Photo-Journal for Environmental Science Field Trip(s)
You may attend either or both of these optional field trips. Provide your own
transportation at your own risk. You may receive up to 40 points to replace any 2 lab
activities that you may have missed. You must attend at least one of the trips and turn in
the required photo journal for credit.
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Create a photo-journal with the title: Ecosystems in Oklahoma.
Include an opening section with the subsections:
a. the importance of healthy, diverse ecosystems in Oklahoma.
b. descriptions of the specific locations you visited, including physical
characteristics and natural communities.
Insert photos into an MSWord document in an attractive format that illustrates the
concepts in the captions listed below.
Include the caption under or beside the corresponding photo. You may want to
shrink photos to a lower resolution (100K or so) to make your document
manageable. Use text boxes in MSWord to make dragging and dropping easier.
Although you are free to collaborate with a partner in making this journal, you
must create your own, using only your photos.
You may add sentences or phrases to the caption to clarify or make it more
specific to the photo. Be sure the photo clearly illustrates the concept.
In parentheses at the end of the caption, state the date and location of the photo…
ex. ( April 17, 2010, Eagle Roost Trail, Great Salt Plains Refuge). Keep good
notes as you collect data on the trip!
Turn in your journal on CD by May 2nd.
section 1 (captioned photos)…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Biodiversity is one measure of the health of an ecosystem.
Areas where one community grades into another are called ecotones.
Ecosystems include biotic and abiotic components.
Oklahoma may be divided broadly into two ecoregions—great plains (shown
here) and eastern deciduous forest.
5. Scrubby, short forests of post oak and blackjack oak make up most of the plains
forest bands. Post oaks may be differentiated from blackjack oaks by the more
pronounced lobation of the leaves.
6. The Wichita Mountain ecoregion (level iv) typically consists of rugged hills and
low mountains strewn with eroded rhyolite boulders. (WM trip only)
7. Sandy soils, sometimes eroded bare, are characteristic of the Pleistocene sand
dune ecoregion (salt plains trip only).
8. The salt plain ecoregion near Cherokee, Oklahoma exhibits salt flats, marshes,
and hummocks. (salt plains trip only)
9. Extremely flat terrain in the prairie tableland ecoregion results in wide, sluggish
streams with much siltation. (salt plains trip only)
10. Plants often benefit from close relationships with certain animal species.
11. Animals are directly dependent on certain plant species.
12. The actions of humans sometimes have immediate effects on ecosystems.
13. Plants may have an impact on the geology or other physical parameters of an
ecosystem.
14. Animals often impact abiotic parameters in an ecosystem.
15. Organisms often are adapted to survive extreme conditions in an ecosystem.
16. Prairie dog towns illustrate the importance of____________ (WM trip only).
17. Prairie ecosystems depend on fire to maintain biodiversity (WM trip only).
18. Ecosystems tend to undergo successionary stages that eventually lead to a climax
community.
19. The latitude/altitude effect may result in localized ecosystems with
characteristics of larger biomes as shown here by __________________ (WM
trip only)
20. Chaparral regions are characterized by__________ (WM trip only)
21. Wetland habitats are the most productive in Oklahoma in terms of net primary
productivity. (Salt Plains trip only)
22. Wetland habitats recharge underground aquifers by preventing the rapid runoff of
rain water. (Salt Plains trip only)
23. Mineral content in the soil and subsoil may have a dramatic effect on populations.
(Salt Plains trip only)
24. Oklahoma habitats are significantly affected by migratory species. (Salt Plains
trip only)
25. Physical characteristics such as geology and landscape diversity have significant
effects on ecosystems.
26. Although both are grazers and have similar physiology, cattle and bison have a
significantly different impact on the habitat . (WM trip only)
27. Many of Oklahoma’s grasslands exhibit a mosaic pattern of ecosystems,
especially where fires have recently burned random areas. (WM trip only)
28. Keystone species influence many other species.
29. Exotic species may compete with natives for a particular niche.
30. A small aquatic habitat may be influenced by very large areas of land or
watersheds.
31. Ecosystems may become unstable when populations reach or exceed carrying
capacity.
section 2…
Ten photos showing the diversity of animal species in the ecosystems observed.
(correctly identified and labeled)
Ten photos showing the diversity of plant species in the ecosystems observed.
(correctly identified and labeled)