Riparian Zone: Red-Tail HawkRiparian Zone: Red-Tail Hawk

Joshua Lamonde

Biology I

Pd 4

Niche of Red Tail HawkNiche of Red Tail HawkButeo jamaicensis-Red Tail HawkButeo jamaicensis-Red Tail Hawk

• The hawk’s habitat is extremely varied; Often, hawks live by an open field, for hunting mice and small vermin. They usually build their nests at the edge of forests or wooded areas.

• Red Tail Hawks mainly depend on field mice for food, along with other small mammals. Along with being dependent on mice, house sparrows depend on the hawk, as the often take shelter in hawk nests.

• Hawks begin breeding around three years old, and stay with the same partner for many years. There can be as many as five eggs in one breed.

• Hawks have a generally long life span, living , at the most, for 21 years in the wild!

2010/04/25 01:58:32.341 GMT-4 2010/04/25 01:58:32.341 GMT-4

Food Chain of Assigned OrganismFood Chain of Assigned Organism

Producer

Assorted Flowers

Primary Consumer

Field Mouse

Secondary Consumer

Red Tail Hawk

Decomposer

Fungus/Mushroom

Food Web of Assigned OrganismFood Web of Assigned Organism

Producer

Carnivore

Carnivore

Herbivore

Producer Carnivore

Herbivore

Decomposer

Stream Quality Data & AnalysisStream Quality Data & Analysis

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

No. oforganisms

Class IClass IIClass III

• The stream conditions are generally stable, with a pH of 6.8, clear turbidity, a dissolved oxygen level of 10 mg/L, and 0 nitrates and phosphates.

• Since there are so many pollution intolerant and somewhat tolerable organisms, this means that the stream is healthy.

• With an abundant amount of organisms to feed primary consumers, my hawk, a secondary consumer, will have no scarcity of food.

Water Testing Data & AnalysisWater Testing Data & Analysis

020406080

100120140

Nitrate

Oxygen

pH Phosphates

StreamMarshMine

• The pH of the stram and marsh is basically neutral, allowing easy absorption of hydrogen, but the mine is lower, making less livable conditions. Phosphates are generally low for each sample, allowing easy breathing for organisms. Nitrates are low in the stream and mine, but the marsh is very high, cutting back predation.

• Ideal ranges for pH would be in the 6.5 to 7.5 range, phosphates and nitrates around 0, and dissolved oxygen at about 10 mg/L. Variables of these could be agricultural and mine runoff, as well as human litter.

• The hawk would survive well by the stream, with healthy food and water sources, while it wouldn’t find many organisms to feed on by the marsh, and the water would be too high in nitrates to drink. Also, the mine water wouldn’t allow many animals for the hawk to eat.

• Temperature also affects how quickly the organisms move and reproduce, which can vary, and turbidity can slow down predation.

Positive and Negative FactorsPositive and Negative Factors

•The hawk would survive well by the stream, with healthy living conditions for its food and drinking water, but there probably wouldn’t be enough food or healthy enough water, because of High nitrates and low pH, in the mine and marsh.

•Positive factors of the Riparian Zone include preservation of streams, and controlling runoffs. Negative factors include allowance of human litter, and dumping of chemical waste. All of these would directly affect the hawk’s eating habits.

ConclusionConclusion

• After all testing, I realized that there are many more factors than I thought pertaining to the ecosystem.

• I found the very far range of Nitrates interesting, ranging from 0 to 125!

•I would enjoy researching pollution prevention further in the future.

Work CitedWork Cited

1) “Red Tail Hawk”, World Book Encyclopedia, Copyright 2007

2) “Red Tail Hawk”, Animal Diversity Web,http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html

3) “Buteo jamaicensis”, Encyclopedia Britannica, Copyright 2006