Suppose you are studying the nitrogen cycling in a pond ecosystem over the course of a year. While you are collecting data, a flock of 100 Canada geese lands and spends the night during a fall migration. What could you do to eliminate error in your study as a result of this event?
A)Find out how much nitrogen is consumed in plant material by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period and multiply this number by 100 and add to the total nitrogen in the ecosystem.
B)Find out how much nitrogen is eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period and multiply this number by 100 and subtract from the total nitrogen in the ecosystem.
C)Find out how much nitrogen is consumed and eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period and multiply this number by 100; enter this +/-value into the nitrogen budget of the ecosystem.
D)Do nothing. The Canada geese visitation to the lake would have negligible impact on the nitrogen budget of the pond.
E)Put a net over the pond so that no more migrating flocks can land on the pond and alter the nitrogen balance of the pond.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By finding out how much nitrogen is consumed and eliminated by a Canada goose over a specific period of time, you can calculate the impact of the flock on the nitrogen budget of the pond. Multiplying this number by 100 and entering it as a +/- value will allow for a more accurate calculation of the nitrogen balance in the ecosystem. Option A and B are too simplistic and do not take into account the full impact of the geese on the system, while option E is impractical and would not allow for natural ecological processes to occur. Option D is not necessarily true, as the geese could have a measurable impact on the nitrogen budget depending on the length of their stay and their feeding habits.

Suppose You Are Studying the Nitrogen Cycling in a Pond