Student Data 

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Processing the Data:
After the students complete their prairie quadrat survey they upload their data into the computer at Fermilab. The Fermi computer then uses their species counts and percent coverage data to compile and calculate the Importance Value and Dominance of each species. Click on this link to see a detailed discussion of these factors.  Students can then use the data to compare data from other prairies or from other years. The data from the Fermilab site goes back to 1992 so there is now  a wealth of information to compare. This allows the students to develop there own topics to research about the prairie. This link, Sample Data Entry Sheet, shows you and example of the online page that students use to upload their data.

Student Research Projects:

Students can use the prairie data to support their particular research project. Typical independent projects are those that compare one years data to another or more specific ones that compare the changes in growth, dominance, or importance value of a particular family or species of plants over time.


2006 Data and Project Totals

Student Data Collections and Analyses for 2006  New Pages for 2006!

2005 Data and Project TOTALS

Student Data Collections and Analyses for 2005




Making Graphs of the Data:
Once the students have entered their data they can download a tab-delimited file from the Fermilab computer to a spreadsheet/graph making program like Excel and make graphs to help display and visualize the data. This link will show you a sample of last years data. Madison DATA 2005 . Here is the data on Dominance. For the year 2005 data click here: Madison Data 2006   NEW!

 


How to Use the Data

The link below will take you to a tutorial that you and your students can review to learn the procedures for looking at and downloading data to use in your research.

Tutorial on Using the Fermi Data:

Now try downloading some data and making a graph or use the data for a project.

Data Summaries by Prairie Study and Year



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Data and Project Results 2005

All Collected Data Totals are below

Plant Total Plants Total Percentage # of Quadrats Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Big Bluestem 6301 232 12 118.89 0.23 4.38 49.73 8.39 12.29 70.41
Indian Grass 3018 162 7 56.94 0.13 3.06 23.82 4.89 8.58 37.3
Wild Bergamot 166 224 21 3.13 0.4 4.23 1.31 14.69 11.86 27.86
Prairie Cord Grass 1967 159 2 37.11 0.04 3 15.53 1.4 8.42 25.35
Stiff Goldenrod 189 201 11 3.57 0.21 3.79 1.49 7.69 10.65 19.83
Rosinweed 264 150 13 4.98 0.25 2.83 2.08 9.09 7.95 19.12
Yellow Coneflower 195 154 11 3.68 0.21 2.91 1.54 7.69 8.16 17.39
Compass Plant 64 152 12 1.21 0.23 2.87 0.51 8.39 8.05 16.95
Tall Coreopsis 66 110 12 1.25 0.23 2.08 0.52 8.39 5.83 14.74
Mountain Mint 158 83 7 2.98 0.13 1.57 1.25 4.89 4.4 10.54
Foxglove Beard Tongue 154 88 5 2.91 0.09 1.66 1.22 3.5 4.66 9.37
Prairie Dock 28 34 9 0.53 0.17 0.64 0.22 6.29 1.8 8.32
Switch Grass 39 40 5 0.74 0.09 0.76 0.31 3.5 2.12 5.92
Sawtooth Sunflower 19 36 5 0.36 0.09 0.68 0.15 3.5 1.91 5.55
New England Aster 8 11 3 0.15 0.06 0.21 0.06 2.1 0.58 2.74
Black-eyed Susan 12 10 3 0.23 0.06 0.19 0.1 2.1 0.53 2.72
Rattlesnake Master 6 16 1 0.11 0.02 0.3 0.05 0.7 0.85 1.59
Wild Quinine 4 12 1 0.07 0.02 0.23 0.03 0.7 0.64 1.37
Tall Boneset 10 7 1 0.19 0.02 0.13 0.08 0.7 0.37 1.15
White Wild Indigo 1 6 1 0.02 0.02 0.11 0.01 0.7 0.32 1.02
Dense Blazing Star 1 1 1 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.7 0.05 0.76
                   
                   
WEEDS                    
                   
Plant Total Plants Total Percentage # of Quadrats Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Unlisted-Grasslike 84310 2258 38 1590.75 0.72 42.6 97.24 21.71 53.22 172.17
Tall goldenrod 1065 1077 38 20.09 0.72 20.32 1.23 21.71 25.38 48.33
Unlisted-Oval leaf 517 253 20 9.75 0.38 4.77 0.6 11.43 5.96 17.99
Wild Carrot 66 62 13 1.25 0.25 1.17 0.08 7.43 1.46 8.97
Clovers (ground) 389 85 11 7.34 0.21 1.6 0.45 6.29 2 8.74
Yarrow 69 63 12 1.3 0.23 1.19 0.08 6.86 1.48 8.42
Unlisted-Triangular Pointed Leaf 104 71 11 1.96 0.21 1.34 0.12 6.29 1.67 8.08
Sweet Clovers (tall) 34 139 8 0.64 0.15 2.62 0.04 4.57 3.28 7.89
Drummonds Aster 68 77 8 1.28 0.15 1.45 0.08 4.57 1.81 6.46
Common Milkweed 10 124 6 0.19 0.11 2.34 0.01 3.43 2.92 6.36
Unlisted-Round leaf 52 16 3 0.98 0.06 0.3 0.06 1.71 0.38 2.15
Hairy Vetch 6 7 2 0.11 0.04 0.13 0.01 1.14 0.16 1.31
Thistle 7 6 2 0.13 0.04 0.11 0.01 1.14 0.14 1.29
Hairy Aster 3 3 2 0.06 0.04 0.06 0 1.14 0.07 1.22
Daisy Fleabane 3 2 1 0.06 0.02 0.04 0 0.57 0.05 0.62

 

 

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Comparison of 2006 to 2005 Importance and Dominance Values

Prairie Plants 05 Importance Value Prairie Plants 06 Importance Value Prairie Plants 05 Dominance Prairie Plants 06 Dominance
Big Bluestem 70.41 Big Bluestem 119.07 Big Bluestem 4.38 Big Bluestem 24.19
Indian Grass 37.3 Wild Bergamot 47.92 Wild Bergamot 4.23 Wild Bergamot 10.4
Wild Bergamot 27.86 Indian Grass 30.52 Stiff Goldenrod 3.79 Indian Grass 7.3
Stiff Goldenrod 19.83 Compass Plant 13.57 Indian Grass 3.06 Compass Plant 4.51
Rosinweed 19.12 Rosinweed 13.32 Yellow Coneflower 2.91 Prairie Dock 2.62
Yellow Coneflower 17.39 Switch Grass 11.83 Compass Plant 2.87 Switch Grass 2.57
Compass Plant 16.95 Prairie Dock 9.77 Rosinweed 2.83 Sawtooth Sunflower 1.68
Tall Coreopsis 14.74 Sawtooth Sunflower 7.42 Tall Coreopsis 2.08 Rosinweed 1.14
Mountain Mint 10.54 Foxglove Beard Tongue 7.17 Foxglove Beard Tongue 1.66 Black-eyed Susan 1.08
Foxglove Beard Tongue 9.37 Stiff Goldenrod 6.62 Mountain Mint 1.57 Stiff Goldenrod 0.84
Prairie Dock 8.32 New England Aster 5.88 Switch Grass 0.76 White Prairie Clover 0.81
Switch Grass 5.92 Yellow Coneflower 5.26 Sawtooth Sunflower 0.68 New England Aster 0.76
Sawtooth Sunflower 5.55 Tall Coreopsis 4.86 Prairie Dock 0.64 Foxglove Beard Tongue 0.59
New England Aster 2.74 White Prairie Clover 3.98 Rattlesnake Master 0.3 Tall Coreopsis 0.43
Black-eyed Susan 2.72 Black-eyed Susan 3.09 Wild Quinine 0.23 Yellow Coneflower 0.3
Rattlesnake Master 1.59 Tall Boneset 3.06 New England Aster 0.21 Tall Boneset 0.19
Wild Quinine 1.37 Heath Aster 2.23 Black-eyed Susan 0.19 Heath Aster 0.19
Tall Boneset 1.15 Indian Hemp 2.05 Tall Boneset 0.13 Mountain Mint 0.16
White Wild Indigo 1.02 Mountain Mint 1.51 White Wild Indigo 0.11 Indian Hemp 0.08
Dense Blazing Star 0.76 Rattlesnake Master 0.88 Dense Blazing Star 0.02 Rattlesnake Master 0.03

 

GRAPHS COMPARING 2006 TO 2005 IMPORTANCE VALUES


Graph of Importance Values for Plot 17 2005

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Dominance Values for Prairie Plants 2005 Back to Top of Page

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All the Data for Plot #17 2006

Native Plant (Prairie Plants) Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Big Bluestem 1125 895 28 30.41 0.76 24.19 56.79 21.88 40.41 119.07
Stiff Goldenrod 26 31 5 0.7 0.14 0.84 1.31 3.91 1.4 6.62
Compass Plant 42 167 5 1.14 0.14 4.51 2.12 3.91 7.54 13.57
Indian Grass 162 270 13 4.38 0.35 7.3 8.18 10.16 12.19 30.52
Switch Grass 72 95 5 1.95 0.14 2.57 3.63 3.91 4.29 11.83
Rattlesnake Master 1 1 1 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.78 0.04 0.88
Prairie Dock 14 97 6 0.38 0.16 2.62 0.71 4.69 4.38 9.77
Rosinweed 56 42 11 1.51 0.3 1.14 2.83 8.59 1.9 13.32
Yellow Coneflower 17 11 5 0.46 0.14 0.3 0.86 3.91 0.5 5.26
Black-eyed Susan 10 40 1 0.27 0.03 1.08 0.51 0.78 1.81 3.09
Tall Coreopsis 20 16 4 0.54 0.11 0.43 1.01 3.13 0.72 4.86
Sawtooth Sunflower 45 62 3 1.22 0.08 1.68 2.27 2.34 2.8 7.42
Wild Bergamot 280 385 21 7.57 0.57 10.4 14.13 16.41 17.38 47.92
Mountain Mint 9 6 1 0.24 0.03 0.16 0.45 0.78 0.27 1.51
New England Aster 14 28 5 0.38 0.14 0.76 0.71 3.91 1.26 5.88
White Prairie Clover 21 30 2 0.57 0.05 0.81 1.06 1.56 1.35 3.98
Tall Boneset 8 7 3 0.22 0.08 0.19 0.4 2.34 0.32 3.06
Heath Aster 7 7 2 0.19 0.05 0.19 0.35 1.56 0.32 2.23
Foxglove Beard Tongue 45 22 5 1.22 0.14 0.59 2.27 3.91 0.99 7.17
Indian Hemp 7 3 2 0.19 0.05 0.08 0.35 1.56 0.14 2.05

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Invasives (Weeds)
Non-Native Plant Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Black Raspberry 4 20 2 0.11 0.05 0.54 0 1.94 1.06 3.01
Daisy Fleabane 29 4 3 0.78 0.08 0.11 0.01 2.91 0.21 3.14
Wild Carrot 86 18 3 2.32 0.08 0.49 0.04 2.91 0.96 3.91
Sweet Clovers (tall) 435 280 16 11.76 0.43 7.57 0.18 15.53 14.89 30.6
Yarrow 48 69 9 1.3 0.24 1.86 0.02 8.74 3.67 12.43
Tall goldenrod 121 116 15 3.27 0.41 3.14 0.05 14.56 6.17 20.78
Common Milkweed 2 14 2 0.05 0.05 0.38 0 1.94 0.74 2.69
Clovers (ground) 7 12 2 0.19 0.05 0.32 0 1.94 0.64 2.58
Hairy Vetch 14 65 6 0.38 0.16 1.76 0.01 5.83 3.46 9.29
Hairy Aster 6 7 2 0.16 0.05 0.19 0 1.94 0.37 2.32
Drummonds Aster 16 11 4 0.43 0.11 0.3 0.01 3.88 0.58 4.47
Dandelion 13 5 1 0.35 0.03 0.14 0.01 0.97 0.27 1.24
Unlisted-Round leaf 30 10 1 0.81 0.03 0.27 0.01 0.97 0.53 1.51
Unlisted-Oval leaf 725 192 8 19.59 0.22 5.19 0.3 7.77 10.21 18.28
Unlisted-Grasslike 238819 1056 27 6454.57 0.73 28.54 99.36 26.21 56.14 181.71
Unlisted-Triangular Pointed Leaf 3 2 2 0.08 0.05 0.05 0 1.94 0.11 2.05

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GRAPH COMPARING PRAIRIE PLANTS 2006 BY IMPORTANCE VALUE:        Back to Data

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GRAPH OF ALL PLANTS IN PLOT 17 2006 BY DOMINANCE :        Back to Data

 

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IMPORTANCE VALUES GRAPH FOR PLOT 17 2005

See Importance Value graph 2006 

 

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IMPORTANCE VALUES FOR PLOT 17 2006



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STUDENT DATA FOR FALL OF 2005! 

CLICK ON THE CLASS PERIOD LINKS BELOW TO SEE THIS YEARS STUDENT COLLECTED DATA AND ANALYSES

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MRS. COUTTS CLASSES MR. CWIK'S CLASSES
PERIOD 1 2005 PERIOD 2 2005
PERIOD 2 2005 PERIOD 4 2005
PERIOD 3 2005 PERIOD 7 2005
PERIOD 9 2005 PERIOD 8 2005

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NEW!!

STUDENT DATA FOR FALL OF 2006!

Click on the Classes below to see the individual pages of the students.

MRS. COUTTS CLASSES

MR. CWIK'S HONORS BIOLOGY ll

PERIOD 1 2006

 

Seton Academy Honors Biology ll 

PERIOD 2 2006

PERIOD 3 2006

PERIOD 9 2006

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COPYRIGHT:

© Copyright 2004, L&T Natural Images and Madison Jr. High, all rights reserved. Contact information: email at lcwik@ncusd203.org or tcoutts@ncusd203.org


ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
This project was created by the 7th grade students of teams 7 UPS and TEAM UNITED from Madison Jr. High, Naperville Consolidated Unit School District #203 in Naperville, Illinois with the help of their teachers Mrs. Trudi Coutts and Mr. Lawrence Cwik along with Technology Lab Director Mrs. Margaret Gilmore. Support for the project came from Principal Ms. Erin Anderson and the other dedicated and cooperative faculty and staff of Madison Jr. High.

REFERENCES:
Fermilab Education Department particularly the SIMply Prairie Project. Authors: Bill Fraccaro, Johnson School, Wheaton, IL; Larry Cwik and Pat Franzen, Madison Junior High School, Naperville, IL; and Bernie Jokiel, Gary D, Jewel Middle School, North Aurora, IL.
Created for the NTEP II Fermilab LInC program sponsored by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office and Friends of Fermilab, and funded by United States Department of Energy, Illinois State Board of Education, North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium which is operated by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National Science Foundation.