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ABLE 2007: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY June 5-9. Host: Ruth Beattie
E-mail: rebeat1@uky.edu
Major Workshops
Thursday June 8
Jane Caldwell and Kristi Teagarden, West Virginia University_
Interactions of Respiration and Photosynthesis in an Aquatic Ecosystem
Aquatic snails and water plants are a great system for testing the interactions
between photosynthesis and respiration. Students observe each of these
phenomena separately, combined, and in comparison to a non-living control “ecosystem”. Simple
colorimetric and titration water tests give quantitative data on oxygen, carbon
dioxide, and ammonia nitrogen concentrations. This exercise uses commercially
available water-testing kits, but can readily be adapted to other types of water
testing supplies available from science suppliers (suggestions will be given). The
exercise works well for a simple physiology lab, but can readily be adapted for
labs in ecology or biogeochemistry. Compared to other quantitative measurements
of respiration and photosynthesis (e.g. respirometers) this exercise is technically
quite simple and can reliably be performed by beginners: the equipment is simple,
organisms are not handled, and concentrations of dissolved gases remain quite
stable during the course of the experiment. All organisms are low-maintenance
and readily obtained from local pet stores. Set-up and maintenance of
aquaria prior to labs is simple, even for those who are not aquarium experts.
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