Michael Weaver

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Riparian Zone Retreat and population studies Michael Weaver, Biology II, Period 5.

Transcript of Michael Weaver

Riparian Zone Retreatand population studies

Michael Weaver,Biology II, Period 5.

Niche of Fox SquirrelEastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

• These squirrels live in trees. The best habitat is mature oak-hickory woodland broken into small, irregularly shaped tracts of 2-8 trees that are connected by strips of woodland which serve as squirrel highways.

• The main food of squirrels are acorns. They depend mainly on these for food during all months of the year. To prepare for the winter months they bury acorns. Then seek them out later once their main supple of food is depleted. They’re burying of nuts helps the growth of forest, since forgotten nuts will in time sprout and grow into new trees.

• To gather their cache of nuts, they simply go from tree to tree collecting them. Squirrels do get a variety of nuts but most of them are acorns.

Factors which Affect Birth Rate of Fox Squirrels

• Mating usually occurs twice a year, January through February and again in May through June.

• Squirrel reproduce at most twice a year.

• Gestation period lasts around six to seven weeks.

• During each pregnancy two offspring are produced.

• Offspring are under the care of their mothers for the first 3 months of life. Especially in the first 5 weeks they are cared for since their eyes do not open until then.

Factors Which Affect the Death Rate of Assigned Animal

• They rely greatly on trees for life. With the loss of different kinds of trees the squirrels will slowly begin to die. The trees are their homes and places of food and safety. Humans, hawks, owls, snakes and bobcats prey on the squirrels.

• In captivity the fox squirrel can live up to 18 years, however in the wild most do not live to adulthood.

• Squirrels are commonly affected by fleas and some other parasites.

• If overpopulation occurs then the food source slowly becomes depleted and suitable tree homes become few.

Food Chain of Fox SquirrelTrees produce acorns, which are the squirrels main dish. These trees are autotrophs. The squirrels go and gather many of these nuts for consumption. Fox Squirrels are eaten by a few different creatures one of them being snakes. Those snakes are eaten by birds of prey such as hawks.

Producer

Autotroph

Primary Consumer

Herbivore

Secondary Consumer

Carnivore

Tertiary Consumer

Omnivore

Population Sampling Techniques

• Some scientists mark and count an average number of squirrels. Another method is to watch a home where there are a number of squirrels.

• Scientists watch a multitude of “homes” in the area and see how many squirrels are present in each of the homes in the areas around the trees.

Stream Quality Data & AnalysisStream Quality Data & Analysis

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No. oforganisms

Class IClass IIClass III

• The water quality is good, there are mainly organisms present that can only live in the best water.

• The more number of class one organisms the better the quality of the water.

• Since the water is good the trees in the area would be healthy and thus the squirrels would do well.

• If there was something in the water that was beginning to kill the trees in the area then the squirrels would suffer.

Water Testing Data & AnalysisWater Testing Data & Analysis• The lower amounts of nitrate

and phospates the better the water is. More oxygen is good along with a pH of around 7.

• For each thing, excluding pH and oxygen, it is better to have less of it. More oxygen in the water provides more life. For this life to be sustain you need to have a pH of around 7

• The condition of the water doesn’t really effect the trees. It can but mostly doesn’t. As long as there is growth of trees in the area there will room for squirrels.

• The temperature can disrupt the creatures living in the water. Turbidity can cause organisms to die because of complications in catching food.

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Nitrate

Oxygen

pH Phosphates

StreamMarshMine

Soil Testing & AnalysisSoil Testing & Analysis

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pH Potash

Phosphorus

Nitrogen

Riparian

School Site

• All of these are helpful to the growth of plants and the life of organisms in the water. Although too high of an amount can hurt everything that is present in the water.

• It is ideal to have a pH level of 7, I decent amount of potash, and we want as few as possible of phosphorous and nitrogen.

• Levels that are too high can cause the death of the organisms that live in the streams.

Positive and Negative Factors• Unless the conditions of the water was harming the trees in the surrounding land, it would have no effect on the squirrel.

•Soil that is possible either too acidic or too basic could cause the tree to begin to die. The soil wouldn’t provide them with the nourishment that they require to sustain life and their death would mean the lose of life of the squirrels.

•Many different things can effect the stream life. AMD is one major factor in the condition of the stream. Usually the water conditions won’t really effect the squirrels.

Conclusion

• I learned that the environment can be affected by many different factors and it is easy for it to fall apart.

• I think that the lifestyle of the animals is the most interesting part. Seeing how the squirrels live their lives and what they rely on too make it through every day.

• I don’t think that there is an environmental topic that I wish to research, unless there is something relating to space that could effect the environment.

Works Cited

•http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3373.htm•http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/squirrel.aspx