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FERMI QUADRAT PRAIRIE STUDY 2006

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GPS LOCATION: N:__________ W:___________

STUDENT RESEARCHER: ____Charle H.__

Comparative Analysis	fermi 06 graph	importance value
Fermi 05 graph	dominance

DATA:

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Fermi Data 05

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

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Fermi Data 06

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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GRAPHS OF DOMINANCE AND IMPORTANCE VALUE:

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:

3 major components used to compare different prairie plots.

Importance value

The dominance value

Diversity

Importance value is the sum of relative dominance, relative dominance, relative frequency, and relative density.

Dominance is used to tell which plants are taking up the most room and are the most dominant.

It is figured out by taking the total percent coverage of species and dividing it by the total area.

Diversity is the total number of plants of a certain species divided by the total area sampled. Diversity is important because the more diversity there, the better the environment will be.

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Comparison

The information that we gathered is a little different from the data at Fermi Lab. From the year of 2005 to the year of 2006 there is a lot of different data. In 2005 there were certain plants and weeds that had bigger numbers of species than in 2006. In 2006 there was a change in species and their amounts. Some of the plants that changed and got added to the 2006 data were the Compass Plant, White Prairie Clovers, New England Aster, Prairie Dock, and Sawtooth Grass.

Prediction

I predict that in ten years the species of plants will change again. The Big Bluestem will most likely still be in the top ten but other plants like the Stiff Goldenrod and Sawtooth flower. I also predict that the amount of species will be a lot higher because they would have had more time to grow. A prime example would be the Big Bluestem because between 2005 and 2006 the amount more than doubled itself. Another thing I think their will be a lot more Sweet clovers(tall) because I think weeds grow a lot faster than plants and in larger amounts.

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Reflection

I learned and gained a lot of knowledge about the prairie after doing this project. When we first started learning about prairies I didn’t know their was a difference between a prairie and a field, I thought they were the same thing with different names. I found out a lot of different things after visiting the prairie. Plants and weeds I didn’t even know existed. That was the best part about of the whole field trip, finding new and interesting plants. Over all, I had a great time at the prairie, and would love to go back.

COPYRIGHT:

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.

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.