Description

The aspen leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella) is a tiny moth that feeds inside the epidermal tissue of aspen leaves. The species has caused widespread damage to aspen trees in Alaska and northern Canada for decades. This exercise challenges students to use data on the physiology of damaged and undamaged leaves to assess the impact of the leaf miner for aspen photosynthesis and water balance, and to better understand the role of the leaf epidermis in leaf function.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Access publicly available data and metadata from a data provider

• Explain the role of the leaf epidermis in leaf gas exchange

• Propose a hypothesis based on observation and assess the hypothesis with data

• Construct a graph in order to answer a biological question

• Use data on leaf physiology to infer the effects of herbivory on leaf function