Moth Lab
Problem: How does the industrial revolution effect the population of the speckled moths?
Research:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Peppered_Moth.aspx
Speckled Moths:
- The scientific name of the speckled moth is Biston betularia, and it is also called the peppered moth.- It is from the family Geometridae.- It is a nocturnal species, and during the day it rests camouflaged on the trees.- It's predominant form is that the wings are white with black "peppered" on it.- The less common version, called carbonaria, also known as the black winged moth, with high levels of melanin or black pigment.
- The Industrial Revolution started in the 1800's and lots of factories and businesses were releasing smoke.
- The smoke/soot polluted the lichen on the trees, changing the color of the bark on the trees.
- The speckled moths became higher in population because they could camouflage with the trees.- On the other hand, the white moths who were prominent before could not now camouflage as well.
Hypothesis: As the smoke/soot cause the trees to grow darker, the white moths population would decrease and the peppered moth population would increase.
Data Table:
Research:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Peppered_Moth.aspx
Speckled Moths:
- The scientific name of the speckled moth is Biston betularia, and it is also called the peppered moth.- It is from the family Geometridae.- It is a nocturnal species, and during the day it rests camouflaged on the trees.- It's predominant form is that the wings are white with black "peppered" on it.- The less common version, called carbonaria, also known as the black winged moth, with high levels of melanin or black pigment.
- The Industrial Revolution started in the 1800's and lots of factories and businesses were releasing smoke.
- The smoke/soot polluted the lichen on the trees, changing the color of the bark on the trees.
- The speckled moths became higher in population because they could camouflage with the trees.- On the other hand, the white moths who were prominent before could not now camouflage as well.
Hypothesis: As the smoke/soot cause the trees to grow darker, the white moths population would decrease and the peppered moth population would increase.
Data Table:
Graph:
Conclusion (CER):
Claim: As the smoke polluted the trees and caused them to grow darker, the white moth population did decrease and the speckled moth population did increase.
Evidence: In the first 3 years, the white moth population was the highest and averaged its highest population at 17 moths in year 3. Then in year 4-8, the white moth population decreased and its highest population, during that time period, averaged at 7 moths in year 4 and lowest at 2 moths in year 8. The speckled moths were at their lowest population at year 3 with 5 moths and averaged their highest population at year 8 with 14 moths.
Reasoning: The white moths population was highest with 17 moths at year 3, because they could camouflage with the surrounding white bark trees and avoid being eaten by predators. The speckled moth population was at its lowest, with 5 moths in year 3, because predators could easily see their dark wings against the white bark trees. In year 4, the Industrial Revolution started and it released a lot of smoke pollution and the white bark trees turned darker. Then the population of the white moths started to decrease, because the predators could see their white wings against the dark trees. The white moths lowest population then was 2 moths in year 8. On the other hand, the speckled moth population began to increase because they now could camouflage with the dark trees and not be eaten by predators. The speckled moth population was highest at 14 moths in year 8.