Keystone Predator; Software for Teaching and Research

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© 2011 SimBiotic Software for_Teaching and Research Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(29 pts)
BE SURE TO PAUSE THE VIDEO AS YOU ANSWER EACH QUESTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN ASKED TO MAKE PREDICTIONS.
This exercise is based on a series of famous experiments conducted in the 1960’s along the rocky shore of Washington state, in the northwestern United States (Paine, 1966: Am. Nat. 100: 65-75; Paine, 1969: Ecology 50: 950-961). The intertidal community is comprised of organisms living in the area covered by water at high tide and exposed to the air at low tide. The nine species in this laboratory’s simulated rocky intertidal area include three different algae; three stationary (or “sessile”) filter-feeders; and three mobile consumers.
The following table provides information on the species that you will encounter in this simulation
COMMON NAME OF ORGANISM (GENUS) TYPE OF ORGANISM PRODUCER
OR CONSUMER? FILTER FEEDER?
(YES / NO) STATIONARY OR MOBILE?
Nori Seaweed (Porphyra) Algae Producer NO Stationary
Black Pine (Neorhodomela) Algae Producer NO Stationary
Coral Weed (Corallina) Algae Producer NO Stationary
Mussel (Mytilus) Mollusk Consumer YES Stationary
Acorn Barnacle (Balanus) Crustacean Consumer YES Stationary
Goose Neck Barnacle (Mitella) Crustacean Consumer YES Stationary
Whelk (Nucella) Mollusk Consumer NO Mobile
Chiton (Katharina) Mollusk Consumer NO Mobile
Starfish (Pisaster) Echinoderm Consumer NO Mobile
In this laboratory, you’ll use simulated experiments to elucidate how interactions between species can play a major role in determining community structure. You will apply techniques similar to those used in the original studies.
In the competitive dominance hierarchy diagram below, the arrows point from weaker to stronger competitors. For example, the arrow pointing from Nori Seaweed to Black Pine indicates that Black Pine is dominant over (i.e., can displace) Nori Seaweed. Next to each species name, indicate how many arrows point to that species. The highest number indicates the most highly ranked and aggressive, or “best”, competitor. Which species is the dominant competitor? (2 pts)

 
You will now examine the predator-prey interactions that occur in the rocky intertidal zone.
This table provides information on the prey each of the predators consumes.
STARFISH WHELK CHITON
Prey Species: Mussel Gooseneck Barnacle Black Pine
Percentage of Diet: 60% 50% 40%
Prey Species: Gooseneck Barnacle Acorn Barnacle Nori Seaweed
Percentage of Diet: 40% 50% 30%
Prey Species: Coral Weed
Percentage of Diet: 30%

Use this data on feeding relationships to construct a food web diagram for the organisms that live in the simulated intertidal zone. Link the species names below with arrows that point from prey to consumer. (3 pts)

 
Based on your studies so far, you know important details about the competitive and feeding relationships among the species in your simulated intertidal community, and these relationships, when integrated, define the role played by each. One way to more fully elucidate the importance of a species to its community structure is to remove it from the environment and observe what happens. In this exercise, you will experimentally determine how removing each of the highest trophic level species (the mobile consumers) affects the rocky intertidal community structure.
Before you start your experiments, you will first make some predictions. Refer back to your data to inform your answers. [NOTE: only one species will be removed in each experiment.]
[ 1.1 ] In the spaces provided below, predict which other species in the community will be impacted the most by each removal and explain your reasoning. (6 pts)
Predicted impact of removing Whelk and explanation:

Predicted impact of removing Chiton and explanation:

Predicted impact of removing Starfish and explanation:

[ 1.2 ] One removal experiment will have a more dramatic impact than the other two. Write down which one you predict this will be, and why: (2 pts)

[ 2 ] Select “Who Rules the Rock?” from the Select an Exercise menu.
[ 3 ] Your first step is to record population sizes BEFORE REMOVALS. To make sure the simulation is initialized correctly, click the RESET button. A data table is provided on the next page for recording your results.
 HELFUL HINT: if you click on the colored bars in the Population Size graph, the numbers (population sizes) that the bars represent will pop up!
[ 3.1 ] In the table on the next page, record the population size of each species at ‘Time Elapsed = 0 Weeks’ in the BEFORE REMOVALS column.
[ 4 ] After recording data BEFORE REMOVALS, you are ready to remove mobile consumers. Find the REMOVE WHELK button (which is round and depicts a Whelk with a slash through it) in the TOOLS PANEL. When you click this button, all Whelk will vanish from the Intertidal Zone.
[ 5 ] For each removal experiment, you will run the simulation for 200 weeks (in model time, not real time!). To do this, first make sure that the Time Elapsed = 0 weeks (RESET if not), and then click the STEP 200 button in the CONTROL PANEL..
[ 6 ] Confirm that the simulation stopped at (or near) 200 weeks. If so, click the bars in the Population Size graph and record the abundance of each species.
[ 6.1 ] In the data table, record the population size of each species in the AFTER WHELK REMOVAL column. (1 pt)
[ 7 ] RESET the simulation and confirm that Time Elapsed = 0 weeks. Then click the REMOVE CHITON button to remove all Chiton from the Intertidal Zone.
[ 8 ] Click the STEP 200 button to run the simulation for 200 weeks.
[ 8.1 ] When Time Elapsed = 200 weeks, record the population size of each species in the AFTER CHITON REMOVAL column. (1 pt)
[ 9 ] Finally, RESET the simulation and use the REMOVE STARFISH tool and the STEP 200 button to repeat the experiment for Starfish.
[ 9.1 ] In the data table, record the population size of each species in the AFTER STARFISH REMOVAL column. (1 pt)
Abundance Data for Removal Experiments
SPECIES BEFORE
REMOVALS AFTER WHELK REMOVAL AFTER CHITON REMOVAL AFTER STARFISH REMOVAL
Nori
Black Pine
Coral Weed
Mussel
Acorn Barnacle
Goose Neck Barnacle
Whelk 0
Chiton 0
Starfish 0

[ 10 ] When your data table is complete, answer the following questions. Try to be as quantitative as possible with your answers, indicating by approximately how much each species increased or decreased in size (e.g., “The Starfish population more than doubled”; “The population of Coral Weed decreased to about half its original size.”).
[ 10.1 ] What were the most dramatic changes to the community after Whelk were removed? (2 pts)

[ 10.2 ] What were the most dramatic changes to the community after Chiton were removed? (2 pts)

[ 10.3 ] What were the most dramatic changes to the community after Starfish were removed? (2 pts)

[ 10.4 ] Which removal had the greatest impact upon the rest of the community? (2 pts)

[ 10.5 ] Referring back to your competitive dominance hierarchy and food web diagrams, try to explain what happened in the removal experiment that had the greatest impact on community structure. Why was the effect so pronounced? In other words, why was that species a keystone predator? (5 pts)

Sample Solution

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Challenges in Play writing

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Task 1:

Respond to the following in a minimum of 200 words:

In most forms of creative writing, writers are bound by a single means of communication: written language. Playwriting is different. A play relies on audio and visual elements. Scenes are designed, spaced, and illuminated in a particular way. Audiences must focus on how each scene looks on stage. Performers deliver lines with their own inflection. A play engages the senses more than any other mode of writing. Perhaps most importantly, plays are dependent on what the characters say. Monologues and dialogues are the essence of a play.

What are some challenges (in terms of how to develop plot, theme, and character) that might be unique to the playwright? What advantages does a playwright have as opposed to one who writes poems or novels? What do you see as the most important elements used in writing and presenting successful plays?

Task 2 :

Reply to at least 2 of your classmates. Be constructive and professional in your responses.

1a (Bianca)
Some of the challenges in writing or creating a play while have to be in creating a plot with enough drama to be intriguing to the audience and capture they attention as so as the play start. I firmly believe that if you do not have the attention of the audience within the first couple of minutes of the play Everything will go down hill from there. Some of the advantages that playwrights have that poems and novels do not is the live action that can be seen. People the tones of which how they delivery they lines to audience, It could help pull people in and keep they attention with the actor charismatic . The most important elements in writing or presenting a successful play is the dialogue the dialogue has to be strong and flow. It would be extremely hard to keep up with a dialogue or show that has holes in it. Or that does not make sense. Making the audience lose interest in the play. Strong characters having a strong roles helps keeps everything in line.

1b. (Belinda)
Going to see a play is an enjoyable experience. It gives a chance to really grasp a connection with the characters. However, writing and setting up to put on a play performance can be challenging. I think one of the hardest things about play writing is too much communication. I feel therefore many popular plays are musical. Music is loved by everyone and it is an easy way to grasp a person’s attention. I think this is critical, because too much talking can be very boring. I also feel the description of the play needs to be accurate. I have been to many plays and even movies, where the preview or the description sounds like a must see and then it’s just an average basic script. This is crucial because if viewers are talking your play up, and they expect this phenomenal performance, but after watching they just feel the performance was dull. This could cause everything to fail. You have lost the audiences attention, and in any form of art grasping the audience attention should be the main focus.

Sample Solution

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A designer baby

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What is a designer baby? Who came up with this term? If you would have a
chance, would you design the babies you would like to have? Why or why not? Is the
idea of a designer baby a benefit or a cost? Who are entitled to design their babies and
who are not? How can you design your baby? Does this happen at the sperm, egg,
zygote, embryo, or fetus level? What do you use in order to design your baby? Are these
methods to design babies safe? Who is in control of using these methods? Were these
methods tried in mammalian embryos that are not humans? What were the results? If
you would have the opportunity to design your babies to increase their immunity to
diseases, would you do this? Why or why not?

Sample Solution

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Beer in German cuisine and culture

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Research, discuss and post the importance of beer  in German cuisine and culture.Initial post should be at least 250 words or more .It is critical to base the discussion on facts not opinions.Please list at least two sources on where you information is obtained from, including two recipes that do not count towards your total word count.