FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

Back to Period 3 Student List

GPS LOCATION: N: 41.50'27.6   W: 88.16'26.4

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Jordan

 

Aerial Virew of Fermilab Quadrat Plot 17

Geographical Map of Fermilab

 

 

Top Data Table Graphs Comparative Analysis

 
Bison Picture
 
map
 
Deer Picture
 
 
 




 

DATA:

 

Dark blue=Big Bluestem  Pink=Prairie Dock

Purple= Indian Grass Orange=Rosinweed

Light Pink=Tall Boneset Light Green=Yellow Coneflower

Red=Hairy Vetch Turquoise= Yarrow

Bright Pink=Unlisted Oval Leaf

Brown= Brown Leaf Dark Green=Crab Grass                                                                  

                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of All Quadrats for 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    

 

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

Plant Name Total # Plants found Total Percentage Dominance Importance Value
Big Bluestem 46 20 20 238
Indian Grass 17 7 7 93
Prairie Dock 4 2 2 19
Rosin Weed 1 0.5 0.5 14
Tall Boneset 1 0.5 0.5 14
Yellow Coneflower 1 0.5 0.5 14
Hairy Vetch 1 0.5 0.5 14
Yarrow 1 0.5 0.5 14
Unlisted Oval Leaf 1 0.5 0.5 14
Brown Leaf 4 2 2 30
Crab Grass 10 5 5 60

 

 

 

Top

 

GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

 

 

Top

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Comparative Analysis

  Part One

This fall (2006) my seventh grade class and I went to Fermilab to continue our prairie study. We wanted to study and observe different parts of a prairie.                                                                                                                                    

            First off, diversity is key in having a good, healthy prairie. The more there is, the better. To find the diversity you have to observe the different kinds of living things (not always just plants) in one ecosystem. Having diversity increases the habitat for insects and animals too. Lets say that in a prairie only three different plants were found. That would not be a very healthy prairie. This also means that only a few species of animals would be found there.

            Secondly, we learned about importance value and it’s significance in a strong prairie. To find the importance value you need to add up relative dominance, relative frequency and relative density. But what does this really mean? Importance value isn’t just numbers, it’s more than that. It tells us how dominant, frequent and dense a certain plant is. This may not seem exciting, but importance value helps discover what a prairie consists of.

            Finally, we come to dominance. To figure out what dominance is, just think of dominant. Dominant is the thing that is bigger, has more quantity or anything else that makes the object “better.” So, dominance means how much of one thing (in our case plant) there is. A dominant plant is the plant that takes up the most space. So if it takes up the most space, it would obviously be the most noticeable. If we didn’t know how dominant something was, how would we find the quantity?

            All in all, there are three components to make a prairie high-quality. They are dominance, diversity and importance value. Once you know that, you can tell how sufficient the prairie is.

 

Comparative Analysis 2

 

In only a few years, many changes have occurred in the Fermilab prairie for many different reasons.

First off, the biggest change is probably importance value. In 2005, the importance value of big bluestem (a prairie plant) was 70.41. This year, (2006) it is 119.07. In the weed category, unlisted grasslike plants had an importance value of 172.17 in 2005. This year, it has an importance value of 181.71. There isn’t a huge difference in importance value for the unlisted grasslike, but there is a huge difference in big bluestem’s.

Next, dominance also had a large change in these past years. For 2005, big bluestem had a dominance value of 4.38. However, in 2006 it has a balance of 24.19. For unlisted grasslike in 2005, it had a dominance of 42.6. (Unlisted grasslike is type of grass that isn’t crabgrass, but not a specific prairie plant or weed either.) In 2006, it changed to 28.54. Oddly enough, the two plants had a change of roughly 20. However, big bluestem when up but unlisted grasslike went down.

Finally, diversity has changed as well. In my quadrat, there are six types of prairie plants and five weed types. That makes a total of eleven types of plants. However, in 2005 and 2006, there are many more plants than just eleven. I think this is because a quadrat is just a one meter by one meter space. The data that I received is from a whole plot.

All in all, I think that the changes in this prairie have occurred mainly because of weather. This is because weeds have smaller roots than prairie plants, so they can’t survive the weather as easily. Seeds blowing and other things contribute to this process as well. And the fact of the matter is that we can do nothing about it.

 

Comparative Analysis 3

 

            Looking at the different changes from 2004-2006, there have been many changes, and even bigger ones form 1992 up to now. Thinking about 10 years from now, I know that there will be many new changes.

            First of all, currently big bluestem is the dominant plant at Fermilab, with a balance of 24.19. However, back in 1992, it was the third dominant plant with 10.59. So going along with this pattern, in 10 years I think it will have a dominance of around 35. This is because in 14 years, the dominance has increased by 14. So in 10 years, I think it will increase by 10.

            Secondly, big bluestem also has the greatest importance value right now. Back in 1992, it had an importance value of 78.5. Right now the number is at 70.41. I think that the importance value will keep going down, slowly but surely. In 2016, I think the importance value will be about 66. I think this is because in 14 years, we have lost 8.09 in importance value.

 

Comparative Analysis 4

 

            This year in science, studying prairies was a big project. We went to Fermilab, we did many different projects to prepare, and we took many notes. Through all of this, I have learned many things.

            First of all, I learned that the slightest change can affect a prairie. Before I stepped into the science room this year, I knew that prairies were huge! However, I didn’t know that something as small as a but could affect it. If there is an over population of a but, there will be different animals living there.

 Next the weather has a big affect on the prairie too! If it thunderstorms, the prairie could flood and plants could drown. However, rain can help it too. Small showers help it grow, and get the nutrients it needs. If a fire should happen, I thought that it would hurt the prairie. But actually, it helps it. Since the weed has such short roots, the fire pulls them out. However, prairie plants have roots about three times its size. This means that the fire trims away the dead plants and makes room for new buds.

Finally, I learned that we need the prairie! When I was younger I thought that a prairie was just a bunch of grass. Now I know that it is much more than just plants. We need plants because they provide us with nutrients we need, like wheat, straw and more. Also, if we didn’t have a prairie, some of the animals that populate the earth wouldn’t have a home. That affects us because they are an important part of the world’s food web and that would wreck the chain. Also, we might get food or supplies from that animal. If they were gone, what would we do without them?

Overall, I have learned many things throughout our study of the prairie. Not only did I learn about plants, I also learned how to work in a group, cooperate, build off each other’s ideas and collect data successfully.

 

 

 

Top

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.
 

Top

 

 

Thanks For Visiting