The document discusses Virginia opossums and their habitat and diet preferences. It notes that opossums typically live near streams or swamps, eating insects, carrion, fruits, and grains. Their predators include foxes, owls, coyotes, hawks, and humans. The document also covers opossum reproduction rates and lifespan, as well as factors that affect their death rates like cars and humans. Additional sections describe the opossum's role in food chains and webs. The document concludes by reflecting on the importance of ecosystem health and dangers of acid mine drainage.

1. Riparian Zone Retreatand Population Studies Ross Nelson Biology 2 Period 5

3. Virginia Opossum (DidelphisVirginiana) Virginia Opossum lives in North America and Central America The animals usually prefer to live in habitats near streams or swamps. They can be found in wet areas or arid places Opossums are omnivores. Their diet consists of mainly insects and carrion. However, they also eat some fruits and grains too, when they’re in season Opossums are generally preyed on by foxes, owls, coyotes, hawks, and of course, humans Opossums are important to the ecosystem. They are scavengers that eat trash and other foods that most animals don’t. They play the important role of eating and being eaten

4. Factors which Affect Birth Rate of the Opossum Mates from January to July Reproduces yearly Mothers have from one to thirteen babies. Although the average amount is six to seven for a litter Opossums generally carry their young around on their backs Usually live for the 18 months due to a high mortality rate from cars

5. Factors Which Affect the Death Rate of Opossum Opossums are preyed on by foxes, owls, coyotes, hawks, and humans. They don’t prey on any animals themselves The opossum generally lives 18 months. Their life spans are longer, but most are hit by cars before their natural deaths Humans love to harm opossums Over population of the opossums would most likely exhaust the animals’ food sources and kill it

6. Food Chain Red Fox Opossum Crayfish Earthworm First level consumer Omnivore Producer Decomposer Second level consumer Omnivore Third level consumer Carnivore

7. Food Web

8. Population Sampling Techniques Collecting a random group of organisms from a stream is one way that people estimate the quality of a stream. Another way is to measure the pH level and look for phosphate and nitrate amounts. Dissolved oxygen in the water is another indication Using percentages one can find how many organisms there are compared to another species

9. Organisms Present Only pollution tolerate organisms can live in polluted waters. What is in the water tells you how good the stream is More organisms in the intolerant category means the stream is healthy Murky water makes rocks slippery and ruins predator/prey relationships. It also clogs the gills of fish The water wouldn’t be safe to drink if the water wasn’t healthy. And there would be no fish to eat

10. Water Testing Data & Analysis pH of 7 is good. Nitrate and phosphate amount of zero is the best. And the amount of dissolved oxygen is most optimal around 10 The mine pool wasn’t of good quality because that its entire purpose. It is a settling point for bad things in the water. Marshes usually aren’t that nice of place so that’s why it was bad Healthier organisms would be able to live near the stream. The ones that couldn’t tolerate pollution would die near the bad waters Too hot of water can kill and organism. Low turbidity benefits predators and prey.

11. Soil Testing & Analysis pH describes how acidic or basic a sample of soil. Potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen are all chemicals that are in the soil that aren’t supposed to be found in large amounts The pH of the soil should be a standard level of 7. Potassium is supposed to be around 10 or medium. While nitrogen and phosphorus shouldn’t even appear at all. In healthy soil they would be absent When any of these things are out of order it can damage the soil. Making it bad for plants to grow in or cause over growth

13. If the soil in the opossum’s habitat was bad then if would be difficult for plants to grow there. Without plants an ecosystem would fail and the opossum might die. Not good!

15. I found the trip to Powdermill fun and informing. It let us have a first hand look at all of the organisms. That was the most interesting part of the whole project