FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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Data Table

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Comparative Analysis

GPS LOCATION: N: 41° 50'28.5" W: 88° 16'24.6"

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Kevin L. 1

Aerial View of Fermi Prairie Quadrats Plot 17

Geographical Map of Fermi

DATA:

Plant name	Dominance	Importance Value
Big Bluestem	5	31.923
Indian Grass	2	18.769
Rosinweed	3	23.153
Wild Bergamot	5	51.923
Yellow Coneflower	3	27.153
Fox Glove Beard Tongue	1	14.384
Sweet Clovers (tall)	60	313.076
Yarrow	6	44.307
Unlisted Oval Leaf	75	336.461
Kentucky Blue Grass	100	998.846

table of Quadrats of plot 17


Total Percentage Found	# of Quadrats Found In	Density	Frequency	Dominance	Relative Density	Relative Frequency	Relative Dominance	Importance Value
423	11	16.67	0.92	35.25	40.57	27.5	48.62	116.69
30	1	1	0.08	2.5	2.43	2.5	3.45	8.38
222	8	10.5	0.67	18.5	25.56	20	25.52	71.08
38	2	2.83	0.17	3.17	6.9	5	4.37	16.27
44	3	0.58	0.25	3.67	1.42	7.5	5.06	13.98
5	3	0.5	0.25	0.42	1.22	7.5	0.57	9.29
4	2	0.42	0.17	0.33	1.01	5	0.46	6.47
80	4	7.58	0.33	6.67	18.46	10	9.2	37.65
15	1	0.08	0.08	1.25	0.2	2.5	1.72	4.43
7	3	0.67	0.25	0.58	1.62	7.5	0.81	9.93
1	1	0.08	0.08	0.08	0.2	2.5	0.12	2.82
1	1	0.17	0.08	0.08	0.41	2.5	0.12	3.02

Total Percentage Found	# of Quadrats Found In	Density	Frequency	Dominance	Relative Density	Relative Frequency	Relative Dominance	Importance Value
1	1	0.08	0.08	0.08	0.02	3.03	0.16	3.21
18	3	7.17	0.25	1.5	2.02	9.09	2.85	13.96
140	5	14	0.42	11.67	3.95	15.15	22.15	41.26
27	4	1.5	0.33	2.25	0.42	12.12	4.27	16.82
16	4	2.08	0.33	1.33	0.59	12.12	2.53	15.24
10	1	0.17	0.08	0.83	0.05	3.03	1.58	4.66
17	2	0.25	0.17	1.42	0.07	6.06	2.69	8.82
4	1	0.5	0.08	0.33	0.14	3.03	0.63	3.8
154	4	9.25	0.33	12.83	2.61	12.12	24.37	39.1
245	8	319.25	0.67	20.42	90.12	24.24	38.77	153.13



	Native Plants by I.V	Importance Value
	Big Bluestem	116.69
	Indian Grass	71.08
	Wild Bergamot	37.65
	Switch Grass	16.27
	Prairie Dock	13.98
	Tall Boneset	9.93
	Rosinweed	9.29
	Compass Plant	8.38
	Yellow Coneflower	6.47
	New England Aster	4.43
	Indian Hemp	3.02
	Foxglove Beard Tongue	2.82


	Non-Native (Weed) Plants by I.V.	Importance Value
	Unlisted-Grasslike	153.13
	Sweet Clovers (tall)	41.26
	Unlisted-Oval leaf	39.1
	Yarrow	16.82
	Tall goldenrod	15.24
	Wild Carrot	13.96
	Hairy Vetch	8.82
	Clovers (ground)	4.66
	Drummonds Aster	3.8
	Daisy Fleabane	3.21




Importance Value		ALL SPECIES	Dominance		ALL SPECIES	Importance Value
116.69		Big Bluestem	35.25		Unlisted-Grasslike	153.13
8.38		Unlisted-Grasslike	20.42		Big Bluestem	116.69
71.08		Indian Grass	18.5		Indian Grass	71.08
16.27		Unlisted-Oval leaf	12.83		Sweet Clovers (tall)	41.26
13.98		Sweet Clovers (tall)	11.67		Unlisted-Oval leaf	39.1
9.29		Wild Bergamot	6.67		Wild Bergamot	37.65
6.47		Prairie Dock	3.67		Yarrow	16.82
37.65		Switch Grass	3.17		Switch Grass	16.27
4.43		Compass Plant	2.5		Tall goldenrod	15.24
9.93		Yarrow	2.25		Prairie Dock	13.98
2.82		Wild Carrot	1.5		Wild Carrot	13.96
3.02		Hairy Vetch	1.42		Tall Boneset	9.93
3.21		Tall goldenrod	1.33		Rosinweed	9.29
13.96		New England Aster	1.25		Hairy Vetch	8.82
41.26		Clovers (ground)	0.83		Compass Plant	8.38
16.82		Tall Boneset	0.58		Yellow Coneflower	6.47
15.24		Rosinweed	0.42		Clovers (ground)	4.66
4.66		Yellow Coneflower	0.33		New England Aster	4.43
8.82		Drummonds Aster	0.33		Drummonds Aster	3.8
3.8		Foxglove Beard Tongue	0.08		Daisy Fleabane	3.21
39.1		Indian Hemp	0.08		Indian Hemp	3.02
153.13		Daisy Fleabane	0.08		Foxglove Beard Tongue	2.82

GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

graphs of dominance and importance value

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part 1 Background knowledge
There are 3 different ways to compare prairie plots or quadrants. The 3 ways are Dominance, Diversity, and Importance Value. However, you may be wondering what a quadrant is. A quadrant is a square, usually 1 meter by 1 meter. A plot is a section of land that you are studying. Importance Value is used to measure how important a plant is or how much land it covers. Dominance is used to measure the most dominate plants or the type of plant that is growing the most. Finally, Diversity is used to measure all the different kinds of plants living in the same area.

Part 2 comparison
In 2004, the top three were Big Bluestem with the highest dominance. Wild Bergamot had the second highest dominance, followed by Indian Grass. In 2005, Big Bluestem still had the most dominance followed by Stiff Goldenrod. However, Indian Grass moves down to fourth most dominate. In 2006, Indian Grass becomes third most dominate and knocks Stiff Goldenrod off the top ten list. Wild Bergamot is still the second most dominate plant and Big Bluestem is still the most dominate plant.

The top three prairie plants importance values stay mainly the same throughout the years 2004, 2005, and 2006. Big Bluestem stays the most important (according to the importance value) throughout all 3 years. However, in 2004, Wild Bergamot had the second highest importance value and Indian Grass had the third highest importance. In 2005, Indian Grass and Wild Bergamot switched places. In 2006, the Indian Grass and Wild Bergamot switch back to the way it was in 2004. A lot like the dominance was except for in 2005. In 2005, you would expect Stiff Goldenrod to have the second highest importance value but it doesn’t, Indian Grass does.

The dominance has a range of fifteen plants. Big Bluestem, Wild Bergamot, Indian Grass, Rosinweed, Compass Plant, Mountain Mint, Tall Coreopsis, Switch Grass, Black-eyed Susan, Prairie Dock, Stiff Goldenrod, Prairie Cord Grass, Yellow Coneflower, Foxglove Bearded Tongue and Saw Tooth Sunflower. Where as importance value only has a diversity of 14 plants. Big Bluestem, Wild Bergamot, Indian Grass, Rosinweed, Tall Coreopsis, Mountain Mint, Stiff Goldenrod, Compass Plant, Switch Grass, Prairie Dock, Prairie Cord Grass, Yellow Coneflower, Saw Tooth Sunflower, and Foxglove Bearded Tongue. Importance value has pretty much the same plants as dominance is off by one plant.

Part 3: Prediction
I predict that in ten years, somewhere in the top three “dominators” you will see the names Big Bluestem, and Indian Grass. The same goes for importance value, somewhere in the top three should. I predict this because in 92’ it was that way, in 04’ it was that way, in 05’ it was that way, and finally in 06’ it was that way. So in 2016 it should be that way.

Part 4: Reflection
I really liked this learning experience. The actual trip to Fermi was not as good as I expected but it had its ups and downs. However the rest of the work acceptable, (excluding the typing of course.) Plus I learned a how to use an anemometer (the instrument used to measure wind speed.) I learned what the correct ph levels for forests and prairies were (7.1 for a forest and 6.9 for a prairie) I also learned where to measures temperatures, and many other things. All in all it was a fairly good field trip.

COPYRIGHT:

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
This project was created by the 7th grade students of team 7 UPS from Madison Jr. High, Naperville Consolidated Unit School District #203 in Naperville, Illinois with the help of their teacher Mrs. Trudi Coutts 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.