FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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DATA:

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Table of our Fermi Quadrat

Table of all Quadrats in Plot 17

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GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

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Graphs of Dominance and Importance Value of all Quadrats 2006

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part 1 – Background info.

At Fermi, we studied plot 17 to see how healthy the prairie is. Some of the factors we looked at were dominance, importance value, and diversity. You might be wondering what these are, and how they can determine how healthy the prairie is.

          Well, dominant plants are plants that are the most noticeable and take up the most room. They are important because they supply much of the food and living space for animals. But they affect the plants around them in a negative way. They soak up all the energy from the sunlight for the shorter plants. Plants that live with the dominant plants change.

Second, importance value is how important a plant is in the ecosystem. It tells us how dominant, how frequent and how dense a plant is in the ecosystem. Also it’s the sum of three values; relative frequency.

          Finally, the third factor is diversity. Diversity is how many different plants live in an area. Biological diversity is many different kinds of living things living together in the same area. If there is more diversity in the environment, the healthier the environment is. If there is an increase in diversity, there is an increase in habitat for insects and other animals.

          Using these three factors, one can see how healthy the prairie is.

Part 2 - Comparison

          Plot 17 hasn’t changed over the years. For example, in diversity. In my quadrat, there are only six different prairie plants and one weed plant- the unlisted- grasslike, which is a grass, but we don’t know what it really is. But in the whole plot 17, there are more than 10 different prairie and weed plants. Also, in 2004 and 2005, there were more than 10 different plants. In general, plot 17 has more diversity than my quadrat which might show that it is healthy. The plot has more diversity because my quadrat is small. It is only one square meter out of hundreds of acres!

          Another example is dominance. The most “dominant” plant in my quadrat is Wild Bergamot but in plot 17 is Big Bluestem. Also, the most “dominant” weed plant is unlisted- grasslike in my quadrat and in plot 17. For all the years, ’04, ’05, and ’06, the most “dominant” prairie plant is Big Bluestem and the most “dominant” weed plant is unlisted- grasslike. Again, the reason for this is either size or the location. For instance, if you were to look by the road side you would find a different dominant plant than if you looked deep in the prairie. My quadrat is smaller than the plot so I don’t have as much of Big Bluestem.

          The last example of change is importance value. The most “important” prairie plant in my quadrat is Wild Bergamot, but in plot 17 is the Big Bluestem. Plus, through ’04, and ’05, the most “important” plant was the Big Bluestem. Also, the most “important” weed plant was unlisted- grasslike in my quadrat and in plot 17 through all the years. Did you notice that the most “dominant” plant is also the most “important” plant? That’s because if there is more of the plant, it provides more habitat for animals which increases its importance.

          All in all, plot 17 hasn’t changed much over the years.

Part 3 – Prediction

          In 1992, unlisted- grasslike was the most “dominant”, second was Indian Grass, and third was Big Bluestem. The unlisted- grasslike grew more dominant from ’04 to ’05. There was less by ’06. I predict that there won’t be much of unlisted- grasslike. Since the drought in ’05, the amount of unlisted- grasslike has decreased. By 2016, I think that Big Bluestem will be the most “dominant” plant. Because plants that are most dominant are also the most important, Big Bluestem will also be the most “important”, and then Indian Grass. But what will happen if another drought hits? Will all the weeds die out? Will the prairie get weak from the arid atmosphere? Will unlisted- grasslike fall from being the most “dominant” and most “important” to not even being on the top ten?

Part 4 – Reflection

          There are some things I have learned about prairies. One thing is that there are many different kinds of grasses that make- up a prairie. Also, I learned that some plants are more “important” than others. Plus, I learned that many factors such as rain, sunlight, moisture, and location can affect a prairie’s growth. For instance, I learned that if there is not much rain, then the weeds can’t survive as long as prairie plants. I also learned that fires help prairies, because they allow the weeds to die and the prairie plants to regrow. In conclusion, these are some of the things I learned about prairies.

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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.