RIPARIAN ZONE RETREATAshley Turcheck ; Period 4 – Biology I

NicheGreat Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus

Can live from subarctic North America through parts of South America. Prefers to make nests in deciduous

or coniferous trees in woodland.

Secondary Consumer; Carnivore Eats mostly medium-sized

mammals, such as rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, mice, even cats. Insects, fish, and certain reptiles/amphibians are part of an occasional diet, too.

Also can prey on porcupines and skunks (due to a poor sense of smell).

Hunts primarily at night, perching at the top of trees and swoops down.

Niche – continuedGreat Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus

Typically choose mate by December.

Breed in January/February. Usually do not build own nests;

use old ones from other large birds and sometimes just add feathers.

Lay 1-5 eggs, though 5 is rare. Young can be prey to foxes or

coyotes; but as adults, they don’t have predators.

Move out onto branches, and fly after 6 weeks.

On average, young do not leave parents until they breed.

Owls’ coloring depend on their location.

Food Chain of the Great Horned Owl

Producer

Autotroph

Primary Consumer

Omnivore

Secondary Consumer

Carnivore

Decomposer

Food Web of the Great Horned Owl

Herbivore

Producer Omnivore

Carnivore

Carnivore

Producer

Producer

CarnivoreHerbivoreHerbivore

Omnivore

The Great Horned Owl is, for the most part, on the top of the food chain. So, it doesn’t have many predators. Being a carnivore, it eats things such as mice, raccoons, bugs, frogs, etc.

Stream Quality Data & Analysis

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20

40

60

80

100

120

140

No. oforganisms

Class I

Class II

Class III

The stream quality, according to the organisms collected, is very good.

A majority of the organisms were pollution-intolerant; the stream quality is good.

Some of the organisms in the stream are eaten by some of the Great Horned Owl’s prey. If something happened to

these, the owl would be indirectly affected.

Water Testing Data & Analysis

020406080100120

140

Nitrate

Oxygen

pH Phosphates

StreamMarshMine

A good ecosystem that has healthy water has:

Neutral pH level – around 8 Little or no nitrates/phosphates Plenty of dissolved oxygen.

pH level should not be very much over/under 8 – making it basic or acidic

Nitrates and Phosphates can create overgrowth of vegetation.

Should be high levels of dissolved oxygen for organisms.

Animals that eat bugs/plants in the stream would be healthy; will be healthy for the Great Horned Owl to eat.

Good levels of bugs to eat. Cold water holds more dissolved oxygen –

allowing the organisms in the stream to survive.

Turbidity lets the organisms move around easily since it is easier to see (avoid predators; find prey).

Positive and Negative Factors Stream quality was the

ideal quality for the organisms. Neutral pH Good amount of dissolved

oxygen No nitrates/phosphates

Mine waters were not ideal. Acidic Little dissolved oxygen Some nitrates

Marsh waters were not ideal, either. Not a lot of dissolved oxygen A lot of nitrates A small amount of phosphate

Common sources of pollution: Mine runoff

High turbidity; acidic Fertilizers

Nitrates and phosphates

Conclusion

The riparian zone is very important to the environment. It includes many organisms, so if one of those begins to be negatively affected, everything else is affected in some way. I found it interesting that everything is

connected in the ecosystem. I would like to find out more about AMD,

and how it influences everything in the stream in a short and long period of time.

Works Cited

Pasquier, Roger F. "Owl." Encyclopedia Americana. 2010. Grolier Online. 13 May. 2010 <http://ea.grolier.com/article?id=0299380-00>.

All About Birds.org http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

Forsman, Eric. "Owl." World Book Student. World Book, 2010. Web. 13 May 2010.