FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2004

FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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Data Table

Graphs

Comparative Analysis

GPS LOCATION: N:41°50'27.9 W:88°16'24.6

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Marcy J

Plot 17 aerial view

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All Quadrats

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DATA:]

Fermi quadrat

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

Plant Name	Total # plants found	Total Percentage	Dominance	Importance Value
unknown grass	1288	30	30	5211.4
Big Blue Stem	27	14	14	144.6
Indian Grass	7	16	16	67.4
Mountain Mint	9	4	4	55.4
Rosinweed	2	2	2	58.3
New England Aster	9	4	4	58.3

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:

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Graphs of Dominance and Importance Value for all quadrats

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

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Background Information

This year in 2006 we went to the Fermi Lab to study plants. We learned about dominance, importance value and diversity. Dominance is the total percent to cover of a species, a total area sampled. Dominant plants are the plants that are the most noticeable and take up the most room. It can also mean what kind of plant. Importance Value tells us how dominant, how frequent and how dense a plant is in an ecosystem. For example its relative dominance + relative frequency + relative density. But you cannot compare relative importance of a prairie plant with the relative importance of a weed because the two different/opposite things. Remember that Fermi is a great National lab since 1992. Diversity is used when comparing prairie plots because you can tell which plot is healthier. And that’s important to know how healthy a prairie. Dominant plants are important because they supply much of food and live space for animals. Having a variety of different things for example animals is good and healthy for an environment. Habitat is the place where particular plants and animals live. A coyote or a wild animal for example would live in the woods because that’s where they live. But we live in a house because were human beings.

Comparison

In 2006 in plot 17 there were of several plants. My diversity is less then all the other quadrats because other quadrats might have more prairie plants and weeds. The most common ones were Indian grass and big blue stem and unlisted grasses. In 2004 there were 3 top prairie plants. The first one was big blue stem with dominance of 19.93. Wild Bergamot 5.38 and Indian grass -4.38, Rosinweed -1.97. The greatest plant with the biggest dominance was big blue stem. The smallest dominance for prairie plants was prairie dock with a dominance of 0.87. The greatest importance value for prairie plants was 135.31. The weeds plants in 2004 had also 3 top plants. One was unknown grass -22.8 and tall goldenrod with 8.26 and oval leaf with a dominance of 2.36. The greatest dominance for weeds or 2004 was unknown grass with a importance value of 179.58. In 2005 big blue stem had the greatest dominance of 4.38. For the weeds it was unknown grass with a dominance of 42.6. The greatest importance value for big blue stem was 70.41. For the weeds it was 172.17 with the greatest importance value in 2005. In 2006 big blue stem had a dominance of 24.19. For weeds the non native plant had a dominance of 28.54. Big blue stem had the biggest importance value of 119.07 and for weeds it had the biggest importance value for unknown grass of 181.71.

Prediction

This year in 2006 when we went to the Fermi Lab we learned lots of great things. Now I can make an educated guess like a prediction to what will happen in 10 years to the prairie. Well to help me with that I have information I know from 1992. In 1992 the total plants found was 106. And the total weeds found were 241. I can tell there’s a difference between now and 1992. I think in 10 years there will be a lot more plants with all that sun and rain they will get. Also the importance value and dominance will change because there will be new and different plants. Some of the seeds will spread depending on the weather for example storms are really strong and powerful. Also some years we get more sun shine or especially rain. This year we did get pretty good enough of rain. Hopefully next year I can go to the Fermi lab and I can compare to see if my prediction was right.

Reflection

At the Fermi Lab I learned important things for a prairie. First of all I learned that you need dominance and importance value and I learned what they are. My favorite plant was Indian Grass because it was pretty and I loved the feeling of it. Also it was one that occurred the most. The three were big blue stem, Indian grass and switch grass. I learned many new prairie plants and weeds that I never heard of. I bet you my mom wouldn’t even know any of these. Hopefully I can go to the Fermi lab someday and do another quadrat. I learned that weeds need more water then prairie plants because weeds depend on water but prairie plants are dry and they have been in a drought before. Also the roots are different. Not only did I enjoy going to Fermi Lab but I learned many new things. I can’ wait to go there some other time.

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.