FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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Kelsey, Janie, and I went to Fermi Lab! =)

 

GPS LOCATION: N: 41° 50' 27.7   W: 88° 16' 26.1

STUDENT RESEARCHER: Lydia

 

Aerial View of Fermi Prairie Quadrats Plot 17

 

Geographic Map

 

 

DATA:

Table of Our Fermi Quadrat

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

Our Quadrat

                                              

Table of All Quadrats of plot 17

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:

 

Graph of Our Fermi Quadrat

 

Graphs of Dominance and Importance Values for All Quadrats 2006

 

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part 1

Dominance, Importance Value, and Diversity are used to compare prairie plots because all of them are important to see how the prairie is do.

 Fermi was established in 1992. We want to see how the data is different or the same. Dominance is where a kind of plant is the most obvious and noticeable, and the one that takes up more room. If we use Dominance to compare, we would see which plant is the most noticeable. The plant with the highest dominance value is usually the most important. We could look at our graphs to determine which plant is most significant. The dominant plants provide food and living areas for animals. They take the most amount of space above and below ground. Because the dominant plant is great in quantity, they will change the amount of sunlight to shorter plants.

                The next characteristic to compare plants is the Importance Value. It is the sum of the relative dominance, relative frequency, and the relative density of a plant. We combine the totals to find out how important the plant is.

                Diversity is different variety of things that live together in the same place. The health of the environment can be determined by the diversity of plants. Basically it means the more varieties of something, the better. To find out if the diversity of plants has changed, we can look at the data tables and graphs and count the species.

                These three values, Dominance, Importance Value, and Diversity, are important to comparing prairie plants.

               

Part 2

                Using those three values to compare, I am going to make comparisons for our single quadrat, team totals, 2005, and 2006.

                In our quadrat, we found 6 plants including crabgrass. This is not a great diversity of plants compared to our teams, 2005, and 2006’s. Over the years, some new plants, like the Black-eyed Susan, grew. This makes the diversity of plants greater. Some plants decreased in value, or they died, which will decrease the diversity. Why do you think some plants decreased?

                The dominant prairie plant in our quadrat was the Big Bluestem. In 2005 and 2006, the dominant plant was also Big Bluestem (Turkey Foot). The Stiff Goldenrod decreased in dominance in 2006. It was number 3 in ‘05, but now it is number 10. Indian Grass increased in dominance form 4 to 3. These are some examples of plants becoming more dominant or decreasing in dominance.

                Like in dominance, Big Bluestem is also very important. It has gotten a greater importance value than last year. Sawtooth Sunflower was never on the top ten species but this year it is #8. Even though my group has never seen this in our quadrat, other groups recorded it. Big Bluestem, Wild Bergamot, and Indian Grass are always the top three, as far as I can see. The importance value of them changes a bit, but they are always more significant than the other.

                 I have used the 3 values to compare the prairie plants in our quadrat, our team totals, 2005, and 2006.

  

Part 3

                What do you think will happen in 10 years to plot 17? Well, I think that it will be mostly the same. Based on 1992’s (plot 16) data, I predict that the important and dominant plants, like the Big Bluestem and Indian Grass, will continue to “dominate” the plot. The plants that are not that important will increase or decrease a little bit. Unless something happens, like a natural disaster, I think in general, plot 17 will be a lot like the plot 17 right now.

 

Part 4

                This trip to Fermi Lab has taught me many things. Going to the “prairie” made me learn how to compare prairie plants, learn new vocabulary, and most importantly, learn the prairie plants and the history and facts about it. I have almost never thought about how Illinois used to be a prairie. I think this was a really valuable experience.

 

 

 

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.