FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006
FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006
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GPS LOCATION: N:__41 50' 28.3________
W:_88 16' 23.9__________
STUDENT
RESEARC
HER:
__Julia 
| Top | Data Table | Graphs | Comparative Analysis |
| Top |
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| Data |
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| Graph |
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| Analysis |
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| 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 | ||||||
GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:
Julia Campbell
October 19, 2006
Science Part 1
The FermiLab prairie was established in 1992 to restore some the original prairies that once stood tall in Illinois. When they first started to grow the prairie it was 100% bare earth and non-native grasses until the prairie plants took over. Now the FermiLab prairie is maintained each year, by the students who study the prairie in an individual plot, called a quadrat. Quadrat study is like a snapshot of a prairie during a particular year and time. There are other things the people working at Fermi do to keep the prairie healthy, like setting fires to the prairie. A fire kills off the weeds in the prairie allowing the deep- rooted prairie plants to grow freely. The prairie plant’s roots are generally three times the size below ground comparing to above. The fire also allows sunlight to reach the soil and helps young plants grow. As you can see, we have some interesting ways of keeping the FermiLab prairie under control and healthy.
Dominance is a very important factor between plants in the prairie. Dominance is the total percent a species covers, or the total area a person might have sampled. It is basically how much room or how much land a species covers. Dominant plants are the most noticeable and take up the most room. They are a positive factor to the prairie ecosystem, because they supply much of the food and living space for other plants and animals. The dominant plant however, may control environmental conditions and can change the amount of sunlight a shorter plant can receive. The soil chemistry may change. This information can be useful in some cases, but not always in others.
Some other important factors between the plants are frequency, which is the total number of quadrats in which a species occurs, or shows up. It is how frequent the plant is in each plot of land recorded. Some plants have higher or loser frequencies than others. There is also the important factor called density. Density is the total number of plants of certain species. That means how much of that individual plant total that is in the quadrat.
Another very important prairie plant factor is importance value. Importance value tells us how dominant, how frequent and how dense a plant is in the ecosystem. That is basically stating all of the factors that were just stated. You are looking at the characteristics of an individual species. Importance value is can come in handy when you want to compare data from previous quadrat studi
One of the most important factors for the FermiLab prairie ecosystem is the biological diversity. It is the total number of different species for all the quadrats. The plants, animals and insects can’t survive on just one plant. They need a selection to choose from. The diversity of plant creates a habitat for these species. In a habitat particular plants, animals and insects survive and are compatible to each others needs. Each animal of species has a niche, which is how a living thing earns it living. Example- the monarch butterfly caterpillar eats the milkweed. It’s niche is to keep on eating the milkweed plant and pollinating it. That is how species live well together, they each have a different niche, so they are not constantly competing.
Scientists think that more than 50% of the existing species will be lost in the next hundred years. Laws have been made to protect certain species and preservation of habitats has been going on for a long time now. FermiLab is trying to make a difference too, by restoring a prairie that is home to millions of species. Every year students come out from all over Illinois to study the upkeep of the prairie. That is why it is so important to make sure that we keep our prairie healthy, because soon we may not have much left in other parts of Illinois.
Julia Campbell
October 20, 2006
Science- 3rd
Comparative Analysis-Part 2
In our quadrats, we realized after we had compared our group’s data to the previous years data, there seems to be a close relationship between plants. Yet, some of the plants that were in plot seventeen years before didn’t even show up on the top ten in plot seventeen this year.
We had most of the same plants show up in the categories for dominance and importance value, but a couple unique ones too. This year in plot seventeen, big bluestem ranked number one for every plant category, and unlisted grasslike for every weed category. These winners matched up from 2004 and 2005 too! The diversity among the plants in 2004 was excellent. The array included Big Bluestem, Wild Bergamont, Indian Grass, Rosin Weed, Compass Plant, Mountain Mint, Tall Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susan, Prairie Dock and Stiff Goldenrod. 2005 had mostly the same, yet, also added in the yellow coneflower, prairie cord grass and foxglove beard tongue. In 2006, this year, the saw-toothed sunflower was added in. As you can see, over the course of three years, many new plants have become part of the top ten, and others have lost their place. By having this diversity of plants, it supplies the resources needed for other species of plants, animals and insects. Weed diversity is a little different in species, but follow the same course of introducing new weeds. Actually, some plants that were in the top ten one year, do not show up the next, and then come back later.
The diversity of plants and weeds ties into comparing the species in dominance and importance value in plot seventeen. Like was stated before, in the plants dominance column, Big Bluestem ranks number one for all three years. In part one, I talked about the positive features of dominant plants, a conflict in the dominance column is if a dominant plant dies out, the species that live off of it won’t be able to survive well without it. In 2004, the Mountain Mint plant was ranked six, the next two years it disappeared, this is an example of what can happen when we don’t properly maintain the prairie, sometimes we can’t control it. In the weeds dominance column the Unlisted- grasslike ranked first for all three years like Big Bluestem. Some positive factors are that some of the weeds that were not very high in dominance have made an amazing comeback. Example would be the Hairy Vetch. It was ranked ninth in 2004, didn’t show up on the charts in 2005, and in 2006 was ranked sixth! Sometimes we get weeds that we don’t want, but it could still help our prairie in some way or another. These are good examples of what hard work can pull off.
The importance value between the plants is also an important health indicator and help managing prairie factor. As always, Big Bluestem is top every year. Just as Unlisted-Grasslike is top every year in the weeds column too! Just like in dominance importance value is a key factor, because it tells us exactly to which degree we should be maintaining the prairie in. If we have an unimportant plant coming out as number one, it could be killing off all the other plants, we need to know exactly what plants and weeds we need most of, and the ones we need the least of. We need the ones animals, insects and other plant and weed species need most. Like in dominance, some plants died out, some came back. The Prairie Cord Grass showed up in 2005, and did not come back in 2006. This is an example of a plant that might come back next year, or in a couple of years. Yet, the Foxglove Beard Tongue did not show up in 2004 or 2005, but then showed up in 2006 as number nine in importance value, sometimes new plants are introduced surprisingly, and that is sometimes really good for the species in the prairie, it could supply a new source of good food and shelter! The weeds were just the same, Common Milkweed showed up in 2005, being a super important supply for the Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar, and then did not show up in 2006. The Black Raspberry had never shown up in the previous years, but then showed up in 2006!
All in all, the totals from plot seventeen from 2004, 2005, and 2006 kept mainly the same plants and weeds. The top ten lost some weeds and plants, but gained some great new ones. These comparisons of the data display how the prairie life works, what affects it, and how it’s effected. This system of displays helps us to keep track of how healthy our prairie is, and just makes the FermiLab worker’s jobs easier.
Julia Campbell
October 24, 2006
Science P.3.
Comparative Analysis- Part 3
We have so far looked at all the data from the plot seventeen totals from 2004, 2005, and 2006. A lot of the plants seem to be healthy when we looked at the diversity, dominance, and importance value, but what is really going to happen in the next ten years?
To make this prediction, I have to look at plot 16 from 1992. In 1992 it shows some plants and weeds that we don’t have in the plot seventeen years we looked at. They had Showy Tick Trefoil and Rattlesnake Master. Those plants don’t show up in our recent data. The weeds were Common Ragweed, Curled Dock, Thistle, and Daisy Fleabane. It is also showed that in 1992 the Indian Grass outnumbered Big Bluestem in every category, and Unlisted-Grasslike still outnumbered all the weeds, that’s different!
According to this data, I predict that in the next ten years Common Ragweed will show up on the top ten again. I think that Big Bluestem will still keep it’s place on top, but slowly decrease in size of population, but so will the plants behind Big Bluestem, like Indian Grass and Wild Bergamot. I think that the Mountain Mint plant will increase inside and get back on the top-ten chart. Eventually I think another plant will out number Big Bluestem or Indian Grass, maybe Wild Bergamot. I think that Hairy Vetch, at number six right now, will increase in numbers and become a very important plant to other animal and insect species.
All in all, my prediction is from the plot sixteen 1992 data, and I could be wrong about some things, or right about other things. In the next ten years the prairie will change a lot, and I will see if my predictions were right!
Julia Campbell
October 24, 2006
Science per.3
Comparative Analysis- Part 4
Over the course of all the FermiLab prairie work, I have found out a lot more than I thought could ever happen at a simple prairie. In fact, this prairie was not simple, it was very complex. I have learned more about the plants, weeds, animals and insects in a long process of work.
In part one of the comparative analysis I looked at the background information, I learned the prairie was founded in 1992, that they used fires to kill unwanted weeds, and maintained the prairie using the information from dominance, diversity, and importance value. I found out that the kinds of information help the FermiLab workers to make sure that the plants and weeds in the prairie remained neutralized and balanced, and are getting the basic resources of sunlight, rain and more.
Secondly, I learned how to compare the data so that it could be displayed neatly and correctly when I did the Comparative Analysis- Part 2. The prairie plants and animals depend on weather and the natural resources from nature to help them live. This experience taught me to use logic sense and work hard. It is also taught me to create a mean web page! This project, I know will be done again in the years to come.
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.
