Population Biology and Ecological Footprint

Week 2 Laboratory: Population Biology and Ecological Footprint
Tube 1: P. Caudatum stock culture; Tube 2: P. Aurelia stock culture; Tube 3: combination of both
1. Make a hypothesis about how you think the two species of Paramecium will grow alone and how they will grow when they are grown together.
Each paramecium growing on its own will be able to grow and flourish because there is nothing stopping it or competing with it. It will be able to grow to its full capacity.
When there are both parameciums growing together; one paramecium, the stronger of the two, is going to grow faster and larger than the other. This will cause the weaker of the tow to stop growing. As time goes on the stronger paramecium will eventually take over, and the weaker paramecium will disappear.
2. Explain how you tested your hypothesis.
I filled on test tube with the Caudatum paramecium, another test tube with Aurelia paramecium, and the 3rd test tube contained both parameciums. Each test tube was tested every 2 days by using wet mount slides.
Day 0:
Tube 1, 2, and 3 remained equal containing 1 Caudatum and/or 1 Aurelia paramecium.
Day 2:
Tube 1 – 6 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 5 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 5 Caudatum and 3 Aurelia
Day 4:
Tube 1 – 14 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 27 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 11 Caudatum and 16 Aurelia
Day 6:
Tube 1 – 24 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 40 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 9 Caudatum and 31 Aurelia
Day 8:
Tube 1 – 28 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 48 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 7 Caudatum and 39 Aurelia
Day 10:
Tube 1 – 28 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 50 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 5 Caudatum and 46 Aurelia

Day 12:
Tube 1 – 28 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 51 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 3 Caudatum and 48 Aurelia
Day 14:
Tube 1 – 28 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 48 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 0 Caudatum and 49 Aurelia
Day 16:
Tube 1 – 28 Caudatum
Tube 2 – 48 Aurelia
Tube 3 – 0 Caudatum and 49 Aurelia

3. On what day did the Paramecium Caudatum population reach the carrying capacity of the environment when it was grown alone? How do you know?
On day 8 the...