Comparing species diversity in lawn vs water garden vs ...



Names:

Procedure:

1. Randomly choose a sampling location by throwing a hoola hoop behind you. Why are we doing it that way?

Random sampling is the only way to conduct a fair test. If we don’t sample randomly, we can’t make conclusions about the whole community or ecosystem.

2. Take a look at what you find! Count the number of different plants inside your hoola hoop and fill in the data table for your location.

3. Count the number of different kinds of insects you found.

4. Next, take a soil sample from the center of your hoola hoop. You will want to take enough soil to fill half of a sandwich bag. Try to get some soil from at least 4 inches deep, as well as surface soil. Fill in the color of soil in the data table below.

| |Number of different |Names of plants |Number of different |Names of insects |Color of soil |

| |plants | |insects | | |

|Rain garden | | | | | |

|Schoolyard lawn | | | | | |

|Succession trail | | | | | |

5. List some biotic (living) parts of the ecosystem you visited.

Plants, insects, fungi, mice, frogs, microbes, bacteria, viruses, algae, people, etc.

6. List some abiotic (nonliving) parts of the ecosystems you visited.

Soil, water, air, sunlight, nutrients, carbon dioxide, etc.

Back in the lab, compare your soil samples.

a. Get three cups. Label them Schoolyard, Rain Garden, and Trail.

b. Mix each sample up, but DON’T mix the three samples together!

c. Put a small handful of each sample into its cup. Add water to each cup, and stir each cup to mix the soil and water. What happens?

7. The floating stuff is organic material, like dead leaves or roots. Draw your organic material here:

8. What color is the organic material, compared to other parts of your soil sample?

9. Which sample has the most organic material?

10. Why do you think that happened?

Many reasonable answers, including: more plant diversity, more dead plant and insect material, slower decomposition, fewer things eating plant and insect material, human intervention

11. Now, let your sample settle overnight and observe the next day. What has happened? Draw your cup from the side.

Sand (largest mineral particles) should have settled out first, forming the bottom layer. These particles are large enough to see with the naked eye. On top of this, there should be a layer of smaller sized silt particles. Above the silt, tiny clay particles may have made a layer; many of these may still be in suspension, causing the water on top to be light brown in color. Organic material may still be floating, or may have settled out above the silt.

12. Which layer has the most dense particles?

bottom

13. Which layer has the least dense particles?

Top layer, or still in the water

14. Where did all those particles come from?

From the weathering and breakdown of rocks (inorganic) or from dead partially decomposed organisms

15. Share your plant diversity data. Make a bar graph of the class average.

What do plants need to survive?

Air (CO2), water, nutrients from the soil, sunlight

Are plants producers, consumers, or decomposers?

producers

Which habitat had the most plant species? Why?

Many reasonable answers, such as: better soil conditions (more organic material?), more insects, fewer insects, more light, human intervention

Which habitat had the fewest plant species? Why?

Many reasonable answers, such as: soil too wet or not wet enough, too many insects, not enough insects, human intervention, soil too sandy

16. Share your insect diversity data. Make a bar graph of the class average.

What do insects need to survive?

Food, water, air (O2), habitat/shelter

Are insects producers, consumers, or decomposers?

Some are consumers (if eat live things), others decomposers (if eat dead things)

Which habitat had the most insect species? Why?

Many reasonable answers to why, including: more plant diversity, fewer pesticides, more things to eat, etc.

Which habitat had the fewest insect species? Why?

Again, many reasonable answers

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