IB ESS SL Internal Assessment

Investigation about comparing three parts of lake in School UISZC

What are the reasons that change fishes system in the lake?

Exam session: May 2017

School Name: Utahloy International School ZengCheng

Teacher: Mr. Woodland

Name: Jonas Lai Wee Kian

Introduction
Water is the most valuable abiotic factors in Earth. In the space look of earth, Earth is a blue
planet and its about 70% covered by water. 97% of water on the planet is salty ocean water,
and the remaining on the earth is fresh water which is only about 3% of all water. For most
living things on earth need fresh water to survive. Now days, the growth of human
population might make the fresh water out of supplying. About 68% of the 3% of fresh water
is in the polar ice caps, about 30% water is in ground and only about 0.5% of the total fresh
water is on the lakes, rivers or swamps which some people believe, and they were quite a
lot.
Follow the water cycle, water evaporates into atmosphere during evaporation; the water
volume in atmosphere is only 0.001% of total water. The atmosphere is the one stored least
amount of water. There is no doubt that some water is renewable in the cycle, but the ocean
water and icecaps are basically non-renewable sources which means 99% of all water on
earth is unusable for us.
Water cycle is also called the hydrological cycle, it described the continuous movement of
water at the below and above of the surface of earth. Water move from one storage to
another and so on as a cycle such as evaporation in river to the atmosphere. Water cycle has
5 physically process, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, the surface run off and
infiltration. During the water cycle the water must have shaped through liquids, vapour and
rarely solid.
There are too many problems with water pollution happening around the world. In some
part of the world, people are suffering from waterborne disease and poisoning that the
water pollution is the point source of it. Roughly saying, almost half billion people do not
have access to safe, clean water for drink. Water pollution is also a main point affects MEDCS
as well as LEDCs.
Water pollution can be caused in many different ways, it can be anthropogenic or natural,
the examples to water pollution cause naturally are volcanic eruptions, algal blooms, etc.
The type of elements that cause pollution are either organic or inorganic or both.
To know about how water problem is form, I have investigated the local lake in our school,
observed the difference and similarities in different part of the lake, and judge about the
reasons of how the issues were happening in the water.
Aim: compare the different or similar issues happening on 3 side of school's lake

Research question: What are the reasons that change fishes system in the lake?

Justification:
Since UISZC was an eco-park, human didn't settle down around UISZC but still the humanity
is there, after it had been transformed to an International school, the human community
had entered and disturbed the ecosystem.
UISZC is located in ZengCheng Guangzhou China, the environment is very nature, there are
mountains and there is a big circle of lake. I had heard that before the lake was within a lot
different fish species. But about 4 years ago, the workers continuously found fishes dead, a
lot of different fish species have died out in the lake.

Observation of lake
For this Investigation, I compared the difference between the parts of the lake in our school.
First, I chose 3 areas of lake that most possibly have different elements to another, to make
this investigation has varying data. Therefore I have chosen the lake around Canteen,
Boarding house, and around the garden, where there is a bees farm. In my opinion, this
three particular places have different element that might affect the lake qualities, polluted
rate, or else. The lake around the canteen is where the cookers and worker pouring the food
waste attract fishes coming for food. Lake in front of the boarding house does not have
much fishes. Because of big trees beside the lake blocks sunlight from Sun, lower the rate of
photosynthesis, also there is an accommodation where human should have interrupted
fishs life. Around the farm side, the plants, trees are all planted by man; the whole ecology
there is made up artificially. Suspect that the fish population around canteen is higher than
2 another place.
 Farm side

Canteen

Boarding House

Investigation of lakes
Independent variable (places)
1. around canteen
2. In front of the boarding house
3. Near the garden
Dependent variables

Dependent Information How to get them

variables
Ph. Use Ph probe with the data
logger can easily collect the
ph.

Most freshwater life in China lives comfortably in

ph of 5.5 to 7.5 in lakes. The ph of lakes is
naturally controlled and determined by the rocks
and soil in the lake. And 10% of the lake water
comes from precipitation, but it could easily
change the lake system if the rain is too acidic.
Air Air temperature suggested the seasons of the Use a standard thermometer
temperature day.
Water Temperature in lake has influence to the Use water temperature probe
temperature biological activity. Fish, phytoplankton or other with the data logger can
aquatic species all of them preferred to live in easily collect the
their temperature range. However higher water temperature.
temperature will increase the biological activity
rate.
Observation Observe around the ecosystem, collect the Look around the lake, find out
notes observed information; sometimes it helps for some different useful.
knowing about the reason of quantity data that Looking for any changes,
we collected. input, output, and any issues.
Controlled variables

Controlled variables How Why

Observation for quantity Note down problems, issues and
data differences between two other
lakes for more than 5 minutes
Time of probes Use stop watch to count in 60
collecting data seconds while the number is not
steadying.
Collect the number that lab
quest shows right at the 60
seconds.
Time of probes Put probe into the in water with
collecting data stopwatch
Wait until 1 minute then collect
the data from Lab quest.
Measuring order First is to measure the
temperature,
Second,water temperature,
Third Ph,
and last observation note.
To get as much as possible
of quantity information, it
helps to prove an issue is
true.
Considered about the
changing of temperature.
Necessary to do while
sometime the data is
unstable
Necessary to do when the
data is unstable
To make the collecting for
each independent variable
fair.

Equipment
Lab quest x1
Lab quest is a data logger that connected to a probe; it clearly shows the detected
value from any probes.
Ph probe x1
Ph probe is scientific equipment that measures ph in liquid solution, detecting it is
acidic or alkaline.
Temperature probe x1
Temperature probe can be used in any solution, liquids and acids. But it does not do
well in air.
Thermometer x1
Thermometer is used to measure the degrees of coldness to hotness.
Beaker x1
Beaker is used to get the water from lake.
Procedure
First, get ready with the equipment; make sure the lab quest is full charge.
A bike instead of walking, take along the probes, beaker and lab quest
Arrive the first site, chose an area that might has variety elements.
Look around for couple minute, see if there are any issues that can be involved in the
investigation (Eutrophication, erosion, water, and condition, anything going well or
unusual) and note it down.
Pour 100ml water from the lake up to the beaker.
Measure the air temperature, water temperature and the ph for quantity data with
equipment.

Safety Issue/ ethical consideration

There is a bee farm near to where I collected the water sample at farm side. To avoid
getting in to any dangerous situation with the bees, I did not walk to there.
Consider about snakes are in this grassland, I ride a bike instead of walking by foot.
While collecting water sample, always look around, pay attention if snake come out.

Collected data from three parts of the lake in UISZC

November 3, 2016 10:03-10:13

Where Water Ph. air note

Temp (C) temperature
In front boarding 24.9 6.03 19.0 Big trees surrounding the lake,
house less fishes
Canteen side 25.0 5.80 26.0 Some oil on the water surface, but
huge population of fish
Near the garden 24.3 6.45 25.0 Peaceful, no wave
Average 24.7 6.09 23.3
Graphs

Water Temp (C )
25.2
Temperature (C )

25
25 24.9
24.8 24.7
24.6
24.4 24.3
24.2 Water Temp (C)
24
23.8
In front boarding Canteen side Near the garden Average
house
Investigated Places

air temperature(C )
30 26 25
Temperature (C )

25 23.3
19
20
15
10
air temperature
5
0
In front boarding Canteen side Near the garden Average
house
Investigated Places

Ph.
6.6 6.45
6.4
6.2 6.09
Ph Level

6.03
6
5.8
5.8
Ph.
5.6
5.4
In front boarding Canteen side Near the garden Average
house
investigated Places

Graphs were generated through WPS Excel.

Result
The average water temperature between three sides of the lake was very close, could say
that temperature of the whole lake is 24-25C.
The canteen side lake's water quality is polluted, there are some oil floating on the water.

http://www.bettaboxx.com/betta-care/betta-fish-water-use-not-use-test/

According to the collected data, Ph level in Canteen Lake is the lowest but it is strange that
this area within the most population of fish. But normally most of the aquatic creatures live
in 6.5-9.0 ph; therefore the fish species in the lake might have stronger immunity system
than other aquatic life, they might be able to live in wider ph range water.
Both lake in front of boarding house and gardening site have provide suitable ph value for
most freshwater aquatic life, the reason that both sides of lakes have slightly low fish
population might because all the fish had always attracted by the food at the canteen sides
lake. Moreover, their living standards are not very fastidious.
The lake in front the boarding house has a lot of trees; side of the lake is shady and cold, this
might be the reason that the air temperature in there is low (19 C).

Conclusion:
According to my observations, the fish species that I found in whole lake are proximately
same species. Then, consider to fish population at the lake of the canteen side and two
other sides, boarding house and farm sites have a well ph and quiet environment, but the
fish are all favour to the canteen side, my conclusion is that the fish I observed in lake are
mostly a same species.
The reason of the lack of fish species might because canteen workers always pour foods into
the lake, changed the original ecosystem. Due to natural selection fish that are weak to
survive through the environment change die out. Perhaps there were more fish species
before our human community disturbed and changed the system, some of the fish species
cannot survive in the changes.

Discussion:
Human community extended goes on and on, continuously interrupts nature environment,
it has always a problem around the world, though most of the governments controlled and
protecting some part of nature environment but these might not be easy to be controlled,
humans development is degeneration of nature.
Evaluation:
Limitation Impact on method Improvement Suggest
Short period of time -Speed up the process in this Start this investigation after
investigation knowing information
-Result is slightly imprecise

Lack focus on dependent -Excluded process of Use observed note as one

variables measuring humidity, oxygen dependent variables
rate, co2 rate and turbidity. (this has been included to this IA)

Work sites/sources
http://www.lakeaccess.org/russ/temperature.htm
http://www.lordgrey.org.uk/~f014/usefulresources/aric/Resources/Teaching_Packs/Key_Stage_4/Acid_Rain/04.html
http://www.vernier.com/products/sensors/temperature-sensors/tmp-bta/
http://www.utahloy.com/zc/facilities.html#campusmap
http://www.lakeaccess.org/russ/ph.htm
http://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/ph/#p4
https://www.apswater.com/article.asp?id=64&title=The+Water+Cycle
http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/watershed-science/our-watershed/the-water-cycle/how-humans-affect-the-water-cycle/
http://michiganlakes.msue.msu.edu/lake_ecology/measuring_eutrophication
https://sites.google.com/a/mpls.k12.mn.us/housenga-science/ib-environmental-systems-and-societies/ia-water-pollution-
planning-lab
Water quality measuring:
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/kids/watermonitoring/measuring.html
https://thewaterproject.org/resources/the_water_cycle

Water quality testing:

http://oasisdesign.net/water/quality/testing.htm
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/fenlewis/test.htm