Ecology Field Labs
We do 2 field study labs in early September in our ecology Unit. We go out the the study area behind HS West. It is an open field that is identified as a Department of Environmental Conservation Protected area due to the presence of Blue Lupine, food for the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly.
Field Study Lab
"A Field Study" is a field survey lab in which students study organisms in the ecosystem and succession.
In this lab, students:
1. Learn how to conduct a biological survey of plants
2. Collect and identify three plants from their study site
3. Preserve their plants
4. Learn about the role of field biologists and ecologists
5. Observe signs of succession in and around the field
Karner Blue Butterflies at Shen
Common Plants of the Study Field
In this lab, students:
1. Learn how to conduct a biological survey of plants
2. Collect and identify three plants from their study site
3. Preserve their plants
4. Learn about the role of field biologists and ecologists
Grasshopper Population Lab
In this lab, students act as population ecologists and try to determine the size of the grasshopper population in the field study area. They capture live grasshoppers, mark them, and release them. After allowing the population of marked and unmarked insects to get randomly dispersed, they collect grasshoppers for a second round. We use a simple math calculation to estimate the total number of grasshoppers. A ton of fun and usually a favorite lab.
