell of the seed and comes out searching for light. The embryo by having leafs, has a little bit of energy stored (sugar), so the embryo does not need to do photosynthesis to germinate. Once it germinates, if there is no light the chloroplasts that have chlorophyll (what we see green) are not working to do photosynthesis if the plant stays in the dark. That is why the plants in the dark were weak and yellow, and the ones in the light started to do photosynthesis and were stronger and green. (Shadia sources Tropical Ecology)

Graphs of the differences between R, NPP, GPP, between light and dark treatments.

                 

       % of Germination between Light and Dark Treatment

 Comparison on average height (light and dark treatment)

 

  Comparison on dry and wet weight (light and dark treatment)

The question in this experiment was; the plants can grow in the dark?

The final answer for the question is: the plants can grow in darkness place, but those cannot do photosynthesis, and the quality and growth rate are not the same when the plants have enough sun light and do photosynthesis. 

Trip to the Marmot Dam

The marmot dam was a project to generate electricity built in 1908 to 1912, located in Sandy River, Portland. In 2007 this dam was removed.  Before the dam the Mount Hood Railway and Power Company did some logging in this area, taking the tree gravel to build the dam. The relive of the river is a psychological structure. The Western Rivers Conservancy buys this area to the Portland General Electricity (PGI), and then they sell it to the government.

 

Behind the dam was a huge amount of sediments, like rocks, sand and gravel that for many years it was stored. The scientist had lot questions, before the dam was removed, because they thought that after remove the dam it can cause damages to the entire ecosystem living in it, because never has this much sediments been realized, and it can pollute the river a long term. After the dam was removed the scientist was so impressed, because after a strong precipitation the river rapidly removes all the sediments away, and it didn’t produce too much damage. The good thing is that the scientist predicted that the river would need two or five years to remove a half of the sediments.   

In 2007 was an experiment to see what kind of vegetation can grow in this area. This area is a secondary succession, because the soil already exists.  This was a logging area, and they have a facility, and now they reforest this area.  They connect healthy part of the river, and make a corridor, with different patch for the wildlife, because the animals don’t stay in one patch, the fish can’t stay in one piece of the river, so they make this corridor. The person in charge of the area said, “we have to connect as many of the habitat as we can, in other words more connectivity you have it will help the environment” Some of the restoration was in 2010. This area is covered by conifer trees, and deciduous trees. 

Why the Dam was removed? 

The dam was a barrier for the wildlife, because the fish couldn't go back and forth, less genetic diversity, suffocate salmon and block tributaries downstream, and store the fish.  One of the benefits of this project is that the river now has free flow.  When the dam was removing, it wasn’t too much damage in the wildlife, because the process was so fast.  After the administrators of the project finish with the restoration in this area they are planning create a natural refuge for animals, and public recreation for people who likes to go in the forest, and camp.

When the river raises the channels changes. The river has free flow. In the reforested area they have to different types of forest. One that has a lot woody debris and the other one is younger and not too much woody debris. The soil is black red color, and it’s reach in nutrients. Around the river you can see some erosion, but it’s natural.

I had a great experience in this trip at the Sandy River. I learned so many things such as: if I want to reforest an area I have to do some studies, about if the soil is good to plant the trees, the history of the place, like if the area was logging before to see if the area is Primary or secondary succession, and also to know who was the owner of the area.  Those things will help me in futures projects, which I’m planning to do some reforestation, in my community after I finish with my principal project that is water quality in my return to Honduras.  These two projects are connected with the project at the Sandy River, because the people an charge of the project at the sandy river are conserving this area, and that is what I would like to do in my community.