Eco-Column Lab

An eco-column is used to model an ecosystem on a smaller scale. The purpose of an eco-column is to examine how an actual ecosystem would respond to different conditions. Eco-columns typically have three chambers: the aquatic chamber, decomposition chamber, and terrestrial chamber. The aquatic chamber contains water and an aquatic plant, and it is at the bottom of the eco-column. The decomposition chamber contains items that will work as decomposers and as a possible catalyst for plant growth. Examples of possible things to add to the decomposition chamber are leaves and compost. Lastly, the terrestrial chamber contains a small plant or seed as well as soil and/or fertilizer or mulch. The purpose of our making the eco-columns is to observe the effect of the manipulated variable on the dependent variable; more specifically, what is the effect of fertilizer in the terrestrial chamber on the growth of the golden nesaea in the aquatic chamber? One eco-column will contain fertilizer in the terrestrial and the other eco-column will have no fertilizer in the terrestrial chamber. Our hypothesis is that the fertilizer in the terrestrial chamber will increase the growth of the golden nesaea in the aquatic chamber. The fertilizer in the …show more content…
This carbon is combined with other elements in intricate ways to form organic molecules significant to life.The carbon is later passed to animals who consume plants. When plants and animals die, the majority of their carbon is given back to the atmosphere as the organisms begin to decompose. Occasionally, there will be a plant or animal does not decompose immediately. Their bodies are confined in locations where decomposition cannot occur. This typically happens at the bottom of seas and oceans where the lifeforms become buried by