FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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GPS LOCATION: N:_____41 50'28.3_____    W:___88 16'23.9________

STUDENT RESEARCHER: _____Alyssa_______________

Fermi lab was awesome!

 

Top Data Table Graphs Comparative Analysis

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DATA:

         
Plant Name Total # of Plants Found  Total Percentage      Dominance Importance Value  
Big Bluestem 461 49 49 2844  
Sweet Clover 6 1 1 64  
Yarrow 1 0.5 0.5 34  
Tall Goldenrod 14 5 5 176  
 Prairie Dock 3 1 1 52  

 

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      
                     
                     
                     
                     
                     

 

 

 

 

 

GRAPH of QUADRAT

 

GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

                                     Compare Analysis

Part 1.

            This year our science class took a field trip to Fermi Lab. We observed and researched many different things in our quadrats and we recorded a lot of information about the prairie. I learned a jumble of different things in this trip at Fermi. Their prairie wasn’t always such a great big prairie stretching many miles. Oh no! It started out as a farmland and went through a lot of plowing and planting. It also started out as a weed field and unnoticed. As time went on, however, the weeds grew into what it is now, quite a huge sight to see, stretching may miles. This all began in 1992 when the students started coming to the prairie. We used three things to help us compare out data and prairie plants, dominance, importance value, and diversity. Let’s start out with dominance. Dominance is the total percent a species covers divided by the total area sampled. This is used to compare prairie plots because dominance and dominant plants are the most noticeable and take up the most amount of space. A large tree or large plant for, example, are dominant plants because they are very noticeable and in other words take up the most space. You can use this to compare because this can help you to compare the different type of plants and which event. Also divide your quadrat into sections of which area contains more dominant plants and which area doesn’t. Next is importance. Importance value is when you add relative dominance and relative frequency and relative density. It tells us how dominant, frequent, and how dense plants are. This can help us determines, in comparing, the prairie plots, which areas in the prairie are more dense or more frequent and dominant then others. Also you can compare the affects of the prairies with them being more dense or frequent or dominant. Lastly we use diversity to compare the prairie plots. Diversity is the totally number of the different species for all quadrats divided by the number of quadrats. Now the total number of different species for all quadrats is the sum of the number of different species for each quadrat. Now that we’ve cleared that up, biological diversity means also that many different kinds of living things live together in the same area. They can use this to help compare the different type of species in the quadrat and the effect each quadrat species have in their quadrat. You can see which quadrat has more species then another and if it has a smaller amount of species.

 

Part 2.

             Through finding all my data for my single quadrat I also recorded the data for 2005 and 2006 for dominance and importance value on my comparative analysis worksheet. Now, in my single quadrat for diversity I had a wide variety of different plants. I had prairie dick, big bluestem, sweet clovers (tall), tall goldenrod, and yarrow. My diversity for my quadrat was five, because I had five different species of plants. In comparing that to 2005 and 2006 they had ten different prairie plants for 2005, big bluestem, wild bergamot, stiff goldenrod, Indian grass, prairie cord grass, yellow coneflower, compass plant, rosinweed, tall coreopsis, and fox glove beard. Those were only the top ten though; there were many more and definitely more than my single quadrat. However for 2006 the top ten for diversity were big bluestem, wild bergamot, Indian grass, compass plant, prairie dock, switch grass, saw tooth sunflowers, rosinweed black-eyed Susan, and stiff goldenrod. Just like 2005, 2006 had many more species, but those were only the top ten. So my single quadrats species was smaller then the whole 2005 and 2006’s data. Next is that there is a variety of the dominance throughout the year. In my single quadrat my most dominant prairie plant was big bluestem by far. My least dominant plant was prairie dock. I also had quite a lot of tall goldenrod. Now in 2005 their highest dominant prairie plant was also big bluestem and their least dominant was fox glove beard tongue. In 2006 their most dominant prairie plant was, once again, big bluestem and the least dominant was stiff goldenrod. Through all my data on dominance I can conclude that big bluestem, over all, was the most dominant and takes up the most space in the prairie. Now for my single quadrat’s most dominant prairie plants, it was tall goldenrod. For 2005 and 2006’s most dominant prairie weeds it was both unlisted grass like as their most dominant. Their least dominant weeds were, for 2005, wild carrot and for 2006, clovers (ground). For my last set of data it as on importance value. In my single quadrat for my importance value it was less then the importance value for 2005 and 2006 for prairie plants and weeds. 2005’s importance value was lower then 2006 and 2006 had the highest importance value. I’ve noticed that over the past three years big bluestem has had the highest importance value and I think that the weather made a contribution to the changes over the past few years for prairie changes. 2005’s importance value wasn’t much less then 2006 though!

 

Part 3.

            In ten years I predict that changes will occur in the prairie at Fermi lab. Now for example, from 1992 to present time there has been a big change in prairie life. In 1992 for their most dominant plants they were unlisted grass like, Indian grass, and big bluestem. I noticed that now instead of Indian grass being more dominant, big bluestem is and Indian grass has died down a little. For the top ten for weeds and prairie plants I noticed some plants I didn’t see on my top ten at all, including show tick trefoil, curled dock, and rattlesnake master. I guess that these plants have died off over the years and other plants have, in a way, have taken over. For my prediction from looking at 1992’s graph I predict that in a time span of ten years the prairies most dominant and with the highest importance value will stay up there and wont decrease much but the least dominant plants will keep decreasing like stiff goldenrod and clovers (ground). But big bluestem I have a feeling will stay very dominant and contain a very high importance value for many years to come.

 

Part 4.

            Through this long process of making a web page and rough drafts, not to mention all the data and recording, I’ve learned many things. From prairie plants and dominance to temperatures and diversity, I’ve learned about dominance, importance value, and diversity, too. Before this study I didn’t even know what those words meant. I also learned about quadrats and how to study and record the type of prairie and weed life. I’ve learned o graph and write all my data down (which wasn’t easy). I was taught how to work in a group and working together. I worked hard on comparing data between many things. My class even got to study a prairie right outside the school! In the end I ended up with a great web page and lots of hard work put into it and I get to show it off to everyone.

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.