FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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GPS LOCATION: N:_41°50'28.3"_________    W:_88°16'25.0"__________

STUDENT RESEARCHER: _Dave G ___________________

plot 17 arial view



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DATA:

 

plant name total #of plants found total percentage Dominance Importance Value
Big bluestem 13 27 27 102.7
Indian grass 33 22 22 177
Dasiy Fleabane 10 7 7 68
crab grass 450 15 15 1837
unlisted plants 20 17 17 119.3

 

  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

 

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part 1

 

In school we are studying quadrats. Quadrats are small one meter by one-meter areas with plants inside them and are used to study prairies and to see if they are healthy. There are three main things to look at when you’re doing a quadrat Diversity, Dominance, and importance value. To begin Diversity is simply the number of different plants your quadrat has. The diversity of my quadrat compared to fermi plot 17 will be a lot different because my quadrat was very small and only had a diversity of five and the whole plot had more room for more and different plants to grow so the plot will have a much higher diversity rate then my quadrat. Next is Dominance. Dominance how noticeable a plant is in your quadrat. This will very by a huge number because your quadrat could be on a patch of one certain kind of plant as I think mine was but in the whole plot that’s just one little tiny patch so its no wear near as dominant to the whole plot as it is to my small quadrat. Lastly there’s importance value. Importance value is how dense a plant is in an area and would very from my quadrat to the whole plot for the same reasons as dominance because if you have one really small but dense patch of Mountain mint or something in your quadrat it could be the only spot on the prairie with that plant so its importance value would be different. 

Part 2

 

            The data from the prairie in 2004, 2005, and 2006 can be compared for many reasons. To start, In 2004, 05, and 06 big bluestem was on top of the list for dominance and importance value so the conditions probably are best for it to grow like it has really big roots so it can get water from deep under ground and doesn’t need as much rain so even if there is a drought or a rainy season the plant can still thrive. For importance value big bluestem and wild bergamot have been the top two that means that there the most dense and have stayed that way since 1992 so those two have always been on top of the list. This is probably because these plants are very tall so they get most of the wind on the prairie so because they’re so tall most of their seeds blow off and the plants spread around rapidly. And when they spread around rapidly there’s more and more of them so they become denser therefore the importance value goes up because importance value is how dense a plant is. 

Part 3

 

In the prairie out in fermi lab I think the plants will stay about the same in the prairie. I think this because in 1992, 2004, 2005, and 2006 big bluestem, Wild bergamot. And Indian grass have been on top of the list for both Dominance and importance value and if three plants can stay pretty much the same in dominance and importance value for fourteen years I think its logical to think those plants will stay the same.

Part 4

 

 

            I have learned a lot since our class has started studying the prairie. To start I learned about quadrats. I was taught what all the instruments are called to get data from a quadrat are and how to use them. I also learned both living things or biotic things and non-living or aboitic things can both effect a prairie.

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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.