Name: _______________________________________
Period: ___________
Date: ______________
AP Environmental Science
Ecosystem Column Lab
Purpose of the Lab
This lab will provide an opportunity to explore several types of ecosystems, the components of these ecosystems,
the conditions required for sustainability for each, and the interconnections between the various ecosystem
column-chambers. You will also be able to observe succession in action as the column changes over a period of 5-6 weeks.
Set-Up of your EcoColumn
Conduct steps 1-5 in class with your EcoColumn group members.
1. Identify what you are trying to discover through the creation of your EcoColumn. Look over the demonstration and
assembly diagram to understand each chamber.
2. Decide what background sources of information you will need to use (which parts of the textbook or what other
references) that will help you in better understanding the interactions in your column.
3. Write a hypothesis for each of the three habitats: aquatic, decomposition, and terrestrial. Write a hypothesis
about the sustainability of the system as a whole.
4. Draw a diagram of our EcoColumn to include in your final lab report. Label each chamber and identify the biotic
and abiotic factors present in each habitat.
The Procedure
5.
Set up the EcoColumn according to instructions provided and teacher instructions.
Materials: Per Group of 5-6 students
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5-7 two liter soda bottles – clear, labels removed, rinsed, need caps (each cap needs 3 holes drilled)
Rocks for aquatic chamber (to “hold”plant)
1 plastic straw
Clear packing tape – to secure column
Soil
Compost materials: grass clippings, banana peels, egg shells, vegetable matter, leaves, etc
Grass seeds
1 aquatic plant (elodea works best, anacharis, hornwort, green hedge, ledwigia, etc)
1 beta fish
Treated water
Utility knife & scissors
Observation and Data Collection
Each week for 5-6 weeks you will make observations of your EcoColumn. Each observation should include:
 The date of your measurement
 The number of days your EcoColumn has been running
 Temperature
 Quantitative Observations:
o Water Quality Measurements of Aquatic Chamber (dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate, phosphate, temperature)
 Qualitative Observations
o Turbidity, plant growth, decomposition rate, fish status, color, odor, etc
o In addition to written observations, take pictures of your column each week to include in your final report
(take a close picture of each chamber and a picture of the EcoColumn as a whole).
 Additional measurements / instructions as outlined by your instructor each week
EcoColumn Assembly Guide
Lab Write-Up
Part of the scientific method involves disseminating what you have learned. You will do this in the form of a formal lab
report following the guidelines provided by your instructor. Make sure to keep good records during the investigation so that
you are not missing anything when it comes time to write. Final report must be typed and graphs must be hand made.
1.
Observe and collect data, keeping comprehensive records of all work on the EcoColumn.
2.
Do some background research on EcoColumns by finding websites that have information related to an EcoColumn like
experiment. Use this information to help inform your lab report introduction and conclusion.
Points to ponder during course of study & for report:
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Differences between the chambers
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Have you observed the law of tolerance in action?
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What limiting factors exist?
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Food chains and food webs present
Evidence of ecological succession taking place in your
column
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Available niches
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Biogeochemical cycles in action
Compare and contrast your lab group’s column with
others in the course.
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Is this an open or closed system? Which applies to
your ecosystem column?
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Stability and sustainability of your ecosystem column
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Compare and contrast your simulated ecosystems
with a natural ecosystems.
3.
The Lab Report will include the following (Detailed Writing Instructions/Guidelines for Formal AP Lab Reports will be
provided near the end of the study, but may be downloaded from my website at any time):
a. A Researched Introduction (Explaining the overall purpose of conducting the experiment, specific learning goals,
and other relevant information related to the tests performed and data collected)
b. Four Hypotheses related to the stability or resilience of the EcoColumn (hypotheses for each chamber & overall
system)
c. Materials (List all materials used in EcoColumn construction AND any equipment used for specific
tests/observations including brand names, indicator names, etc )
d. Procedures (Step-by-step instructions for constructing and filling EcoColumn including diagram of EcoColumn w/
biotic & abiotic factors in each habitat / Step-by-step instructions for performing observations and tests during each
laboratory period)
e. Data (typed data table of qualitative and quantitative data – include pictures of column each week, organized
logically, labeled by week and in chronological order)
f. Graphs (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, d.o. saturation, nitrate, phosphate – must be done by hand – Max = 2
graphs per page)
g. Conclusion – a thoughtful, scientifically valid, and collaborative discussion of the results
i. Discuss changes in quantitative data over the course of the study period (discuss graphical trends) and how
these changes could be related to qualitative observations of the system.
ii. Include discussion of how results supported or refuted hypotheses statements & why results may have
differed from predictions.
iii. Include error analysis (there are always sources of error) and discuss potential improvements to lab
h. Discussion – a thoughtful, scientifically valid extension of the results
i. Discuss three different ecological problems (local, regional, national or global) that your research in this lab
would be applicable to in terms of providing basic research or useful scientific information.
ii. Discuss two potential business or industrial applications you can think of where your research from the
EcoColumn experiment could be applied.
i. Bibliography
i. MLA formatted bibliography. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order.
ii. In text citation should be used to cite specific information within the body of the report.
Ex: Nitrate tests are commonly used to assess water quality (Rabinowitz 2012).
EcoColumn Lab - Quantitative Analysis (Measurements)
Date
Temperature
pH
D.O.
N
P
EcoColumn Lab - Qualitative Analysis (Observations)
Date
Terrestrial Chamber
(Plant growth & other
observations)
Decomposition
Chamber
(Rate of Decay & other
observations)
Aquatic Chamber
Turbidity
Aquatic Chamber
Plant/Fish Status
Aquatic Chamber
Color/Odor
Additional
Observations