Walking Predation: Bush Environment Activity

WALKINGSTICK PREDATION: BUSH ENVIRONMENT ACTIVITY
Try the simulated population of walkingstcks that exhibit colour variation to investigate the impact of predation
on the insects in 3 different environments.


Conduct predation interactions over 5 generations, collect population statistics, and graph the numbers of individuals with colour trait in each generation.

You should be able to see that the ratio of individuals with specific colour traits varies, depending on the colour of the environment in which they live.

Record the data of your findings in your journal.
You are a predator. You prey on walkingsticks. This is what the walkingstick looks like.
a. Open the walkingstick multimedia program to Level 1—Eat Insects.
b. Select the 30 Clicks to Eat Insects button.
c. Use your 30 clicks to eat as many as you can.
d. Then click the Results button.
e. Record your results in the table shown below in your journal.
f. Click Start Over and select 30 Seconds to Eat Insects. Eat as many insects as you can in 30 seconds.
g. Record your results in the table below in your journal.

1. Which color of walkingstick was easiest to find? Which was hardest? Why do you think that was the case?

The brown walkingstick was the easiest to find. While the green-brown as well as the green walkingstick were the hardest to find.

The brown walkingstick was mostly found on the green leaves. Therefore, its brown colour is contrasting to the green leaves. Allowing it to be the easiest to find.

The green brown and the green walkingstick were mostly found on the green leaves. Therefore their colours blend in with the green leaves. preventing them from being found easlily.

2. Which color of walkingstick survived best when there was a time limit on feeding? Why do you think that color survived best?

The green brown insect survived the best.

The reason being, its green brown colour allows it to blend in with the environment. (branches and leaves) Also, as there was a time limit given, those walkingsticks that stand out from the environment would be easier to find as they are more attractive.

3. Discuss the results of the walkingstick predation in terms of adaptations.

The walkingstick having a brown, green and green-brown blend in with their natural habitat, which is green leaves and brown branches. This then aids in their adaptaions from getting czught by predators.

Is It Alive

Magnification Ranges of Devices used

Magnification Tool	Magnification Range
Hand Lens	2X, 4X
Stereoscope	20X, 50X
Light Microscope	20X, 40X

Apparatus and Materials used in the experiment

- Substance A, B, C, D and E
- Glucose solution
- Wash bottle 
- 2 measuring cylinders (1ml)
- 2 glass rod
- 6 clean tubes and a rack
- Stereomicroscope
- Petri dish with 3 sectors 
- Cotton wool
- Labels and masking tape
- Hand-lens
- Stopwatch

What is Life

Group 4 (Jenny C, Phaedra, Vanessa, Cherie, Joy) http://goo.gl/ybBgO

S/n	Criteria	How would you test this criteria?	Challenges?
1	Respire	Collect the air sample that the organism has been in for a period of time to test for co2
2	Respond to stimuli	Put it in an environment with extreme conditions e.g. strong light, smelly place, very damp,	Some organisms do not respond to stimuli immediately because they think or move slowly
3	Grow	Measure and record the size and weight of the organism for a period of time	They’re growth might be slow
4	Reproduce	put multiple samples of the organism in the same place for a period of time and observe any change or increase in the amount of organisms	We do not know if they are of different gender or whether there are special requirements for them to reproduce
5	die	kill it and see whether there is any change in it’s appearance (e.g. -insert all the methods to kill people- )	it’s hard to kill some organisms
6	needs water	put a dish of water near the organism (also record the amount of water that evaporated within this period of time) and record the decrease in the water level in the dish	organisms like plants might not be able to retrieve water by themselves

Substance A	Substance B	Substance C	Substance D	Substance E

Sight and Touch Observations of the Substances

Substance Characteristics	A	B	C	D	E
Color	Beige brown	Beige	Transparent	Purple-black	Golden-brown
Texture	Rough	Smooth	Smooth	Smooth	Smooth
Size	Varies, but small	Small	2mm	1mm	Small
Shape	Unevenly Shaped	Cylinder	Circular	Circular	Circular

Experiment with Distilled Water
- 5ml of distilled water was used for each individual cotton bud. 
- One spoonful of each substance is placed on each cotton bud.

	Claim	Evidence	Observation
A	It would become moist		It became moist and it turned into a darker shade of brown.
B	It would dissolve		It reacted with the water and dissolved and a pungent smell was produced
C	It would increase in size		It Increased in size. Swelled up.
D	Nothing would happen		Nothing happened.
E	Nothing would happen		Nothing happened.

Substances A,B,C,D and E after dilute water is added.

Substance A,B and C  Substance D and E

Experiment with Glucose

-1.5ml of glucose was used for each individual cotton bud. 

- One spoonful of each substance is placed on each cotton bud.

	Claim	Evidence	Observation
A	It would become moist		It became moist and it turned into a darker shade of brown.
B	It would dissolve		It floated at first then sank as a white mushy substance.  It also increased in size.
C	It would increase in size		It Increased in size. Swelled up.
D	Nothing would happen		Nothing happened.
E	Nothing would happen		Nothing happened.

Substances A,B,C,D and E after glucose solution is added

Substance A Substance B Substance C Substance D Substance E

Substance	Is It Alive? Yes	Is it Alive? No	Evidence for Living or Non-Living
A		No	Substance A did not portray and characteristics of a living thing.
B	Yes		Substance B increased in size (grew)
C		No	Substance C did not portray and characteristics of a living thing.
D	Yes		- Substance D were seed and seedlings sprouted after a period of time (contained and supported a living organism) - Substance D needs water to grow (the seedlings sprouted after a few days, after water was added to them)
E	Yes		- Substance E were eggs which hatched upon having salt water added to them. (contained and supported a living organism) - Substance E responded to simuli (responded to the salt water)