Monthly Archives: May 2004

Horizontal Structure in Ecosystems

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centrelargecompressedm
Introduction:In this file, we show the process and results of an investigation on some specific examples of horizontal structure of ecosystems
Objectives: After doing this lab, you will be able to:
a) Observe a species in its environment and determine its horizontal distribution.
b) Comment on the causes of horizontal distribution of vegetation at Race Rocks
c) Analyze how horizontal structure in your own ecosystem is determined by abiotic and biotic factors
d) Design your own protocol for analyzing the effects of horizontal structure on ecosystems.
e) Discuss the implications for Human built-up environments on Biodiversity of Ecosystems.
f) Quantify the amount of anthropogenic influence from human construction on the surface area of Race Rocks.

PROCEDURE:

1. Use the remote cameras at Race Rocks and scan around for one species: mammal, bird or plant. Probably there will be more than one of these animals or plants in view. Once you decide on the species, be sure you know its correct identification.

2. Go to this file for a dichotomous key to help in identification of birds and mammals.
3. Look for patterns in the distribution of that species, the sector of the island in which it is located, whether it is near vegetation or on a rock, whether it is exposed to wind or not, or how closely it is located to the shore. See if you can add any ideas about how the horizontal patterns of the species are determined. Then add your sighting record summarizing these observations on the GIS database. Next observe the island from the air in the image above. This is part of the image of the GIS projection on OceanQuest. You can see just by the color, where pockets of accumulated soil have determined the horizontal distribution of vegetation on the islands. You can also see from this bird’s-eye view, how the surge and wave action producing salt spray and erosion around the edge of the island might have has produced this zone free of vegetation.
4. One of the field techniques of studying the horizontal distribution of organisms is also a technique which allows the production of baseline information about organism distribution. Go to this file on Environmental gradients, (which are determined by biotic and abiotic factors). It shows how a belt transect can be used to document changes of organisms through a specified distance. Describe the procedure used and indicate how records produced in this way may be very useful in measuring the effect of humans on ecosystems through time.( hint:Oil or other chemical spills)
5.Organisms themselves often play the role of determining species distribution. Here in the artificial tidepool #13, limpets can be seen underwater grazing on an algal scum on the flat rock base of the tidepool. In this case, the limpet has determined the horizontal distribution of the algae, and vice versa, the remaining algal scum determines where the limpets will be distributed on the horizontal plane. Describe other examples of where organisms themselves determine distribution . Things to think of are: habitat and shelter, food sources, the presence of one species creating a “microniche” for another.
6. Biodiversity of Ecosystems often suffers as a result of human activities. One could say that humans are probably the most significant organism in the effect on biodiversity. Describe two ways in which humans have a negative effect on biodiversity and two ways in which humans have a positive effect on biodiversity. Go to this file for an exercise which allows you to determine the influence of human activity on the horizontal patterns of distribution of organisms on Race Rocks. In this exercise we take a critical look at the Race Rocks Ecosystem, and actually measure and calculate the Anthropogenic footprint. In it you might encounter some examples of bioremediation and restoration, some interesting history and some mysteries. Most certainly you will discover the history of how human activities can have a big impact on an island ecosystem.

 

Water Supply: The Desalinator System at Race Rocks

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Race Rocks ecological Reserve functions as an isolated system. Fresh water for human use may only be obtained by processing sea water through the desalinator. Energy is generated through solar panels and backup generators.  The desalinator depends on these sources of energy to function. The more efficient the desalinator, the less energy is used. The students take us through the process:

Tidepool # 12 at Race Rocks

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This pool is above the highest tidal level. It only gets replenished with sea water during a storm event with a high west wind and a relatively high tide.

Images Garry Fletcher

Some ideas to consider:
 Go to the Environmental Data page and using the data from the weather pages there, predict when such events may occur.

The Johan Ashuvud 2004 project

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n the first week of June 2004, four students and two researchers stayed at Race Rocks for an intensive week. Sponsorship for this week comes from the Johan Ashuvud memorial fund. Webcasts of the day’s events took place every night and on two days, school groups came out to help produce a program for live webcasting.

(https://www.racerocks.ca/johan-ashuvud-project-at-race-rocks-2004/)

 

During the Johan Ashuvud project 2004, students explored the intertidal with Garry Fletcher. They examined various organisms as well as the artificial tidepool. In this video, we also get a chance to meet all the students taking part in the project.

 

Variables Affecting Tidepools at Race Rocks

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n the high intertidal areas of Race Rocks, there are tidepools with wide fluctuations of abiotic factors. The organisms inhabiting these pools are well adapted to these extremes. Garry talks to a biology class about some of the variables influencing these high tide pools, and the flagellated green algae living within them.

Tidepool # 7 at Race Rocks

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In May 2004, the biology class measures the abiotic factors in Pool 7.

Jen with the salinity probe.

 

The most striking feature about this tidepool is that since it is at such a high level on the intertidal, in the heat of summer, there is evaporation which concentrates the salinity into a saturated solution even beyond the range of measurement on the salinometer. Even in that high concentration as can be seen in the following picture, a green algae lives among the salt crystals

 

Salt Crystals with algal growth form in Pool7 in the summer

 

Some ideas to consider:

Tidepools 7and 8 are situated very close together, differing only in a few centimeters in elevation. The salinity and temperatures of the pools may vary however. It might be worthwhile to document these variations and propose some explanations for the variation.

 

The Tidal Cycle at Race Rocks and the Abiotic Effects of Tides

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At Race Rocks we have a tidal range of about 3 metres.

For tidal Level predictions , from the closest station at Pedder Bay see this link

https://tides.gc.ca/en/stations/07080/predictions

 

 

 

The link below is for the Race Passage Current tables.  .. See this file for the result of original work done by Pearson College Divers assisting the Institute of Ocean Sciences in the deployment of the current meter to gather a year’s worth of data from which these tables are constructed. 

 

 

 

 

 
Marine Science teacher at Pearson College Laura Verhegge was interviewed on CBC radio about what was a “Negative tide”. Listen below.

 

The role of the moon is a major factor in determining the rise and fall of the tides.The view of it from Race Rocks in a full sky is often stunning. 

And of course the other component causing tides is the sun. See this file for Solar energy records for Race Rocks .  

 

 

See this file for the Abiotic Effect of Solar energy on Organisms at Race Rocks

 

 

THE ABIOTIC EFFECTS OF TIDAL LEVEL CHANGES:

The rich variety of life in the intertidal zones of Race Rocks provide habitat for many animals which have adapted to living part of their life exposed . “ANITA’S ISLAND” on the West side of Great Race Rocks provides an excellent example,  in the month of June when the tidal level often drops below zero datum so one can really appreciate the effects of the daily changing tidal levels on intertidal life. This island is actually a peninsula which you can walk out onto when the tides drop to -0.0m, but is totally submerged at high tide, (around 2.6 meters). You can often see the top of it from remote camera1  ( It looks black because it is covered with mussels.)

For several years in the 1990s  we did research with Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss on these low tides in June. We only had a half hour or so until the isthmus joining the island to Great Race Island was flooded however. Each year that we went out, Anita found a great many of the hydroid samples from which she identified for the Ecological Reserve.  

THE INTERTIDAL ZONE: The island is totally covered on every square centimeter with some form of life, either invertebrate or plant.

    • Those organisms nearer the top or in the high intertidal area, are more resistant to changing temperatures, and changing salinity. Exposure in a rain storm means they have to tolerate fresh water, and changing salinity.  On a hot sunny day , the surface temperatures can elevate quickly. 
    • Other hazards of this habitat between sea and land create an extreme environment for survival. Predation from Birds and other animals is possible when exposed at low tide , wheres the same organisms are exposed to predation from fish and predatory invertebrates such as sea stars when the tide is in. 
    • This zone also makes the organism vulnerable to pounding waves and surf, so built in resilience is necessary to hold on and remain attached , and not be crushed by the force of the water.
  • Living in this zone also leaves an organism exposed to wind driven foreign objects.. At Race Rocks drifting logs are often present on the surface and these can exert a powerful force when striking a shoreline, 
RESEARCH ESSAYS: The implications for an organism living at different elevations on the intertidal zone are very significant. Over the years several students have done research in the intertidal zone at Race Rocks and have examined how different organisms have adapted. Check this file for examples 
TIDEPOOLS: In our tidepool file , you will find an index with links to a set of tidepools where we have recorded the effects of the tide being out for different lengths of time. The abiotic conditions in the pools change significantly as the tide levels go up and down. Salinity and Temperature are especially variable and they influence the type of organisms that lives within the pools.
Intertidal TRANSECT Studies.We use transects to quantify the interrelations of organisms as they are distributed throughout the intertidal zone on the shore. Tidal levels are a major factor in determining this zonation. In this file you are invited to examine some of our data, and create your own transect baseline studies as well. They may have nothing to do with tides, but they can serve as an excellent record which you may use to base measurements showing change or stability of the ecosystem in the future
The Effects of CURRENTS. 

Tidal Currents are also a result of the tidal cycle . This file documents aspects of the currents at Race Rocks

Other tidal heights from along the coast of Vancouver Island and British Columbia

An interesting exercise is to compare the tidal heights at several locations around Vancouver Island. There is a significant difference, with times as well as tidal ranges varying depending where the station is located. There are many factors which determine tide levels, the most obvious being the stages of the moon and the position of the sun, but here you can see that geography has a major role to play as well.

APPLE : Partnership with racerocks.com

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ARCHIVE: It is important to recognize that the early innovations in internet technology at Race Rocks  were made possible by the cooperation of a number of partners and sponsors . Apple was one of the important partners in collaboration for this educational application of the internet for the conservation of a sensitive ecosystem by promoting the availability of its unique ecological features to the world.
In June 2000, Apple first became a sponsor when APPLE CANADA recognized the significance of our project and loaned us a new Powerbook G3 500 for the two weeks of mobile webcasts in June 2000.

 

 

As a result of that initial support, Apple Canada sent us the same computer for our project in July 2000. At the New York MacWorld Conference in July, our presentation of a live underwater webcast from Race Rocks prompted an offer from The APPLE LEARNING INTERCHANGE for a partnership. The result was that the QuickTime live video streams were hosted by the Apple Learning Interchange over the Akamai Internet distribution network. We are extremely grateful to APPLE for this generous support. Live video streams have now been operating since the summer of 2000 thanks to tis initial support.

 

In October, 2000, APPLE hosted us for a presentation of the live Underwater QuickTime stream at the QuickTime Live Convention in California.

In March of 2001, APPLE Canada came to our assistance again with the generous
donation of a G4 Titanium PowerBook. We used this for our mobile webcasts and
for the creation of new archived video clips using the iMovie software. 

We must also acknowledge the commitment of the Apple representative Keith Mitchell who worked out of the offices in Texas and was also able to visit us to see the operation of our system at Race Rocks.

In June of 2002, The APPLE LEARNING INTERCHANGE opened its new gallery of featured exhibits and  racerocks.com was included on the ALI website as one of their exhibits.

 

 

In January of 2004, The Apple Learning Interchange upgraded the three computers and the Wireless Airports and they also assisted us with the purchase of a new Remote Control camera. We now have the equipment installed and providing improved Live Streaming Images as of the spring of 2004.

In 2004, three APPLE eMacs were supplied to webcast from cameras 1, 2 and 5. Webcasting from these cameras used QuickTime Broadcaster.

 

 

 

Clean Current Presentation on Race Rocks as Possible Demonstration site

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This PDF is of a presentation by the staff of Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated that was given to the BC Ministry of Land water and Air Protection and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in May of 2004  to give a background to the Tidal Current Energy proposal and to answer the question ” Does Tidal Turbine Technology fit the Management Plans for Race Rocks Ecological reserve? ”

See the PDFcleancurrentpreso:Race Rocks Tidal Generator