| Urban Science: The Living Ecosystem |

Urban Safari
A Walk on the Wild Side in the City

Patricia Dung, UCLA Science Project Co-Director
Esther Zack, UCLA Science Project Facilitator


PART A: THE LIVING ECOSYSTEM- Elementary

Introduction:
What is here? What do we see in the urban environment that we can recognize as an ecosystem? If we look closely enough, we will discover a remarkable array of living systems that may not be the same as before man's impact on the area, but still represents a "...complex organism that, just like a tree, a bird, or a flowering plant, takes in energy and materials from the environment, transforms and uses these, and returns energy and matter in different forms, to the larger environment." (from City Safaris by Carolyn Shaffer and Erica Fielder) On our "urban safari" we will attempt to discover what this complex organism is comprised of and begin to get a picture of the urban ecosystem.

Materials: (For each group)

Procedure:

  1. Select a spot to explore. It can be a vacant lot, a park, a parking lot, a city street, a backyard, anywhere that can be safely explored.

  2. Divide into small groups. Within each group divide into subgroups:
    a. What's underfoot? b. What's at eye-level? c. What's overhead?

  3. Use the following tasks (where appropriate) to conduct your investigations. Record what you see and experience (write it down, sketch it, photograph it).

Urban Safari Tasks

A. Look for signs of animals: tracks, homes, evidence of eating, fecal deposits, pathways. What do these signs tell you about who lives here?

B. Look for signs of who eats whom/what. Try to determine the food chain in which this animal exists. Do the animals you have discovered live off of nature or human intrusions (garbage, gardens, pet food, etc.)?

C. Do you see any animal homes in human-built structures?

D. Do you see any plants growing on man-made structures?

E. Be a bird-watcher: Where do you see them? What do they seem to be doing? What do they look like (color, shape)? Can you identify any of them? (Common city birds are crows, sparrows, finches, mockingbirds, jays, starlings, pigeons.) How many of each species do you see?

F. Compare the "wildlife" to human-influenced life: what plants are growing wild, or planted by people? Are there any wild animals? Are there any domestic animals?

G. Be an ant-watcher: Where do you see them? What are they doing? Do you observe any division of labor going on? Can you influence their behavior by scattering food particles?

H. What do you see that is reflective of human impact? Do you see any harms or benefits from that impact?

I. Lift a rock, move a twig, turn over a leaf. What do you see? (Be sure you put what you moved back the way you found it.)

J. Walk along a five to ten foot space. (You can bring along a 5 or 10 ft. length of string.) List all the different species of plant you see. If you don't know their names, just count them. Now do the same for all the animals that are there. (This technique is called walking a transect.)

K. Use your sense of smell. What is the dominant smell in the area? What is it caused by? Is it natural or man-made?

L. Pick one plant or animal at your level to examine as thoroughly as you can. If it is an insect, you can put it in the bug box, but be sure to put it back when you are finished observing it. Sketch or photograph it. Why did you pick this item?

M. Find a texture that is: (Identify the ones you find.)

hard__________ soft__________ sticky__________ prickly__________

furry__________ rough__________ smooth__________ slippery__________

N. Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds around you. Which one do you notice most? Why? Is it a sound from nature, or man's creation? If you have a tape recorder, record for a while. Play it back and see if what you focused on was what the tape recorder picked up.

Wrap-up:
When you are finished with your safari, discuss your findings with the other members of your group (ground level, eye level, overhead). Then share your group findings on chart paper with the other groups when you return. Compare what you found with their experiences, noting similarities and differences. Share any photographs and or tape recordings you made also.

Extension:
Have the members of each group contribute to a mural depicting their discoveries on their safaris.

PART B: THE ABIOTIC PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM- Work in your larger group.

Introduction:
An ecosystem is comprised not only of living things, the biotic part of an environment, but also of the physical environment, the abiotic part of the environment. Some of the abiotic factors include the water, air, weather, and geological features found in a given area.

Materials: (For each group)

A. Air Quality
Option One:
Number your index cards 1-4. Spread one side of four index cards or pieces of acetate with a thin layer of petroleum jelly (clear contact paper can be used). Place cards 1 and 2 with the sticky sides up on open ground in two different places; place the others within the foliage of trees (secure with paper clip). For best results, place the cards out at the start of your study and retrieve them at the end of your study.

Compare the dust particles that have been trapped on the cards. You can use your hand lens to observe the particles.

Which card contained the least particles? Which had the most? Why? Do trees cleanse the air? How?

Option Two:
If available, wear an "ecobadge" after arriving at your study site. Use the color chart to determine the parts per million of ozone exposure for one hour of exposure (the top opening) Compare with the other sites. Continue to wear your badge for a total of eight hours and compare with the color chart the following morning.

After One Hour ______________p/mil. After Eight Hours_______________p/mil

B. Air Temperature

Take readings l meter (39.37 inches) above any of the following, if found in your study area:


oCelsius
oFarenheit
open barren ground or soil:
____________
____________
open concrete or cement:
____________
____________
open asphalt:
____________
____________
open grass or weeds:
____________
____________
open puddle, pool or pond:
____________
____________
under the shade of a tree:
____________
____________
shade of a building:
____________
____________

How do these readings compare? What effect do plants have on the microclimate? What effect do the built structures ( streets, sidewalks, buildings) have on the microclimate?

C. Relative Humidity
The relative humidity or relative moisture in the air can be measured by comparing the wet bulb thermometer reading with a dry bulb thermometer reading. Read the instruction sheet with the sling psychometer and determine the relative humidity in the following places of your study area.


dry bulb oC wet bulb oC rel. humidity
open barren ground: ________ ________ ________
open grassy area: ________ ________ ________
open puddle or pond: ________ ________ ________
under the shade of a tree: ________ ________ ________

How do plants affect the amount of moisture in the air? Why? How does standing or moving water affect the amount of moisture in the air?

D. Rocks and Soil
List the kinds of rocks in your study area. If there is a larger rock 4 inches or more, lift it up and see if there are living things under it or on it. What kind of soil is found in the area? You can examine the particles of soil with your hand lens. Does the soil have components of the rocks you observed?

Wrap-up, Part B:
When you are finished with your abiotic observations and measurements, discuss with your group how the abiotic environment determines and affects the living things found in your area. Discuss how living things affect the abiotic environment. Chart the discussion on chart paper.

Copyright © 1997
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