Post on 05-Jan-2016
transcript
Ants: Argies vs Pogos
Native Harvesters Ants at CCMS
Biodiversity
• The number of different species that live in a habitat.
• High = Good
Low = Bad
The Value of Increased Biodiversity
1.Healthy Ecosystem- fight off disease- natural disasters2. Protect Resources-clean water-clean air 3. Food and Medicine- new food and medicine- economy for people
Native Species
• locally adapted to their environment.
• They are connected to the other native species here and are dependent on each other for survival, shelter and food.
• Native species increase biodiversity
Non-Native Species
• They come from another habitat.
• Invasives -grow out of control
• Use up space
• No natural enemies
• They prevent native species from growing
• Non-native species decrease biodiversity.
Harvester Ants and Horned Lizards
Seed-harvesting ants can influence the abundance and distribution of plant species through both the selective harvesting of seeds and the construction of nutrient-rich nest mounds
Argentine ant and Harvesters
Argentine ant and Harvesters
X
Argies and horned lizards
Argies and horned lizards
X
Culver City Middle School
• CCMS has harvesters
• But only in one location
• Collect data as research scientists
What to study?
Location 1
With Harvester Ants
Location 2
No Harvester Ants
Harvester Ant Data
Butterfly Garden
Ground Temp
Number of plants
Soil pH
Light and Moisture
Grassy Area
Ground Temp
Number of plants
Soil pH
Light and Moisture
Today
• Danger – ants bite and sting
• Fill out sheet
• Answer questions
• Compile data as a class
Harvester Ant Data
• Combine the data
• What did we find?
Butterfly Garden Grassy Area
Future Work
• What can we recommend to try and get harvester ants to persist at CCMS?
• Monitor them and argies
• Not get rid of habitat
• Make more habitat
• Prevent argeis from coming in
• Make a sign so others are aware