The Inca Dove inhabits residential areas like cities, farms, lawns, and parks. It avoids cold, arid, and semi-arid regions. It eats seeds, grass, small vegetation, nuts, and fruit. Common predators include house cats, raccoons, blue jays, and ringtails. Inca Doves mate year-round and have a gestation period of 13-15 days. Both parents care for offspring for 12-16 days by feeding them milk.

1. Riparian Zone Retreat and population studies Angelo Martello Honors Bio 2 Pd. 5

2. The Inca Dove

3. Niche of The Dove The Inca Dove inhabits residential areas. Mostly in cities, farm houses, lawns, and parks. Due to its intolerance to cold weather, it avoids arid and semiarid regions. The Inca Dove will eat mostly seeds grass and small vegetation. Also, they will eat nuts and fruit. They are herbivores. It does not hunt. It nests in trees to avoid predators. The scientific name of the dove is the Columbidae

4. Factors which Affect Birth Rate of the Inca Dove The Inca Dove mates year round. The gestation period of an Inca Dove is about 13-15 days Unknown The parents care for the offspring for 12-16 days. Both parents take turns incubating the nest Once born, both of the parents feed the young milk

5. Factors Which Affect the Death Rate of the Inca Dove Common predators of the Inca Dove include the common house cat, raccoons, blue jays, and ringtails. On average the Inca Dove lives 2.5 years in the wild and 13.3 years in captivity Over population does not affect the Inca Dove

6. Food Chain of the Inca Dove Producer Autotroph Primary Consumer Herbivore Secondary Consumer Omnivore Tertiary Consumer Carnivore

7. Food web of the Inca Dove Draw and explain a possible food web for your researched animal. Include description of the trophic level(s) in which each organism is found. Herbivore Primary consumer Omnivore Secondary consumer Carnivore Tertiary consumer Producer Autotroph Carnivore / secondary consumer Herbivore Primary consumer Herbivore Producer / Autotroph

8. Population Sampling Techniques Ecologists can use two different methods for testing population size One method is the Petersen Method which involves the capture and marking then releasing of the animals. Another method is the Modified Schnabel Method which is essentially just an extension of the Petersen Method but includes multiple captures, marking and releases. The Call Count survey is nationally used to count the population of doves all over.

9. Stream Quality Data & Analysis The stream that the graph represents is a healthy stream. It has many organisms that are pollution intolerant which means there is little to no pollution. Each class of organisms have a certain amount of pollution they are tolerant to. Therefore the more class one organisms, the less pollution and the more class three organisms, the more pollution. Since the stream is in good health then the dove can drink from the stream. They would be affected by the polluted stream because the stream would be dead and no organisms could live in it or drink from it therefore causing many other organisms to die.

10. Water Testing Data & Analysis The different levels mean how healthy a stream is or could be. The ideal range for Oxygen would be 10-15. The ideal range for pH would be 6.5-7. The ideal range for Nitrates and Phosphorous would be 0. If my organism were near the stream, my organism would be healthy and strong. If it were near the marsh water or mine water it would not be healthy and may even die If a stream has turbid water then the organisms in said stream would not be able to breath well or stick to rocks if they need to. Also they wouldn’t be able to see which would interfere with predator-prey relationships. As for temperature, if it is too hot or too cold the organisms would not be able to survive.

11. Soil Testing & Analysis Plants need food nutrients to survive. PH is need to utilize the nutrients available. Nitrogen is needed to help with the functioning of the plants metabolism. Phosphorous is the most important. It is needed in creating a good, fibrous root system. Potash stimulates flowering and is need in photosynthesis to make sugars. The ideal range for pH would be 7.5-8. The range for Nitrogen would be high. The range for Phosphorous would be high as well. The ideal range for Potash would be high, too. If soil is out of its protein range then plants would die and not be able to survive.

12. Positive and Negative Factors The stream would make my organism strong and healthy whereas with the mine and marsh water would make my organism not healthy and could potentially kill it. The soil in our riparian zone would be good for my organism because it is an herbivore and the better the soil means there would be healthy plants for it to eat. Many different factors effect the riparian zone. These factors include AMD and farmland runoff. Both are harmful for the riparian zone.

13. Conclusion We live in an ecosystem that is healthy. I found that all the different organisms in our ecosystem are very important to us is very interesting. I may wish to look farther into pollution and how to fix it.

14. Works Cited Gatchell, J. 2002. &quot;Columbina inca&quot; (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 13, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbina_inca.html. &quot;Columbidae.&quot; New World Encyclopedia . 5 Nov 2008, 03:58 UTC. 13 May 2010, 15:11 < http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Columbidae?oldid=844951 >.