FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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My Partner's and I Quad


The Entire Class Quad

The Fermi Lab Quad

The Fermi Lab Plot

My Partner's and I Graph

My Partner's and I Importance Graph

The Entire Class Quad Graph


The Whole Class Dominance Total Graph


The Whole Class Importance Value Total Graph


The Importance Value Graph For 2005

The Dominance Graph For 2005


Go To Quadrat Comparative Analysis



Pictures Of The Class




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DATA:

My Partner's and I Quadrat Chart For 2006 Plot 17

Name # of Quadrates Number Percent Covered Dominance Frequency Density  Relative 

Dominance

 Relative Frequency Relative Density Important Value
White Prairie Clover 1 100 30 30 3 100 30 33 25 300
Turkey foot   1 100 60 60 3 100 60 33 25 0
grass 1 200 10 10 3 200 10 33 50 0
3 400 100 100 9 400 100 100 100 0
Name Dominance Important Value
White Prairie Clover 30 300
Turkey foot   60 0
grass 10 0
total 100 0

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The Entire Class Quadrat Chart  For 2006 Plot 17 

Name #of Quadrates Number Percent cover Dominance Frequency Density Relative Dominance Relative Frequency Relative Density Important Value
Totals 5 83,000 279 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Grass 5 83,000 279 55.8 1 16600 44.62 19.23 97.95 161.80
Bar Ground 5 61 12.2 1 0 9.76 19.23 0.00 28.99
Clover 2 540 46 23 0.4 108 18.39 7.69 0.64 26.72
Plantain 5 69 39 7.8 1 13.8 6.24 19.23 0.08 25.55
Dandelion 4 63 45 11.25 0.8 12.6 9.00 15.38 0.07 24.46
Medic 4 65 20 5 0.8 13 4.00 15.38 0.08 19.46
Crabgrass 1 1,000 10 10 0.2 200 8.00 3.85 1.18 13.02
Name Dominance Important Value
Grass 55.8 161.80
Crabgrass 12.2 28.99
Clover 23 26.72
Dandelion 7.8 25.55
Plantain 11.25 24.46
Medic 5 19.46
Bar Ground 10 13.02

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Fermi Lab Quadrat Plot 17 2006

Native Prairie Plants
Plant Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Big Bluestem 618 156 4 123.6 0.8 31.2 86.31 19.05 49.37 154.73
Stiff Goldenrod 5 4 1 1 0.2 0.8 0.7 4.76 1.27 6.73
Compass Plant 23 37 2 4.6 0.4 7.4 3.21 9.52 11.71 24.45
Switch Grass 2 9 1 0.4 0.2 1.8 0.28 4.76 2.85 7.89
Prairie Dock 4 28 1 0.8 0.2 5.6 0.56 4.76 8.86 14.18
Rosinweed 1 1 1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.14 4.76 0.32 5.22
Yellow Coneflower 1 1 1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.14 4.76 0.32 5.22
Tall Coreopsis 5 3 1 1 0.2 0.6 0.7 4.76 0.95 6.41
Sawtooth Sunflower 4 15 1 0.8 0.2 3 0.56 4.76 4.75 10.07
Wild Bergamot 16 16 2 3.2 0.4 3.2 2.23 9.52 5.06 16.82
Mountain Mint 9 6 1 1.8 0.2 1.2 1.26 4.76 1.9 7.92
New England Aster 7 10 3 1.4 0.6 2 0.98 14.29 3.17 18.43
White Prairie Clover 21 30 2 4.2 0.4 6 2.93 9.52 9.49 21.95
Plant Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Sweet Clovers (tall) 212 90 4 42.4 0.8 18 31.93 36.36 54.55 122.84
Tall goldenrod 1 1 1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.15 9.09 0.61 9.85
Hairy Aster 6 7 2 1.2 0.4 1.4 0.9 18.18 4.24 23.33
Dandelion 13 5 1 2.6 0.2 1 1.96 9.09 3.03 14.08
Unlisted-Grasslike 432 62 3 86.4 0.6 12.4 65.06 27.27 37.58 129.91
Native Species Dominance Native Species Importance Value
Big Bluestem 31.2 Big Bluestem 154.73
Compass Plant 7.4 Compass Plant 24.45
White Prairie Clover 6 White Prairie Clover 21.95
Prairie Dock 5.6 New England Aster 18.43
Wild Bergamot 3.2 Wild Bergamot 16.82
Sawtooth Sunflower 3 Prairie Dock 14.18
New England Aster 2 Sawtooth Sunflower 10.07
Switch Grass 1.8 Mountain Mint 7.92
Mountain Mint 1.2 Switch Grass 7.89
Stiff Goldenrod 0.8 Stiff Goldenrod 6.73
Tall Coreopsis 0.6 Tall Coreopsis 6.41
Rosinweed 0.2 Rosinweed 5.22
Yellow Coneflower 0.2 Yellow Coneflower 5.22
Weed Species By Dominance Dominance Weed Species by IV Importance Value
Sweet Clovers (tall) 18 Unlisted-Grasslike 129.91
Unlisted-Grasslike 12.4 Sweet Clovers (tall) 122.84
Hairy Aster 1.4 Hairy Aster 23.33
Dandelion 1 Dandelion 14.08
Tall goldenrod 0.2 Tall goldenrod 9.85

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ALL Species Dominance Importance Value ALL Species by Dominance Dominance ALL Species by IV Importance Value
Big Bluestem 31.2 154.73 Big Bluestem 31.2 Big Bluestem 154.73
Stiff Goldenrod 0.8 6.73 Sweet Clovers (tall) 18 Unlisted-Grasslike 129.91
Compass Plant 7.4 24.45 Unlisted-Grasslike 12.4 Sweet Clovers (tall) 122.84
Switch Grass 1.8 7.89 Compass Plant 7.4 Compass Plant 24.45
Prairie Dock 5.6 14.18 White Prairie Clover 6 Hairy Aster 23.33
Rosinweed 0.2 5.22 Prairie Dock 5.6 White Prairie Clover 21.95
Yellow Coneflower 0.2 5.22 Wild Bergamot 3.2 New England Aster 18.43
Tall Coreopsis 0.6 6.41 Sawtooth Sunflower 3 Wild Bergamot 16.82
Sawtooth Sunflower 3 10.07 New England Aster 2 Prairie Dock 14.18
Wild Bergamot 3.2 16.82 Switch Grass 1.8 Dandelion 14.08
Mountain Mint 1.2 7.92 Hairy Aster 1.4 Sawtooth Sunflower 10.07
New England Aster 2 18.43 Mountain Mint 1.2 Tall goldenrod 9.85
White Prairie Clover 6 21.95 Dandelion 1 Mountain Mint 7.92
Sweet Clovers (tall) 18 122.84 Stiff Goldenrod 0.8 Switch Grass 7.89
Tall goldenrod 0.2 9.85 Tall Coreopsis 0.6 Stiff Goldenrod 6.73
Hairy Aster 1.4 23.33 Rosinweed 0.2 Tall Coreopsis 6.41
Dandelion 1 14.08 Yellow Coneflower 0.2 Rosinweed 5.22
Unlisted-Grasslike 12.4 129.91 Tall goldenrod 0.2 Yellow Coneflower 5.22

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Fermi  Lab Plot 17 2005

Plant Total Plants Found Total Percentage Found # of Quadrats Found In Density Frequency Dominance Relative Density Relative Frequency Relative Dominance Importance Value
Unlisted-Grasslike 84310 2258 38 1590.75 0.72 42.6 97.24 21.71 53.22 172.17
Tall goldenrod 1065 1077 38 20.09 0.72 20.32 1.23 21.71 25.38 48.33
Unlisted-Oval leaf 517 253 20 9.75 0.38 4.77 0.6 11.43 5.96 17.99
Wild Carrot 66 62 13 1.25 0.25 1.17 0.08 7.43 1.46 8.97
Clovers (ground) 389 85 11 7.34 0.21 1.6 0.45 6.29 2 8.74
Yarrow 69 63 12 1.3 0.23 1.19 0.08 6.86 1.48 8.42
Unlisted-Triangular Pointed Leaf 104 71 11 1.96 0.21 1.34 0.12 6.29 1.67 8.08
Sweet Clovers (tall) 34 139 8 0.64 0.15 2.62 0.04 4.57 3.28 7.89
Drummonds Aster 68 77 8 1.28 0.15 1.45 0.08 4.57 1.81 6.46
Common Milkweed 10 124 6 0.19 0.11 2.34 0.01 3.43 2.92 6.36
Unlisted-Round leaf 52 16 3 0.98 0.06 0.3 0.06 1.71 0.38 2.15
Hairy Vetch 6 7 2 0.11 0.04 0.13 0.01 1.14 0.16 1.31
Thistle 7 6 2 0.13 0.04 0.11 0.01 1.14 0.14 1.29
Hairy Aster 3 3 2 0.06 0.04 0.06 0 1.14 0.07 1.22
Daisy Fleabane 3 2 1 0.06 0.02 0.04 0 0.57 0.05 0.62
SORTED DATA
PRAIRIE PLANTS
By IMPORTANCE VALUE by Dominance
Big Bluestem 70.41 Big Bluestem 4.38
Indian Grass 37.3 Wild Bergamot 4.23
Wild Bergamot 27.86 Stiff Goldenrod 3.79
Prairie Cord Grass 25.35 Indian Grass 3.06
Stiff Goldenrod 19.83 Prairie Cord Grass 3
Rosinweed 19.12 Yellow Coneflower 2.91
Yellow Coneflower 17.39 Compass Plant 2.87
Compass Plant 16.95 Rosinweed 2.83
Tall Coreopsis 14.74 Tall Coreopsis 2.08
Mountain Mint 10.54 Foxglove Beard Tongue 1.66
Foxglove Beard Tongue 9.37 Mountain Mint 1.57
Prairie Dock 8.32 Switch Grass 0.76
Switch Grass 5.92 Sawtooth Sunflower 0.68
Sawtooth Sunflower 5.55 Prairie Dock 0.64
New England Aster 2.74 Rattlesnake Master 0.3
Black-eyed Susan 2.72 Wild Quinine 0.23
Rattlesnake Master 1.59 New England Aster 0.21
Wild Quinine 1.37 Black-eyed Susan 0.19
Tall Boneset 1.15 Tall Boneset 0.13
White Wild Indigo 1.02 White Wild Indigo 0.11
Dense Blazing Star 0.76 Dense Blazing Star 0.02
WEEDS 
Unlisted-Grasslike 172.17 Unlisted-Grasslike 42.6
Tall goldenrod 48.33 Tall goldenrod 20.32
Unlisted-Oval leaf 17.99 Unlisted-Oval leaf 4.77
Wild Carrot 8.97 Sweet Clovers (tall) 2.62
Clovers (ground) 8.74 Common Milkweed 2.34
Yarrow 8.42 Clovers (ground) 1.6
Unlisted-Triangular Pointed Leaf 8.08 Drummonds Aster 1.45
Sweet Clovers (tall) 7.89 Unlisted-Triangular Pointed Leaf 1.34
Drummonds Aster 6.46 Yarrow 1.19
Common Milkweed 6.36 Wild Carrot 1.17
Unlisted-Round leaf 2.15 Unlisted-Round leaf 0.3
Hairy Vetch 1.31 Hairy Vetch 0.13
Thistle 1.29 Thistle 0.11
Hairy Aster 1.22 Hairy Aster 0.06
Daisy Fleabane 0.62 Daisy Fleabane 0.04

 

 

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GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

My Partner's and I Quadrat Dominance Graph Pot 17

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My Partner's And I Importance Value Graph Plot 17

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The Entire Class Quadrat Total Graph For 2006 Plot 17

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The Dominance Total Graph For The Whole Class 2006

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The Importance Value Total For The Whole Class

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2005 Graphs

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

Part one: Background Information

 

            Three main areas used to determine the difference between Fermi Lab Quadrants and Prairies are dominance, diversity, and importance value. Now I will explain what dominance, diversity, and importance value are. Dominance is the total percent covered by a species, in this case a plant or a weed. Dominant plants are the plants that are the most noticeable and take up the most room Dominance also is the total amount a plant or weeds covers in the sampled area. The dominance data is used to tell which prairie plants are becoming dominant in an area. Diversity is the total number of different species for all quadrants and the total amount of quadrants an area has. Diversity is important because the more types of plants and weeds a prairie has the more prairie type animals will be attracted to develop their niches and habitats. Importance value is the sum of relative dominance, relative frequency, and relative density. We calculate these values for a species when we combine the data for all the quadratns sampled. The number of quadrats is the same as the total area sampled because each quadrant is one square meter.

 

 

Part two: Comparison

 

            Since my quadrant plot is a small portion of the class’s quadrant plot seventeen for 2006 and the quadrant plot seventeen for 2005 the dominance, and important values in my quadrant are extremely low compared to both the quadrants of 2005 and2006. Another factor that affects my quadrant with dominance is there are only two prairie plants Turkey foot and Whit Prairie Clover and one prairie weed Unlisted Grasslike compared to the Quadrants plots for 2005 and 2006 where there are twenty-one Prairie plants and fifteen weeds. The most dominant and important plant in the quadrants for 2005 and 2006 is Big Bluestem. However compared to mine the most dominant and important specie is not a plant but a weed Unlisted Grasslike.

Part three: Prediction

 

            I predict that in ten years the Prairie will be completely covered by Big Bluestem or Indian Grass because in an older quadrant plot sixteen for the year 1992 these two plants extremely dominated the quadrant at a high rate and were the dominators in the quadrants plot seventeen for the years 2005 and 2006.

 

Part four: Reflection

 

            I have learned that it does not tack long for a Prairie to grow back after it has been burned down or damaged in some way. If a plant or weed is high in dominance the importance value of that same plant or weed will be high also. I have also learned how diverse a Prairie can be with all of the different plants and weeds along with quantity.

 

 

 

 

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Pictures Taken At Fermi Lab

                                        

 

                                                            

                                       

    

 

 

 

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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

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
This project was created by the Honors Biology ll  students of Seton Academy in South Holland, Illinois with the help of their teacher Mr. Cwik. Support for the project came from Principal Ms. Ingia Jackson and the other dedicated and cooperative faculty and staff of Seton Academy.

 

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REFERENCES:
Fermilab Education Department particularly the SIMply Prairie Project. Authors: Bill Fraccaro, formerly of Johnson School, Wheaton, IL; Lawrence Cwik, Seton Academy and Pat Franzen, formerly Madison Jr. High Naperville, IL; and Bernie Jokiel, formerly from 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.