Exercises — Lab 6: Population and Community Dynamics — Owl Pellet Dissection
1 hands-on tasks. Do them in order; each one feeds the Canvas item it names.
55 min · lab-scaffold
1. Lab 6 write-up scaffold
- HYPOTHESIS — Predict how many prey individuals you will find in your pellet and which species will be most common. Use population ecology knowledge to explain your prediction.
- METHODS — Describe your dissection procedure: tools used (probe, tweezers, toothpick), how you separated bones from fur/feathers, how you sorted and identified bones using the key, and how you organized findings.
- DATA TABLE — Create a table recording: prey species identified, number of individuals per species (count skulls), and key bone structures used for identification. Include a simple food web diagram showing the owl → each prey species → what that prey likely ate.
- ANALYSIS — How many prey animals total? Which species dominated? Calculate the approximate daily caloric intake if each prey item is ~35–50 calories. Connect predator-prey dynamics: how would a 50% decline in your most common prey species affect the owl population?
- CONCLUSION — (1) Did your dissection match your hypothesis? (2) What is one source of error in species identification from bones alone? (3) How does predator-prey dynamics in your pellet connect to population regulation in ecosystems (BIO 1120 Outcome 1)?
Turn in / bring: Submit labeled bone diagram + completed write-up through Canvas by 10/19 @ 11:59pm.