Naturalist Perspectives Assignment 5

Location: Between the park and a house on the way back from Winter Hill Community Innovation School
Date: 4/18/17
Time: 12:40 pm
Weather Conditions: Sunny. Slight breeze. 48℉.

There are mostly plant cells nearby, but also probably micro-organisms and bacteria. I can't actually see any, but there are generally loads of bacteria in nature, since they are an essential part of the larger ecosystem. There aren't a lot of trees, but there are lots of smaller plants and flowers, like the yellow ones in the picture below.

The cells in my body are doing their usual thing, receiving and sending out signals, and carrying essential nutrients and oxygen through my body. Some of my cells are reacting to the sensory input of the feel of the flower petals and the warmth of the sun. Cells in my eyes are part of translating the light waves reflecting of of the things around me and communicating the colors to my brain.

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Naturalist Perspectives Assignment 3

Location: Photo taken from between the only two good hammock trees in John F. Kennedy Park, Cambridge, MA Date: 4/8/2017 Time: 12:45pm Weather: Overcast but not raining. 48°F The bank of the river where I conducted my transect was mostly just grass and mud. Judging by the groomed appearance of the nearby park, and the plant growth visible along the bank near less populated areas, I suspect that this lack of ecological diversity has a lot to do with intentional maintenance on the part of the city. If left alone for a few years, I imagine there would be a substantial increase in plant life in that area. Then again, it is right by a road, so the area is subject to both foot and vehicular traffic. I imagine that also plays a role in the presence of plant life. I decided that it was better to not bring my phone down by the water's edge. There is nearby traffic, an incline, and not only am I not the most coordinated, I also startle fairly easily. That said, I think the lack of subst...

Naturalist Perspectives Challenge: Genetics in the Landscape

Date: 4/24/2017 Time: 4:53 PM Weather: Beautiful. Sunny. 61℉ This is a classic looking English Cocker Spaniel. I did not use a specific book, but I sent the picture to my mom, who knows a lot about dog breeds. She told me what she thought it was, then I confirmed by doing a google image search. Since I am generally not good at identifying plants and specific animals, I figured this dog that I befriended on the way back from John F. Kennedy Park would be a good way to make sure I got it right and could find the information. According to wikipedia, dogs have 78 chromosomes (39 pairs). They are diploids, just like humans. There are a few different color patterns that the ECSCA identifies, including solid black, liver (which is like brown), red, and golden. There is also the possibility of a dog being 'open marked', which is when they have large patches of color, but between the large patches they are pure white. Open marked dogs cannot produce a roan dog, which is where a ...

Naturalist Perspectives Assignment 8

Location: Site Alpha Date: 5/2/2017 Time: 2:00 PM Weather: Sunny and windy. 57℉. The plants at Site Alpha are growing more. Lots of little shoots of things are popping up. Some of the flowers are beginning to wilt. Location: Site Beta Date: 5/2/2017 Time: 6:00 PM Weather: Sun getting low, 54℉ I don't have a picture of this one because my phone died. There are now some tulips there, though and the trees are covered in flowers. There is a strong floral scent in the air, but I am not sure that it is coming from the flowers in this particular flower bed. 1. Evolution - The flowers here have been artificially selected. This has been done mostly based on aesthetic, smell, and ability to withstand the weather conditions of Cambridge. 2. Cell Biology - The cell structures in different parts of the plants correspond to the role they play in the overall life of the plant. Because they are plant cells, they contain chloroplasts, which enable the plant to photosynthesize- get...

Biology Spring 2017 - Naturalist Perspectives

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