The two introductory stream ecology labs were
designed to introduce you to the study stream, Middle Chillisquaque
Creek in Montour Preserve’s Goose Woods. In the first lab (Wednesday only), we
assessed the physical characteristics of the steam and determined that the
creek is good to excellent habitat for benthic macroinvertebrates.
Then we measured the abundance and diversity of macros and used those data to
make inferences about water quality.
The second lab report will include a descriptive
title, brief Introduction stating the purpose of the lab exercises, Results
including tables (habitat assessment scoring [Wednesday only] and macro
abundance/diversity), and a Discussion of the findings. The Discussion should
include ideas for additional experiments. This lab report is due at the
beginning of lab next week.
The first independent project of the semester will
focus on the ecology of Middle Chillisquaque
Creek. You will have two weeks to do
data collection in the field. To ensure a successful project, your team will
submit by Friday a brief proposal that outlines your plans for data
collection. The proposal must include a
title, the names of the researchers, a few sentences describing the purpose,
and a detailed description of your methods.
Also include a list of all materials you need to take into the field.
Possible
topics include:
habitat
assessment- see Stream Ecology I lab handout
functional
feeding groups of macros- uses a simple key to determine how groups of macros
get food and make inferences about food sources available in the stream
pollution tolerance of stream community- weighed average of pollution tolerance values for specific macro groups; determine overall stream quality
comparison of actual stream community to a model community- compare local macro abundance and diversity to that of a typical healthy stream
comparison of macros in riffles vs. runs vs. pools- compare macro abundance and diversity in the three stream microhabitats; use entire community or one dominant group
In the week following data
collection, you will do data analysis, develop a team outline for your project
paper, and prepare a team PowerPoint presentation of your project. You must locate and bring to lab at least one
paper from the primary literature that are relevant to your project topic.
The following week, your team will present your
project to the rest of your lab section. You will also submit your individual project
reports. The report should be in standard format for scientific papers and
include a title, team number, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results,
Discussion, and Literature Cited. You
must incorporate information from and cite at least two papers from the primary
literature that are relevant to your project topic. The first submission of your written report
is worth 50 points. I will return the
first submission with comments; a second submission worth 25 points will be due
one week after the first submission is returned. The oral presentation is also worth
25 points.
Literature Cited
Dates, G.,
and J. Byrne. 1997. Living waters: using benthic macroinvertebrates
and habitat to assess your river’s health. River Watch
Network,