Lab 3 – Biodiversity Experiment 1: Effects of Water Pollution on Plant Diversity Water pollution can have severely negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly on plant populations. In many cases, these pollutants are introduced to the environment through everyday human activity. In this experiment, you will contaminate several water samples, as well as purify a water sample. You will then evaluate the effects of water pollution and purification on the biodiversity of wildflowers. POST-LAB QUESTIONS Table 1: Water Observations (smell, color, etc.) Beaker Observations 1 Water clean, clear and no smell 2 Water remains clear, veggie oil floats on top of water its light yellow on top and clear on bottom, no smell 3 Looks a little foggy and smell like vinegar 4 Water turned light blue and smell like laundry detergent 5 Turned a little dark but no smell 6 Water turned darker brown, but no smell. 7 Water turned a darker brown, smells like vinegar and all water came through the soil 8 Water turned very dark, all water came through soil, still smell like laundry detergent 1. What effects did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Use Table 1 for reference. Answer = Some of the water remained clear with no smell. When water was mixed with oil the oil floated to top and water remained clear at the bottom. Water looked foggy when mixed with vinegar and smelled like vinegar as well. 2. What kinds of human activities could cause oil, acids, and detergents to contaminate the water supply? Answer = Oil spills can contaminate nearby water sources Improperly disposing oil, acids and detergents can also cause water contamination. Houses septic tank, and pipes not properly installed fan cause nearby water contamination. 3. What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc. between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water? Answer = The contaminated water is dark, dirty color and the treated water is a light brown clearer than contaminated water. I wasn’t able to smell anything from contaminated or treated water. 4. From the introduction to Lab 2, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab and describe how they were performed. Answer = First thing I did to purifying the contaminated was water was adding the 10grams of alum mixing it with water, which is call coagulation. This caused the dirt to clump up and sink to bottom and separated from the water that was separated from the water. Secondly was sedimentation, when I poured the water that was separated from the dirt into the filter and the marked beginning of the filtration process. While the water was filtering, the water also slowed down while trying to pass through the filter which was made of charcoal, gravel and sand. The filter worked because the water was cleaner in the beaker below the funnel. Lastly was the purifying, a sma ...

1. Lab 3 – Biodiversity
Experiment 1: Effects of Water Pollution on Plant Diversity
Water pollution can have severely negative effects on
biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly on plant populations.
In many cases, these pollutants are introduced to the
environment through everyday human activity. In this
experiment, you will contaminate several water samples, as well
as purify a water sample. You will then evaluate the effects of
water pollution and purification on the biodiversity of
wildflowers.
POST-LAB QUESTIONS
Table 1: Water Observations (smell, color, etc.)
Beaker
Observations
1
Water clean, clear and no smell
2
Water remains clear, veggie oil floats on top of water its light
yellow on top and clear on bottom, no smell
3
Looks a little foggy and smell like vinegar
4
Water turned light blue and smell like laundry detergent
5
Turned a little dark but no smell
6
Water turned darker brown, but no smell.
7
Water turned a darker brown, smells like vinegar and all water
came through the soil
8

2. Water turned very dark, all water came through soil, still smell
like laundry detergent
1. What effects did each of the contaminants have on the water
in the experiment? Use Table 1 for reference.
Answer = Some of the water remained clear with no smell.
When water was mixed with oil the oil floated to top and water
remained clear at the bottom. Water looked foggy when mixed
with vinegar and smelled like vinegar as well.
2. What kinds of human activities could cause oil, acids, and
detergents to contaminate the water supply?
Answer = Oil spills can contaminate nearby water sources
Improperly disposing oil, acids and detergents can also cause
water contamination. Houses septic tank, and pipes not properly
installed fan cause nearby water contamination.
3. What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc.
between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water?
Answer = The contaminated water is dark, dirty color and the
treated water is a light brown clearer than contaminated water. I
wasn’t able to smell anything from contaminated or treated
water.
4. From the introduction to Lab 2, you know that there are
typically five steps involved in the water treatment process.
Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this
lab and describe how they were performed.
Answer = First thing I did to purifying the contaminated was
water was adding the 10grams of alum mixing it with water,
which is call coagulation. This caused the dirt to clump up and
sink to bottom and separated from the water that was separated
from the water. Secondly was sedimentation, when I poured the

3. water that was separated from the dirt into the filter and the
marked beginning of the filtration process. While the water was
filtering, the water also slowed down while trying to pass
through the filter which was made of charcoal, gravel and sand.
The filter worked because the water was cleaner in the beaker
below the funnel. Lastly was the purifying, a small amount of
bleach was used to disinfect the water. Doing this it kills any
bacteria that may have been in the water.
5. Develop a hypothesis regarding how using contaminated or
purified water might affect plant biodiversity. Which pot do you
believe will contain the greatest biodiversity (greatest number
of species)? Why?
Hypothesis = My hypothesis is that if I use contaminated water
then there will be less plant diversity, but if I purified water
then there will be more alive and thriving plant diversity. The
tap water will produce a great variety of bio diversity. The pot
that I think will contain the greatest bio diversity is the one that
used tap water because the contaminated water will contain
harmful substances that will hurt the plants vs the clean water
that will keep them healthy and allow them to grow. I also know
that every gardener uses tap water to water their plants daily
and these plants live for a long period of time and grow to be
very healthy.
Table 2: Number of Plant Species Present in the Pots
Species Observed
Tap Water
Contaminated Water
Purified Water
Zinnia
Y N
Y N
Y N
Marigold
Y N

4. Y N
Y N
Morning Glory
Y N
Y N
Y N
Cosmos
Y N
Y N
Y N
Ryegrass
Y N
Y N
Y N
Total Number of Species in Pot:
4
3
5
6. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or
accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 5? Explain
how you determined this.
Accept/Reject = Based on the results of my experiment I think
that I would reject my hypothesis for one small reason.
Although, the top water pot sprouted most of the seedings, it did
not sprout them all making my hypothesis wrong. The tap water
pot did not produce all the seedings and therefore had to the
greatest amount of diversity present. The contaminated water
pot only produced three of the five species.
7. Alum contains aluminum. Research the effects of aluminum

5. on plants by finding a scholarly source online. Does your
research provide any insight into your results? Discuss your
findings as they relate to the results of your experiment.
Answer = According to Daniel Becker (2014) in THE EFFECTS
OF ALUMINUM CONCENTRATION ON GROWTH
RESPONSES IN PLANTS. Aluminum is the most common
metal in the lithosphere and soils. Although aluminum is
abundant in the mineral portion of the soils, the concentrations
of a plant-available metals in the soil solution usually remain in
very small amounts but can increase to toxic levels depending
on soil physiochemical conditions. Aluminum is thought to be
the largest contribution to high soil acidity (page 3, para. 1). At
this point aluminum can became very toxic to plants and have
very harmful become very toxic to plants and have very harmful
effects on them. Aluminum toxicity can cause leaf bronzing or
tissue necrosis. Bronzing occurs when leaves lose their green
color and turn brown. However, this is not always the case.
Sometimes the plant will just stop growing because of nutrient
and water deficiencies, due to short roots which is one of the
effects that aluminum has on plants (page 7, para.1). My
research interested me because as soon as my plants sprouted I
noticed the brown rolled ends on some plants, which you can
see in the pictures. It also interested me because the pot that
contained the purified water, the one we made with alum, the
plants grew shorter than those in the other two pots, which is
also noticeable in the pictures.
8. Imagine that each pot was a sample you found in a group of
wildflowers. Based on the diversity of flowers in each pot,
would you consider the ecosystem to be healthy? Why or why
not?
Answer = I would consider the ecosystem to be healthy because
of the number of species that grew in each pot under different

6. circumstances. What surprised me the most is that plants grew
in the contaminated water pot even though it had to grow in an
unhealthy environment.
9. How does biodiversity contribute to the overall health of an
ecosystem? Provide specific examples and utilize at least one
scholarly resource to back your answer.
Answer = Biodiversity is very important to health of ecosystem.
The greater species diversity is it ensure natural sustainability
for all life forms. It provides natural services such as soil
protection, water resources, pollution breakdown, food, medical
resources, and future resources, according to Shah (2014). She
states "Each species depends on the services provided by other
species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on
mutual survival and is often what a "balanced ecosystem" needs
to keep on thriving (2014)." An example of biodiversity needed
can be found in farming. Crops are used to feed cattle waste
nourishes the crops. Crops yield grain and other things like
straw, the straw provides organic matter and fodder, crops are
therefore food sources for humans and animals the soil and
organisms such as bacteria and alae as nitrogen fixers. Rodents
then aerate the soil and improve its water, holding capacity.
10. Rank the following three scenarios in terms of having the
most to least biodiversity and provide your rationale for these
rankings.
· A vacant lot behind a car repair facility.
· A designated national wilderness area.
· A grassy strip along the highway.
Answer = A designed national wilderness area will contain the
most biodiversity because this is an area that will be protected,
groomed and well taken care of.

7. A grassy strip along the highway this area will contain some
biodiversity because it will still be exposed to pollution but will
receive occasionally cleanup and grooming.
A vacant lot behind a car repair facility this area will contain
the least amount of biodiversity because it will be exposed to
pollution and contaminants in the soil maybe from the car repair
facility. There also will be no one to clean up the pollution in
this area to make it a healthy place for things to live and grow.
References
Becker, D. (2014). THE EFFECTS OF ALUMINUM
CONCENTRATION ON GROWTHRESPONSES IN Plants
(Master's thesis). May Retrieved from
http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-12152004-
111012/unrestricted/Becker_thesis.pdf
Shah, A. (2014, January 19). Why Is Biodiversity Important?
Who Cares?. InGlobal Issues:Economic and Environmental
Issues That Affects Us All. Retrieved from
http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-
important-who-cares
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