FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

Back to Period 9 Student List

Fermi Lab 2006

GPS LOCATION: N:_41°50'27.5''_________    W:_88°16'22.8''__________

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Allison S.____________________

Arial View of Fermi Quadrats: Plot 17

Fermi Site Map

Map of Our Quadrat

 


















 

DATA:

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

 

Plant Name Dominace Importance Value Total Number Plants Found Total Percentage
Big Bluestem 4 52.1 8 5
Indian Grass 2 31.06 4 2
New England Aster 0.5 15.3 1 0.5
Stiff Goldenrod 1.5 29.6 3 2
Wild Bergmont 4 52.1 8 5
Yellow Coneflower 6 73.2 12 6
Clovers (Ground) 0.5 15.3 1 0.5
Daisy Fleabane 10 115.3 20 40
Crab Grass 11 153.7 22 44

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:

 

Graphs of Dominance and importance value for all quadrats

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part 1: Background Information

            My class has been studying the prairie for a couple of weeks. Along with this topic was a trip to Fermi Lab to study the prairie there. At Fermi, we studied a quadrat with our groups in plot 17. A quadrat is a small area, a 1 meter by 1 meter square, within a larger area. We used this quadrat method to see how our part of the prairie, plot 17, has progressed over time. To monitor the process, we used three key aspects. The first is dominance. Dominance is how noticeable a specific plant is among others. Noticeable plants are the plants that take up the most room in a quadrat. Another aspect that we looked at was diversity. Diversity is all of the different plants, or species, in a different area. The diversity of plant life is a good thing to have because plant diversity gives you a variety of plants not just a few different kinds of plants. The last aspect we looked at was importance value. Importance value is relative dominance, relative frequency, and relative density. Relative dominance adds up the dominance of all species. Relative frequency is all of the frequency added up. The last that is added to get importance value is relative density (density is the number of plants in an area) all added up. All of these together are importance value. Importance value, dominance, and diversity are the tree aspects we used for our study of the prairie at Fermi Lab this year.

Part 2: Comparison

            My group’s single quadrat results were a lot different than our team’s totals. Since my quadrat was a small piece of the prairie, my results were different. In my quadrat, there were not as many different types of plants. Our whole team found a lot more plants than what was found in my quadrat. Therefore, the diversity of plants found in our quadrat was less than that of our whole team’s. The dominance of plants in my quadrat was different than everyone else’s also. In 2005, there was a lot more weed dominance than in my quadrat and my team’s totals this year. Importance value has gone up for weeds and plants from 2005 to 2006. The importance value for plants went up a lot while the weeds went up a little from last year to this year. The importance value has gotten higher, dominance has changed, and there is more plant diversity now than in 2005. Fermi is doing well in their process of growing a prairie.

Part 3: Prediction

            In ten years, Fermi prairie will probably be a lot different than what it is like now. Madison’s recorded data from 14 years ago shows that there were a lot more weeds than there were plants. For three years now, the most dominant plant has been Big Bluestem. Big Bluestem will probably continue to be at the top of the list for ten more years. Weed and plant dominance have both been going up and will probably be even higher in ten years. Although dominance has been rising, importance value for prairie plants has been lowering. With plant importance value lowering, weed importance value has risen. The future probably brings more diversity of plants, higher dominance, and maybe even less weeds. Fewer weeds would be good for the prairie because fewer weeds mean more plants. Ten years will probably bring a healthier prairie at Fermi Lab.

Part 4: Reflection

            Throughout the study of prairies and Fermi, I have learned a lot. I have learned to use tools to monitor the abiotic factors of an environment. Before studying the prairie, I didn’t know there were so many tools that you can use. Also, I learned about prairie plants. The diversity of plants seemed smaller before this unit, but now, I know it is huge. Last, I learned how to monitor a prairie’s growth through time. By recording the plants I found, I learned how diversity is an important factor in prairie life. Fermi and our prairie study at school have helped me to understand a lot more about prairie life.

 

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.