152-WQ1_PrelabWksht-sp24

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School

University of Wisconsin, Madison *

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152

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Biology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by DeaconDinosaur4111

Bio 152 | Spring 2024 Water Quality 1: Pre-Lab Questions  Before completing this pre-lab, read the article “Common Lake Water Quality Parameters” by the Illinois EPA linked on Canvas.  Answer these questions in your own words and submit them on Canvas before your lab begins. __________________________________________________________________________________ _________ 1. Complete the following table. Parameter Why is this important to water quality? What environmental variables can affect this? Water clarity Important because it reflects the amount of light that reflects on the water, affecting aquatic plant growth and ecosystem health. Affected by sediment runoff, algae growth, and human activities like deforestation and urban development. Dissolved oxygen Important for aquatic life survival, it indicates healthy water conditions and supports aerobic respiration. Influenced by water temperature, salinity, flow, and organic material decomposition. Nitrogen Important yet potentially harmful in excess, nitrogen promotes plant and algae growth, affecting water quality through eutrophication. Affected by agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and atmospheric deposition. Phosphorus Like nitrogen, phosphorus is vital for aquatic ecosystems but can lead to harmful algal blooms and oxygen depletion when excessive. Comes from wastewater, agricultural and urban runoff, and the natural weathering of rocks. pH Measures water's acidity or alkalinity, affecting aquatic life, chemical solubility, and water usability. Altered by natural processes, industrial and agricultural discharges, and acid rain. Chlorophyll Indicates algae and phytoplankton presence, essential for photosynthesis but excessive amounts signal eutrophication. Controlled by nutrient levels, light availability, water temperature, and chemical presence. 2. From the perspective of an ecologist, why might it be important to monitor water quality? You should answer this question in 2-3 sentences based on your own ideas. From the viewpoint of an ecologist, water quality monitoring is important because it helps in monitoring the health of water ecosystems, keeping track of the survival and variety of aquatic species. Also, it makes it possible to identify pollution early on, which can help ecologists stop harm to ecosystems and the services they offer like water sports and clean water. 3. This week you will be collecting the data types listed below for Lake Mendota. We will add your data to the Bio 152 water monitoring dataset. This dataset includes spring and fall sampling events for the past two years. Develop one hypothesis that could be tested using our dataset. The dependent variable will be quantitative, while the independent variable can be qualitative or quantitative. Also provide a brief (1 sentence) biological

rationale for this hypothesis. Hypothesis: Water clarity in Lake Mendota decreases in the fall compared to the spring due to increased nutrient runoff from agricultural lands surrounding the lake. Biological rationale: Nutrient runoff, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural activities, can be fuel for algae when it blooms in warmer months, reducing water clarity. Quantitative Variables Qualitative Variables  Air temperature  Water temperature  Secchi disk depth  pH  Nitrate/nitrite  Chloride  Dissolved Oxygen  Weather: Was it raining, sunny or snowing when the data was collected?  Shoreline quality – Was the shore of the lake dirt, concrete, or vegetated where the samples were collected?  Other organisms – Presence of ducks, geese and muskrats or plants like cattails, trees, or grass near the shoreline.  Sampling location – Samples were taken from Lake Mendota either near Memorial Union or near the Vet School where a stream enters the lake.

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