Experiment :
Common Topic: The Common Five Lined Skinks being an endangered species.
Introduction: The Common Five Lined Skink is one of the only lizards that is native to North America. These Skinks are very important to their ecosystem because they act as both prey and predators and without them the population of insects would increase.
Question:Why are Common Five Lined Skinks an endangered species?
Hypothesis:Common Five Lined Skinks are an endangered species because their environment is being destroyed by humans/urbanization.
Research and Facts: Urban development has destroyed the range of many forests in North America. Agriculture is also a known threat for this particular species.
Research Sources:
1.Ontario's Biodiversity Species at Risk. "Common Five Lined Skink" http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&id=152 2007
2.Natural Valued Protected " Common Five Lined Skink" http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@species/documents/document/stdprod_070899.pdf 2013
Materials:
- A relatively large population of Common Five Lined Skinks.
- A relatively large forest.
- Construction workers and materials.
Procedure:
1.Observe the undisturbed habitat and population of the Common Five Lined Skinks.
2.Record the current population size.
3.Have a building be built in that same area.
4.Have there be more construction projects built in that same area.
5. Cut down and demolish most of the Common Five Lined Skink's habitat.(Cutting down trees is included)
6.Record the population of the Common Five Lined Skinks after the construction projects.
7.Look at the difference in population size.
Possible Outcome:
-The population size of the Common Five Lined Skinks will decrease.
Conclusion:
-The destruction of the habitat of a species can lead to a rapid decrease of the species population size.