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Overview
Leaves carry out critical functions for plants. Insects that feed on leaf tissue can affect these functions. The impact an insect species has may depend on the specific type of leaf tissue it eats. In this activity, you will learn about aspen and the aspen leaf miners. This will enable you to develop hypotheses and predictions about the impact miners have on aspen leaf function. You will use publicly available research data to construct a graph and determine the impact of aspen leaf miners on the function of aspen leaves.
Learning Objectives
After finishing this activity, you should be able to
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 questions
Use data on leaf physiology to infer the effects of herbivory on leaf function
Getting Started
Your instructor will provide you access to a student worksheet that will guide you through the module. The worksheet will direct you to the videos and data at the points where you need them.
Background Videos
Videos providing necessary background can be viewed through the links below, and can also be accessed from the worksheet as you work.
If you are working on this independently rather than as part of a course, here are the materials you will need to access the student worksheet and data:
Sample student worksheets
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Calculating and graphing treatment means and standard errors in Microsoft Excel - written handout and walk-through video
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