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 Article:
Caribbean Cruise: Examining the Movement and Quality of Organic Matter Over Time From Two Caribbean Watersheds
This article is from Issue Freshwater - Vol. 18 No. 1.
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Particulate organic matter (POM), which consists of small pieces of twigs, leaves, soil, and other items found in the water, is an important component of an ecosystem and the food web. In this study, the scientists wanted to study a certain type of POM called coarse particulate organic matter, or CPOM. The scientists wanted to figure out how the amount and quality of CPOM changed over a period of time in the Luquillo Experimental Forest.
Additional Resources for this Article:
Meet the scientists that contributed to this article:
"Thinking About Science Themes" covered in this article:
Sometimes it is useful for
scientists
to study something
over a long period of time.
The Forest Service created
81 experimental forests and ranges with this
idea in mind (figure 4). The Forest Service
started setting up these experimental areas
in 1908. Most of the experimental areas are
at least 50 years old. These areas are useful
for scientists because they provide scientists
with the opportunity to observe and conduct
experiments in an area over a long period of time.
When scientists are able to gather information
over several years, they can gain a better idea
of what is happening in the area. For example,think about a time in school when a student does
not give his or her best effort with schoolwork.
Then the student has several years in which he
or she gives his or her best effort. If the student
were given a choice to be evaluated over
the short time period when they didn’t give
their best effort or the longer time period,
the student would want to be judged on the
schoolwork done over the longer period of
time. The longer time period would provide
better information about the student. Similarly,
scientists gain a deeper understanding of what
is happening when they can review several
years of data. Scientists are also able to identify
trends in the data this way. In this article, you
will learn about an experimental forest located
in Puerto Rico (figure 5).Specific "Thinking About Science" Themes:
- The Scientific Process
- Uses and Benefits of Science
"Thinking About Environmental Themes" covered in this article:
A watershed is the
area that drains to a
common waterway,
such as a stream, lake,
estuary, wetland,
aquifer, or even the
ocean (figure 6).
Understanding the
activities that occur
within watersheds
and the location
of the watershed
is important. The
activities and location
can affect the
watershed’s water
quality.In this research, scientists studied two
watersheds in Puerto Rico. The watersheds
are located in tropical forests. Tropical forests
are unique because they are located near the
Equator (figure 7). These forests have a high
degree of biodiversity and are characterized
by a lack of a winter and the occurrence of
only two seasons: a wet season and a dry
season. In particular, the drainage areas for the
watersheds the scientists studied are located
in a tabonuco (tä bə nü kō) forest. This type of
forest has tall trees and very little light reaches
the forest floor. The tabonuco tree (Dacryodes
excelsa) dominates the tabonuco forest. The
tabonuco tree can grow up to 100 feet tall
(figures 8a and 8b).Specific "Thinking About the Environment" Themes:
NSE Standards covered in this article:
- Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (A)
- Diversity and adaptations of organisms (C)
- Nature of science (G)
- Populations and ecosystems (C)
- Populations, resources and environments (F)
- Properties and changes of properties in matter (B)
- Risks and benefits (F)
- Science and technology in society (F)
- Science as a human endeavor (G)
- Structure and function in living systems (C)
- Understandings about science and technology (E)
- Understandings about scientific inquiry (A)
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