Diversity of Life – Activities 1, 4, 6 & 8 Week of April 16th 2018 Version 1.1. 4/19/2018 8:27:23 AM

Activity 1 – Establishing a Quadrat Diversity of Life - Activity 1 – Establishing a Quadrat

A quadrat is a measured and marked quadrilateral used in ecology to isolate a sample. It is usually not feasible to count all the organisms in an area when studying populations. Instead, a small, representative group of organisms is counted. The ideal size of the quadrat depends on the types of organisms being studied, e.g.: Mosses and lichens: 0.1 square meter. Herbs (including grasses) and tree seedlings: 1 square meter. Shrubs and saplings up 10 feet: 10 – 20 square meters. Trees: 100 square meters.

Mark each corner of your quadrat with wire flag. Go to forested area. Write (w/ permanent marker) your lab section # & group # on each wire flag. Use measuring tape to mark off a 7 x 14 m (23 x 46 ft) rectangular quadrat. Mark each corner of your quadrat with wire flag. Run string from flag to flag, tying loosely to each. 14 m (46 ft)   7m (or 23 ft)  

Sketch a map of your quadrat. Include: Boundaries relative to the forest boundaries and the campus. Dimensions. Main physical features. Figure 1.1. Map of quadrat relative to surroundings, including sampling locations.

Make sure all materials (and trash) are returned to lab!! Measuring tape. Cups (2). Permanent marker. Large weigh boats (2). Wire flags (4). Nails (8). String (roll). Ruler. Scissors. Funnel cups (2). Trowel. Bag (gallon size). Petri dishes (2). Sterile cotton swabs (2). Make sure all materials (and trash) are returned to lab!!

Activity 4 – Leaf Litter Organisms – Set Up Diversity of Life – Activity 4 – Leaf Litter Organisms – Set Up

Collect leaf litter sample as follows: Use ruler to measure a square on the forest floor approximately 20 cm on each side. In this square, collect all leaf litter and top layer of soil-like material (down to approximately 1 cm, to the extent that you can remove it with your fingers). Place all material into plastic collection bag. Mark the location of square on your map from activity 1.

Assemble Berlese funnel apparatus Goose-neck lamp Place tape on collecting container portion. Use permanent marker to label tape w/ lab section number and group number. Use graduated cylinder to add isopropyl alcohol to the bottom of the collecting container until it reaches a depth of approximately 1 cm. Place funnel on top of collecting container (Fig 4.1.) Make sure that the narrow end of the funnel is covered with screen. Empty contents of the plastic collecting bag into funnel. Funnel should be as full as possible. Leaf litter Funnel Funnel support/collection container Screen cover ~1 cm isopropyl alcohol Figure 4.1. Berlese funnel apparatus. Large funnel w/ leaf litter supported in collection container w/ ~1 cm isopropyl alcohol.

Activity 6 – Microscopic Fungi – Set Up Diversity of Life – Activity 6 – Microscopic Fungi – Set Up

Microscopic fungi Important decomposers in most ecosystems. Reproduce via spores too small to see with unaided eye, yet present on almost every surface. Inoculating petri dishes with fungal spores will enable you to see the fungi after they grow on the petri dish.

Get two Petri dishes with starch agar. Handle Petri dishes carefully to minimize contamination.

Before going to the field: control loc 1 loc 2 control loc 3 loc 4 Figures 6.1 and 6.2. Markings and treatment labels for bottom of starch agar Petri dishes #1 and #2. Before going to the field: Use marker to label bottom Petri dishes (keep lids on). Include Lab section #, Group # and Petri dish # (1 or 2). Draw lines that divide Petri dish into 3 pie-shaped sections and label sections.

Sampling microscopic fungi Select 4 different surfaces from 4 locations in your quadrat. Use separate sterile cotton swab for each surface. Only remove one swab at a time to maintain sterility. After swabbing surface, touch cotton tip to agar in appropriate area of petri dish. DO NOT seal each Petri Dish with parafilm.

Table 6.1. Descriptions of four microscopic fungi sampling locations and surfaces Description of Location # Location Surface 1 2 3 4 Mark you four sampling locations on the map of your quadrat. Record location and surface type for each of your four samples.

Activity 8 – Pitfall Traps – Set Up Diversity of Life – Activity 8 – Pitfall Traps – Set Up

Why use pitfall traps? Pitfall traps enable the capture of arthropods larger than those that will be collected using the Berlese funnel.

Dig a hole large enough to insert the large cup so that its top is LEVEL with the ground (Fig 8.1.) Write group #, section #, and the trap # inside the funnel that goes in the cup. Place labeled flag to mark trap locations. Mark the location of each pitfall trap on the sketch of your quadrat. Place two pitfall traps in your quadrat.

What’s Due PowerPoint available at https://eeltown.org/evpp-110-spring-2018/ What’s Due Weekly Data Sheets: Weekly Write-Ups: P. 127 & 161. P. 131, 147 and 165.