Regents Biology (le)                                                             Name _______________________

Ecology Part 1                                                                       date ____________ per ______

 

Lab # ______                                    A Field Study                        

 

Introduction

One of the best ways to learn biology is to do field work.  Biologists often:

 

Purpose:

In this lab you will:

1. Study a meter square area in a field near school

2. Collect 5 plant specimen from your study area and identify them

3. Preserve your plants for future reference

 

Materials:

4 m length of string                            4 bamboo stakes                              5 collection tags

bag to carry specimen                      2 permanent markers                       meter stick

1 small ziplock bag                           clip board

identification books                          newspaper (to dry specimen)          wide tape                  

Elmers glue                                        scissors                                              plant labels

                       

Procedure:

Your teacher will assign you to a group and site number.  Record the following information in the spaces provided:

Site number________

 

Group members: _______________________              _______________________

 

                               _______________________             _______________________

 

1.  Assign jobs to members in your group.

Site Manager (1): _______________________

·         makes sure all tasks are done and coordinated

·         sets up meter square area (with help from group)

·         takes down meter square area

·         reports information to class at end of lab

 

Recorder (1): ________________________

·         labels plant tags

·         records all field data including 2 sketches and site description

·         shares data with group members back in classroom

 

Specimen Collectors (2): _____________________ & ______________________

·         tie tags around 5 plants in study area

·         collect the 5 labeled specimen (gather enough so every one in group will have some to put in lab report at later date)

 

2. Recorder : With the permanent marker, label the 5 tags provided by your teacher.  You will collect 5 plant specimen in the field.  On each tag, record your group number and specimen number.

 

            group# - 1                    group# - 2              group# - 3             group# - 4               group# - 5            

 

3. Site Manager: Using a meter stick, measure out and cut a 4.5 - 5 meter length of string.  Neatly and loosely, wrap it into loop and place it into your ziplock bag.

 

4. All: Remember to wear suitable clothing (jeans, sneakers).  The grass will be extremely wet in the morning.  If you have allergies, be sure to take your allergy medication in the morning.  If you are allergic to bees, be sure to bring your epi-pen.

 

5. Bring the following items with you out to the field:

Site Manager: copy of lab 

Recorder: copy of lab, clip board, pencil

Specimen Collectors:  copy of lab, zip lock containing 5 labeled collection tags & 4 m string, collection bag(s)

 

meter stick*, 4 bamboo stakes*, scissors* (* Your teacher may carry these items.)

 

At the site:

6. Recorder: Survey the area and draw a sketch (aerial view) of the field.  In the drawing, note the location of large features like hills, trees, wooded areas, bare areas, & buildings. Label your drawing with those features.

 

General Sketch of Field (Aerial View)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. All: Choose a location.  Your teacher will assign you to stay in a general area.  Choose an area with biodiversity (number of different species living in the same place).  It needs to contain at least 5 different types of plants.  Use your meter stick, stakes, and string to measure off and set up a 1 meter square area.  This will be your study area. 

 

8. Specimen Collectors: Tie your identification tags around the stems of 5 different plants in your study area.   These will be the plants you bring back to the classroom and identify using field guides.  Take a significant piece of each plant.  Try to take the entire plant (stem, leaves, flowers).  Plants with flowers will be easiest to identify. 

 

Data and Observations:

9. Recorder: The square represents your study area.  Make a sketch (aerial view) in the square indicating the distribution of 5 different plants growing there.  (Note: You do not need to draw leaves and flowers, just map out where the plants are growing).  Use the key and shade in the plant distribution.

                                                                        example:

 

Key:                                                                      Site# ______________

                                                                                          1 meter

specimen          pattern 

 

1

 


2

 


3

 


4

 


5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Characteristics of your study area:

a) Is it in the open or shaded by trees? _________________________________

b) Is in on a hill, flat area, or in a depression? ____________________________

c) What are the soil characteristics (rocky, sandy, wet)?  ___________________

d) Do you see any animals (besides humans) either in your study area or in/above the field?  If yes, list them.

________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________

 

11. Specimen Collectors: Remove the 5 specimen from the study area and place them in the collection bag.  Be sure that the tags remain on the plants.

 

12. Site Manager: Take down your meter square area.  Give your teacher the string, 4 stakes, meter stick, and scissors.

 

13. All: Return to the classroom.  Hurry back -- there is more work to do. 

 

14. Site Manager: Obtain a section of newspaper.  Place your plant specimen between sheets of newspaper.  Leave plastic tags tied to stems.  Be sure to label your newspaper section with your group number and your names.  Your teacher will show you where to store your plant specimen.

 

15. Site Manager & Specimen Collectors: Record data gathered in the field in your own lab packet.  The recorder should have written this data in his/her lab packet while outside.

Table 1: Description of Specimen Collected

Plant

Description (flower color, leaf shape, height, overall form...)

1

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

16. All: Use a variety of reference books and identify at least 3 of the specimen.  Complete the following chart.

 

Table 2: Plant Specimen Identified

Plant

Common Name

Latin Name (Genus species)

1

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

17. All: Allow your plant specimen to dry and flatten.  In a few weeks, you will mount small pieces of 3 specimens to sheets of white paper and attach them to your lab report. 

 

Discusssion/Conclusion: answer the following in complete sentences in the space provided.

 

1.         a) What were some problems or difficulties encountered while doing this lab?

________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________

  

            b) How did you solve these problems?

________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________

           

            c) What would you do differently next time?

________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________

 

2. Abiotic factors are nonliving aspects of an environment that determine what living things can survive in the environment.  What type of abiotic conditions do you thing are necessary for the survival of the plants in the field we visited.

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

3. You were advised to choose an area for your study site that had biodiversity.  Define biodiversity and explain why it was best to choose a study site with biodiversity. (See p.3)

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

4. Producers are organisms able to make their own food through photosynthesis.  Herbivores are plant eaters and carnivores are organisms that consume animals.   Complete the following questions by thinking about the field you visited.

 

a) Which type of organism was most abundant in the field (producer, herbivore, or carnivore)? _________________________

 

b) List two producers in the field. ________________________________________

 

c) List three herbivores that might live in/around the field (guess if you did not actually see any). _______________________________________________________________

 

d) List two carnivores that might live in/around the field (guess if you did not actually see any).  ___________________________________________________________

 

5.  How could information like this be used by scientists or business people?

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

6. What were the three most common plants found in the field? (Your teacher will help you gather class data.)

______________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________