HANDOUT 2.1 Water Cycle Procedure

Transcription

1 HANDOUT 2.1 Water Cycle Procedure Name Hypothesis When water is heated in a closed container, it forms vapour, then condenses and returns to its original state. Procedure and Observations 1. Place approximately one litre of water in a large heat-proof glass container. Place a top on the container loosely enough to allow any steam that forms to escape. 2. Place the container over a heat source. USE CAUTION AROUND HEAT SOURCES. 3. Describe any changes that you see in the glass container: 4. When vapour begins to form, reduce the heat to maintain the water at approximately the same temperature. 5. Describe what happens to the vapour inside the container. (Where does it come from? Where does it go?) Conclusion 6. What do your observations tell you about the hypothesis? UNIT 2: Water Cycle, Watershed and the Salmon 25

2 HANDOUT 2.2 The Water Cycle and the Watershed solar energy precipitation Fresh Water 2.1% Glacier and Polar Ice Caps Land 28% transpiration infiltration Water 72% evaporation from land and water Illustration: Donald Gunn surface run-off Fresh Water Available 0.7% respiration lake or ocean water table ground water Water covers 72 per cent of the earth s surface. Only three per cent of this is fresh water; the rest is salt water. Twothirds of the fresh water is frozen in glaciers and the polar ice caps. Fresh Water in Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps 2% Fresh Water Available 1% Salt Water 97% Earth's Water supply 26 SALMONIDS IN THE CLASSROOM: INTERMEDIATE

3 HANDOUT 2.2 The water is constantly in motion. The water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, transports water from water bodies into the atmosphere and back again. Energy from the sun, or solar energy, powers the cycle. It: evaporates water from the seas, from fresh water lakes, rivers and streams, and from the surface of the soil gives plants energy to take up moisture and give off water vapour from their leaves in a process called transpiration creates wind, which blows vapour through the atmosphere until cool air causes the vapour to condense Water in the atmosphere falls to the ground as rain or snow. The moisture in the atmosphere falls to earth every 9 to 12 days, and it is replaced just as quickly. When rain falls on land, it flows through streams and rivers until it rejoins the sea. Some water trickles into the soil, forming part of an underground, or groundwater, water system. An area that drains into one river or stream is known as a watershed. The land, plants and animals form part of the watershed. The watershed is where plants and animals live. Animals, like salmon, rely on a watershed to meet their needs. Animals also affect how water moves back into the atmosphere and to the sea. Plant roots can draw water out of the soil, creating pockets where water gathers temporarily. The roots can slow or stop erosion by slowing water as it moves in the soil. Beavers build dams that divert the water, and micro-organisms can slowly break down rocks in the water. The water cycle renews and cleans the water flowing in watersheds. Humans rely on water from local watersheds for drinking water, for cleaning, for recreation and for industry. But our actions can divert, dry up or even poison local watersheds. When we cover even part of a watershed with concrete or asphalt, it can change the water flow, sometimes even causing floods. UNIT 2: Water Cycle, Watershed and the Salmon 27

4 HANDOUT 2.3 Building a Watershed Model Illustration: Donald Gunn 28 SALMONIDS IN THE CLASSROOM: INTERMEDIATE

5 HANDOUT 2.3 Building the Box Materials One sheet of plywood, approximately 4' x 6' or 4' x 8' feet 1" by 4" inch boards the same length as the plywood edges Gutter material the length of the short edge Screws or nails Plastic sheeting or silicone caulking Bricks or other materials to prop up the box 1. Screw or nail the boards to the edges of the plywood to make a box. 2. Drill holes in one of the short boards so that water will run out of the box. 3. Attach the gutter to the short board so that it will catch water from the holes. On one side, attach it at an angle to run the water into a basin. 4. Use the bricks to prop up and support the end of the box opposite the holes. 5. Line the box with plastic sheeting or seal the edges with silicone caulking. Creating the Environment Materials and equipment Sand, stones and other materials for model landforms (available from building and gardening stores) Sod, carpet or other materials to simulate vegetation Gardening tools A watering can with a fine sprinkler or small tubing 1. Use the sand and stones to build an environment in the box. Create hills at the end opposite the holes. (You might want to use foam under the hills to reduce the weight.) 2. Shape the sand into several valleys, with tributaries and rivers flowing down to a lake. 3. Line some valleys and the edge of the lake with sod (or use carpet to simulate vegetation). 4. Gently sprinkle water on the hills and trace its path toward the lake. Use a very gentle flow of water. Too much water will wash out the landscape. 5. Try a variety of landscapes with different slopes, angles, materials, etc. UNIT 2: Water Cycle, Watershed and the Salmon 29

6 HANDOUT 2.4 Watershed Model Experiment Procedure Name Draw the landscape created in your model watershed. Hypothesis Water sprinkled gently on a model of a watershed will: 30 SALMONIDS IN THE CLASSROOM: INTERMEDIATE

7 HANDOUT 2.4 Procedure 1. Gently sprinkle a small amount of water over the mountain section of the model. 2. Describe where the water flows and what happens to it. 3. Describe the effect of the water on the model. 4. Repeat Step 1, but sprinkle a larger amount of water on the model. 5. Describe the effect of increasing the water flow on the model. 6. Compare the effects after Step 1 with the effects after Step 4. Conclusion 7. What do your observations tell you about your hypothesis? UNIT 2: Water Cycle, Watershed and the Salmon 31

8 HANDOUT 2.5 An Overview of the Salmon Life Cycle Illustration: Robert Browne 32 SALMONIDS IN THE CLASSROOM: INTERMEDIATE

9 HANDOUT 2.5 Salmon begin their life in freshwater streams, rivers and lakes. Their life begins in the gravel of stream or lakebeds. Mature females dig a nest, called a redd, in the gravel. Here they lay as many as 6,000 eggs (chinook may lay up to 17,000 eggs). The average is between 2,500 and 3,000. The male salmon fertilizes the eggs, and the female covers them with gravel for protection. The eggs slowly develop under the gravel over the winter months. When the eggs hatch they are called alevins. Alevins continue to live in the gravel and take nourishment from a yolk sac attached to the underside of their bodies. By the spring, they finish the yolk sac, and miniature salmon called fry come out from the gravel. Some types of salmon wander as far as 3,200 kilometres from their home stream. Others stay closer to home. As they grow to adulthood, the salmon eat small fish and tiny animals that live in the sea. When they are ready to spawn, or lay their eggs, the salmon return to the stream or lake where they hatched. During the difficult journey to the spawning grounds, their bodies change colour and shape. Once they lay and fertilize their eggs, their life cycle is complete and the salmon die. Coho, chinook and sockeye salmon and steelhead trout remain in fresh water for a time. Chum and pink salmon travel downstream to the sea soon after they come out from the gravel. Salmon fry eat constantly and grow quickly. When they reach what is called the smolt stage, they move downstream to the estuary, where the river meets the sea. They stay in the estuary for a time while their bodies adapt to being in salt water. Once the smolts can survive easily in salt water, they travel into the ocean. UNIT 2: Water Cycle, Watershed and the Salmon 33