FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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Fermilab 2006

GPS LOCATION: N: 41.50,27.8   W: 88.16,26.4

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Lauren N.

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top Data Table Graphs Comparative Analysis


table of all quadrats of plot 17
 graph of importance value and dominance



Data

DATA:

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

Plant Name Total # Plants Found Total percentage  Dominance importance value 
Big Bluestem  29 16 16 61
Indian Grass 12 5 5 22
Rosinweed 2 1 1 4
Tall Bonset  5 3 3 11
Tall Goldenrod  8 4 4 16
Crabgrass  264 11 11 286

table of all Qoadrats 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

GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

 

 

graphs of dominance and importance values of plot 17

 

Comparative Analysis

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

 

Fermi lab was all farm land before they plowed and planted seeds to restore the prairie. The Fermi lab was established in 1992.students took down information the first year showing the early stages of the prairie. Researchers looked at certain characteristics of the prairie plants population, these includes dominance, importance value, and diversity. Dominance is the percentage of the plant species also the percent covering the ground. An easy way to look at it is to see it is the most noticeable or the most dominant. Importance value tells you how dominant and frequent also how dense a plant is in the ecosystem. The diversity of prairie is the total number of different species in an area. In the prairie when they first started planting weeds dominated, but year after year prairie fires destroyed the weeds and less came back every year. The prairie fires were created to destroy the weeds, the fires did no harm to the prairie plants because the plants had deep roots. The fires actually helped in many ways, for instance the fires killed the top of the plants and fell to the ground. The recycled material became nutrients so the plants could grow. Also it removed and built up layers of died material so the littler plants could grow, another way it helps the sunlight reaches the ground because the smaller plants are shaded by the larger plants. Weeds and other plants like trees can not survive the fires because of the roots, they are not as deep as the prairie plants.

    

 

     In plot 17 there were a lot of different plants. There were plenty of ones that I didn’t have in my small quadrat. The average big glue stem in plot 17 was less then mine probably because there was less in some quadrats also the wind could have blown the seeds to a different in the prairie. As the class added the totals of importance value and dominance. The seventh grader did this since 1992. In 2006 there were many of the same plants in 2005. For importance value big bluestem was the greatest in 2006 and in 2005 but in 2006 there was mare big bluestem then 2005. That makes me think that the prairie plants are growing every year. Also there is more wild bergamot in 2006 if you look at the chart above you can assure your self that the importance value is growing every year. You can also see how the dominance has grown it has grown a lot since the fall of 2005 to the fall of 2006.some of the plants are a lot more like big bluestem in 2006 it is 24.19 and in 2005 it is 4.38 but other plants like stiff goldenrod in 2005 it was 3.79 and in 2006 it was 1.08 so you can see the prairie in increasing and decreasing.

     

 

     I think in the future some prairie plants will increase in frequency and some will decrease. I think big bluestem is going to increase. Also I think Rosin weed will decrease. Because it decreased about in about .30 in 1992. I think this prediction will come true because there is a pattern in 1992, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

      

 

     In the end I learned how to use many different instruments that can find out many different things, like finding the temperature of the soil, also finding air moisture. I figured out how to tell the difference between many different types of prairie plants, like big bluestem and Indian grass. I really enjoy the trip to Fermi lab because I learned a lot I couldn’t have some were else.

 

 

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.