FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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GPS LOCATION: N: 41º50'28.4"   W: 88º16'24.4"

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Megan L

Aerial View of Fermi Prairie Quadrats: Plot 17


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Comparative Analysis
Data
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DATA:

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

 

Plant Name Dominance Importance Value
Big Bluestem 8 80.6
Indian Grass 20 146.5
Sweet Clovers(tall) 60 150.3
Compass Plant 30 95.4
Yarrow 49 120.85
Crab Grass 35 153.9

 

Table of all quadrats of plot 17

RAW DATA                        
Native Plants Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value  
Big Bluestem 200 423 11 16.67 0.92 35.25 40.57 27.5 48.62 116.69    
Compass Plant 12 30 1 1 0.08 2.5 2.43 2.5 3.45 8.38    
Indian Grass 126 222 8 10.5 0.67 18.5 25.56 20 25.52 71.08    
Switch Grass 34 38 2 2.83 0.17 3.17 6.9 5 4.37 16.27    
Prairie Dock 7 44 3 0.58 0.25 3.67 1.42 7.5 5.06 13.98    
Rosinweed 6 5 3 0.5 0.25 0.42 1.22 7.5 0.57 9.29    
Yellow Coneflower 5 4 2 0.42 0.17 0.33 1.01 5 0.46 6.47    
Wild Bergamot 91 80 4 7.58 0.33 6.67 18.46 10 9.2 37.65    
New England Aster 1 15 1 0.08 0.08 1.25 0.2 2.5 1.72 4.43    
Tall Boneset 8 7 3 0.67 0.25 0.58 1.62 7.5 0.81 9.93    
Foxglove Beard Tongue 1 1 1 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.2 2.5 0.12 2.82    
Indian Hemp 2 1 1 0.17 0.08 0.08 0.41 2.5 0.12 3.02    
                       
Non-Native (Weed) Plants Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value  
Daisy Fleabane 1 1 1 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.02 3.03 0.16 3.21    
Wild Carrot 86 18 3 7.17 0.25 1.5 2.02 9.09 2.85 13.96    
Sweet Clovers (tall) 168 140 5 14 0.42 11.67 3.95 15.15 22.15 41.26    
Yarrow 18 27 4 1.5 0.33 2.25 0.42 12.12 4.27 16.82    
Tall goldenrod 25 16 4 2.08 0.33 1.33 0.59 12.12 2.53 15.24    
Clovers (ground) 2 10 1 0.17 0.08 0.83 0.05 3.03 1.58 4.66    
Hairy Vetch 3 17 2 0.25 0.17 1.42 0.07 6.06 2.69 8.82    
Drummonds Aster 6 4 1 0.5 0.08 0.33 0.14 3.03 0.63 3.8    
Unlisted-Oval leaf 111 154 4 9.25 0.33 12.83 2.61 12.12 24.37 39.1    
Unlisted-Grasslike 3831 245 8 319.25 0.67 20.42 90.12 24.24 38.77 153.13    
                       
SORTED DATA BELOW                        
                       
Native Plants by Dominance Dominance   Native Plants by I.V Importance Value                
Big Bluestem 35.25   Big Bluestem 116.69                
Indian Grass 18.5   Indian Grass 71.08                
Wild Bergamot 6.67   Wild Bergamot 37.65                
Prairie Dock 3.67   Switch Grass 16.27                
Switch Grass 3.17   Prairie Dock 13.98                
Compass Plant 2.5   Tall Boneset 9.93                
New England Aster 1.25   Rosinweed 9.29                
Tall Boneset 0.58   Compass Plant 8.38                
Rosinweed 0.42   Yellow Coneflower 6.47                
Yellow Coneflower 0.33   New England Aster 4.43                
Foxglove Beard Tongue 0.08   Indian Hemp 3.02                
Indian Hemp 0.08   Foxglove Beard Tongue 2.82                
                       
                       
Non-Native (Weed) Plants by Dominance Dominance   Non-Native (Weed) Plants by I.V. Importance Value                
Unlisted-Grasslike 20.42   Unlisted-Grasslike 153.13                
Unlisted-Oval leaf 12.83   Sweet Clovers (tall) 41.26                
Sweet Clovers (tall) 11.67   Unlisted-Oval leaf 39.1                
Yarrow 2.25   Yarrow 16.82                
Wild Carrot 1.5   Tall goldenrod 15.24                
Hairy Vetch 1.42   Wild Carrot 13.96                
Tall goldenrod 1.33   Hairy Vetch 8.82                
Clovers (ground) 0.83   Clovers (ground) 4.66                
Drummonds Aster 0.33   Drummonds Aster 3.8                
Daisy Fleabane 0.08   Daisy Fleabane 3.21                
                       
                       
                       
                       
ALL SPECIES Dominance Importance Value ALL SPECIES Dominance   ALL SPECIES Importance Value        
Big Bluestem 35.25 116.69   Big Bluestem 35.25   Unlisted-Grasslike 153.13        
Compass Plant 2.5 8.38   Unlisted-Grasslike 20.42   Big Bluestem 116.69        
Indian Grass 18.5 71.08   Indian Grass 18.5   Indian Grass 71.08        
Switch Grass 3.17 16.27   Unlisted-Oval leaf 12.83   Sweet Clovers (tall) 41.26        
Prairie Dock 3.67 13.98   Sweet Clovers (tall) 11.67   Unlisted-Oval leaf 39.1        
Rosinweed 0.42 9.29   Wild Bergamot 6.67   Wild Bergamot 37.65        
Yellow Coneflower 0.33 6.47   Prairie Dock 3.67   Yarrow 16.82        
Wild Bergamot 6.67 37.65   Switch Grass 3.17   Switch Grass 16.27        
New England Aster 1.25 4.43   Compass Plant 2.5   Tall goldenrod 15.24        
Tall Boneset 0.58 9.93   Yarrow 2.25   Prairie Dock 13.98        
Foxglove Beard Tongue 0.08 2.82   Wild Carrot 1.5   Wild Carrot 13.96        
Indian Hemp 0.08 3.02   Hairy Vetch 1.42   Tall Boneset 9.93        
Daisy Fleabane 0.08 3.21   Tall goldenrod 1.33   Rosinweed 9.29        
Wild Carrot 1.5 13.96   New England Aster 1.25   Hairy Vetch 8.82        
Sweet Clovers (tall) 11.67 41.26   Clovers (ground) 0.83   Compass Plant 8.38        
Yarrow 2.25 16.82   Tall Boneset 0.58   Yellow Coneflower 6.47        
Tall goldenrod 1.33 15.24   Rosinweed 0.42   Clovers (ground) 4.66        
Clovers (ground) 0.83 4.66   Yellow Coneflower 0.33   New England Aster 4.43        
Hairy Vetch 1.42 8.82   Drummonds Aster 0.33   Drummonds Aster 3.8        
Drummonds Aster 0.33 3.8   Foxglove Beard Tongue 0.08   Daisy Fleabane 3.21        
Unlisted-Oval leaf 12.83 39.1   Indian Hemp 0.08   Indian Hemp 3.02        
Unlisted-Grasslike 20.42 153.13   Daisy Fleabane 0.08   Foxglove Beard Tongue 2.82        

 

 

 

GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

Graphs of dominance and importance values for all quadrats 2006

 

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

 

Part 1. Background Information- What we are here to do is to find out the importance value, dominance and density for each plant in our quadrat, and for all the quadrats in 1992, 2004, 2005, and 2006. You are probably wondering what a quadrat is. A quadrat is a section of a prairie that is one meter by one meter. Those are three topics that we are focusing on right now are importance value, dominance, and density. All three of these subjects are very important. First off, let’s talk about importance value. To find importance value, you have to add relative dominance, relative frequency, and relative density together. Importance value tells us how dominant, how frequent, and how dense a plant is in the ecosystem. That might not make sense to you, but to scientist, that makes a lot of sense. Let me clarify the meaning for you. When it says tells you how dominant it is talking about how much space it takes up, and they are the most noticeable. When it talks about how frequent, it means how many times that it happens. When it says how dense it means how fast and how much water can the plant take in. The reason that importance value is important is because it tells us if the value and dominance is going up or if it is going down, telling us if it is losing power, or gaining some power.

            Now on to dominance. Dominance is the total percent cover of a species/ the total area sampled. It means that it focuses on one type of plant and it gives us in a certain area that had that plant, the total land that it covered. Each plant has its own dominance number. If a plant has a higher number for their dominance, that means that they cover more land then others, but if they have a lower number, that tells us that there is less kinds of plants like that. One reason why dominance is so important is because they supply much of the food and living space for animals. It also shows us how the environment works with animals, and how animals also work with the environment. Every plant’s dominance changes over the years. Dominance is so important to scientists, because it shows us how the environment works, with the plants helping the animals, by giving them shelter, and sometimes even food. Also to see how the animals help the plants, by moving around their seeds to grow more of that kind of plant to make it more dominant.

                Finally diversity. Diversity means many different kinds of living things live together in the same area. If that doesn’t make sense, this is a better way to explain it. Diversity is the total number of different species for all quadrats to the total number of quadrats.  It tells scientists the many different kinds of living things live together in the same area. The reason why diversity is so important to scientists is because it shows scientists how many species are dieing over time. Scientists need to know this, so they can see how plants are doing, and to see if the amount of rain or sunlight affects how they live and grow. Those are the three main parts that scientist need to know to see how plants are doing.

 

 

Part 2. Comparison- The dominance to our little quadrat and the dominance of the whole plot seventeen are very different. We can tell right away that they will be different, because a little section which only has six different kinds of plants, when the whole plot has probably twenty to thirty different kinds of plants, are defiantly going to have different percentages, and the most dominate plant is going to be different. The most dominant plant for our quadrat was Tall Sweet Clover, when the whole plot seventeen was Big Bluestem. The most dominant plant for each is different, because there are different amounts of plants, and different numbers of plants. Big Bluestem is the most dominate plant in mostly everybody’s quadrat, so that makes it the most dominant plant for the whole plot seventeen. The top three dominant plants were Tall Sweet Clovers, which it’s dominance was 60 percent, Yarrow which it’s dominance was 49 percent, and the third one was Crab Grass which it’s dominance was 35 percent. The dominance for the top three plants for the whole plot seventeen was Big Bluestem with a dominance of 24.19, Wild Bergamot with a dominance of 10.4, and Indian Grass with a dominance of 7.3. Our numbers are way different then plot seventeen’s, because we had a different amount of plants, and a different number of plants.

            Our importance value is also different then the whole plot seventeen’s, because we had fewer plants then the whole plot seventeen. Our top three plants with the highest importance values are Crab Grass with an importance value of 153.9, and then Tall Sweet Clover with an importance value of 150.3, and then the plant who has the third highest importance value for our quadrat was Indian Grass with an importance value of 146.5.  The top three plants for importance value in 2006 were Big Bluestem- 119.07, Wild Bergamot- 47.92, and Indian Grass- 30.52. In 2005 their top three were Big Bluestem- 70.41, Indian Grass- 37.3, and Wild Bergamot- 27.86. In 2004 their top three were Big Bluestem- 135.31, Wild Bergamot- 45.38, and Indian Grass- 22.31. In 1992 their top three were Unlisted Grasslike- 172.7, Indian Grass- 100.21, and Big Bluestem- 78.5. As you can see the numbers changed a lot over the years, because amount of precipitation and the amount of sunlight they get change how they grow and how they live.

            The diversity of the plants change over the years are also going to change, depending on the weather, and the precipitation, and the amount of sunlight a plant gets from all the other plants blocking the light. The importance value, the diversity, and the dominance of a plant are defiantly going to change over the years, because of sunlight, precipitation, from the weather, and from other environmental factors that might affect a plant, like a animal eating it. Just like a plant changes over the years, we change over the years, too.

 

           

            Part 3. Prediction- Mrs. Coutts’ science class has been going to Fermi Lab since 1992. That is about 14 years ago! The plants have changed a lot over the years. Their dominances would either increase, or decrease over the years. In 1992, Big Bluestem’s dominance was 10.59, while the dominance of Big Bluestem went up to 24.19 in 2006. Wild Bergamot’s dominance in 1992 was 3.51, and in 2006 it went way up to 10.4. In 1992, Indian Grass’ dominance was 12.69, and in 2006 Indian Grass’ dominance was 7.3. That time the dominance happened to go down by 5.39 points. Big Bluestem got more dominate in 2006 by 13.6 points. Wild Bergamot happened to go up by 6.89 points. From all the data that I have collected, I can pretty much make an educated guess on what is going to happen in 10 years. I think that in ten years some of the plants in the prairie are going to get more dominant, while others will get more and more weak (less dominate.) Some will start to die out, because it might rain a lot, so they get flooded and drown. The plants that are lower to the ground will get less of the water, because they get blocked from the other more dominant plants. Others might die out from not enough rain, or from fires that kill it. I think that in ten years some plants will get more dominant and others will get less dominate, all depending on the environment.

 

 

            Part 4. Reflection- I learned that the plants in prairies work just like us. They all grow up and then eventually die out. There are many different kinds of plants, just like there are many different kinds of people. They also fight for sunlight and rain to survive. Us people also fight for food sometimes if we are really hungry. They also depend on each other for food and to live they need each other to protect each other from the rain and snow. We have to protect each other from guns and violence. We also protect each other from bad storms, and natural disasters.I learned that prairie plants have to depend on each other to live and survive.   

COPYRIGHT:

© Copyright 2006, L&T Natural Images and Madison Jr. High, all rights reserved. Contact information: email at lccwik@comcast.net or tcoutts@naperville203.org

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.