Limnology
What is Limnology?

Think about –ology?
What does biology
mean?

Limnology is the
study of fresh waters.
 Today we will study a
pond ecosystem.
What is an ecosystem?
 Ecosystem….what
is the first thing you
think of when you hear this word?
 Animals
 Plants
 Water
 Air
 Soil
Which of these Which of these
are living?
are nonliving?

Animals
 Plants
We call these Biotic
Factors.

Water
 Dissolved Oxygen
 Temperature
We call these
Abiotic factors.
What could we catch
today?


Invertebrates
Larva/Nymph-early stages of some insects lives
Water Scorpion
(Adult)
Damselfly nymph
Water Scavenger Beetle
What is pH?





pH is the measure of how
much acid is in a
substance.
It is measured with a
scale that ranges from 014.
Every substance with a
pH less than 7 is an acid.
Every substance with a
ph more than 7 is a base.
A pH of 7 gives us a
neutral substance.
Fahrenheit vs. Celsius

We use Fahrenheit for as our standard unit for
temperature. What is freezing? Boiling?
 Scientists use Celsius. What is freezing?
Boiling?
 Which do you think we will use today?
Let’s get ready to go to the
pond!

Today we will be divided into groups.
 Each group will have a certain job to do.
 Please stay in your group.
 Everyone will go to every station.
Group 1
Binoculars and Turbidity

Your mission is to use the binoculars to find six
animals and tell what they are doing. You may
also write down signs of animals like tracks,
webs, nests, or scat.

You must also check the turbidity.
Group 2: Nets
Your team’s mission will be to collect as many
different types of animals as you can.
 I will be at the nets station the entire time to help
you scoop and show you where to scoop.
 We will collect and classify our data. What does
classify mean?

Group 3: Chemistry Station
 At
this station you will take the pH,
temperature, and the dissolved oxygen.
 It will take 1-2 minutes for the thermometer
to get an accurate reading. Make sure you
wait long enough between tests.
Group 4: Microscopes
Your team’s assignment will be to look at four or
more different things underneath the field
microscopes. Then you draw what you see.
 The best thing about your station is you can look
at whatever you want!

LETS GO TO THE POND!!
 Remember
to stay in your station
 Walk on the trail and stay behind me
 HAVE FUN!