FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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My Quadrat Group at Fermi, GO 7-UPS!!!

GPS LOCATION: N:___41° 5,027.7_______    W:_____88° 16,261______

STUDENT RESEARCHER: ___Kelsey W_________________

Aerial View of Fermi Quadrats Plot 17

Geographic Map of Fermi

Top Data Table Graphs Comparative Analysis

(INSERT YOUR LINKS IN THE LINKS TABLE BELOW. DELETE THIS WHEN DONE.)


















 

DATA:

Table of our Fermi Quadrat

 

Plant Name Dominance Importance Value Total # Plants Found Total Percentage
Big Bluestem 20 86 11 0.2
Indian Grass 10 66 9 10
Yellow Coneflower 2 24 1 0.02
Hairy Aster 4 30 2 0.04
Dogbane 4 30 2 0.04
Crab Grass  40 179 28 0.4

                                 

Table Of All Quadrats For 2006

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 2006:

(PLACE YOUR GRAPH OF THE DATA HERE)

Graphs Of Importance Value:

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

(COPY AND PASTE YOUR ANALYSIS HERE)

 

Part 1

 

     My whole seventh grade class went to Fermi over three days. Each quadrat group found importance, dominance, and density of our quadrats. What is this data you’re using, you may ask? Let me tell you’re about importance value to help you understand.

     When I say we found the importance value of our quadrat, I mean we found the sum of our data. Data meaning…the sum of relative dominance, the relative frequency, and the relative density. Add those together and you get your importance value. The importance value won’t make sense until you find out all those scientific words, for example, what is dominance? What does this mean!?

     Dominance is basically a fancy word for the plants in the prairie that are the most noticeable, or popular. Dominant plants are important because they supply a lot of food, and homes. Besides those two reasons, dominant plants also take space above and under the ground, making the plant three times the size of the plant above the ground. They also take up a certain amount of sunlight, so the dominant plant is affecting the other plants.

     What is density? Density, or diversity, means the different kinds of living things, living together. This helps the environment because of the change of species living there. The more diversity of plants, increases the habitat of other species. Habitat is the place where particular plants and animals live. We must preserve the diversity, to keep the habitat in good shape, and to save the animals and keep them healthy.

Part 2

     In my quadrat, I had five different plants, that’s my diversity. In plot 17 there were at least 45 different plants. Why does plot 17 have so much diversity, and mine so little? My quadrat is a little part of plot 17, so I only have less than a forth of the whole plot. In the past years, 2004, 2005, even 1992, importance value has changed. For example, big bluestems importance value for 2005 was 70.41, while 2006’s was 119.07. Dominance also changed in the past years, from 2005’s Big Bluestem dominance, 24.19 to 2006’s Big Bluestem dominance 4.38. As one can see each year the prairie changes for the better or the worse.

 

Part 3

     My prediction for the future for plot 17 is that the dominance and importance value for 2007 will go down if we don’t get much precipitation, and up if we get plenty of precipitation. I think this because in 2005, the values went way down, and in 2006, they went up again. I also predict that if we get a lot of sunlight and precipitation, the prairie will get healthier and have few weeds.

 

Part 4

     Going to Fermi and learning and understanding prairies taught me a lot about nature. Importance value, dominance, and diversity are very important to know about your prairie because it determines if its healthy or not. Knowing the type of plants and weeds about your prairie is also important because it helps you understand more about the data you have. I think that this whole project taught me that nature is much more than it looks like.

 

 

 

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.