Euglena Research Paper

The effect of fertilized water on growth of Euglena Water is a good habitat for many organisms. The pureness of water has strong effect on aquatic organism (Walter, 2008). The altering of water condition could favor for the growth of one certain organism, but less favor for other organisms that leads to the competing out other organism by abundance of favor one . So, the result goes to decreasing of water biodiversity. Water ecology, which studies on the interaction between of biotic and abiotic factors to the growth of organism in water, is too important in order to keep the ecosystem balance.In our study, we focused on how the fertilize (nitro, phosphorus) effects on the populations of water organisms. Euglena is the mixotrophic which could synthesis energy from photosynthesis, but also could consume the food to make energy (Robert. et al, 2012). From the trophic characteristic of Euglena, my hypothesis for this study was the population of Euglena would increase in the rich fertili ze environment. The rationale for my hypothesis was Euglena could consume the food to have energy, so the rich fertilize environment was a good source for growth and reproduction of Euglena, that’s why their population would increase by time.The water from American river was collected for our sample. We set up three different ecosystems for organisms in three different jars: control, low fertilize and high fertilize environment. First river water was added to the jar, then organisms was added and the different amount of fertilize was put last to appropriate jar. We were helped to identify each organism under microscope. Before adding organism to ecosystems, counting sample had been done. The sampling was done every week through 3 weeks.After 3 weeks, the number of organisms of Euglena and other heterotrophic in each ecosystem was used to plot graphs and analysis. The population of Euglena in control condition increased in first two weeks, and then it decreased. In the low and high fertilize condition; the population of Euglena was very low and at the constant after 3 weeks. (Figure 1) My hypothesis was not supported from result. Euglena population in the high fertilize jar didn’t increase as we predicted. In contrast, the population of Euglena in the control jar increased. From our observed, there were abundant of green algae in the fertilized jar.This observing was matched with the statement that the high amount of nitro and phosphor could lead to the boom of green alga, and the high production of green algae could compete out other organism in the water (N, 1999). Green alga covered on the surface of the jar that inhibited the photosynthesis of Euglena. Then other question was asked, Euglena could consume the food to make energy, but why their population didn’t increase in the rich nutrient environment. Other hypothesis was stated by us: in the higher fertilize condition; the population of other heterotrophic would increase.The rationale was other heterotrophic could use the food source more effective than Euglena. Euglena didn’t have enough time to convert from photoautotroph to heterotrophic mode, so they could not use the food source to growth (Hall, 1939). The second hypothesis was supported when the population of other heterotrophic first increased in fertilized water, and then by time, after food was used up, the population started to decrease (figure 2). From our results, we could conclude that fertilize which is defined as a good source for plant but could polluted the water (2008) effects on the growth of other organism.It could make the imbalance ecosystem because of the abundance of one specie and extinct of other species. So, keeping water clean is very important task to be concerned. Figure 1: The populations of Euglena in control, low fertilize and high fertilize environment through 3 weeks. Figure 1: The populations of Euglena in control, low fertilize and high fertilize environment through 3 weeks. Figure 2: The populations of other heterotroph in control, low fertilize and high fertilize environment through 3 weeks Figure 2: The populations of other heterotroph in control, low fertilize and high fertilize environment through 3 weeksLiterature Cited: Dodds. K. W (2008). Fresh water ecology: concept and environmental application of limnology (2nd ed. ) San Francisco: Elsevier. Hall, R. P. , & Schoenborn, H. W. (1939). The question of autotrophic nutrition in Euglena gracilis. Physiol Zool, 12(1), 76-84. Sanders, R. , & Gast, R. (2012). Bacterivory by phototrophic picoplankton and nanoplankton in arctic waters. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 82(2), 242-253. Sharply. A. N,Daniel. T &Sim. T (1999). Agriculture phosphorus and eutrophication. Washington: United Department of Agricultural.