Population Studies

Learning Target

• Patterns in the evidence suggest that many different types of changes (e.g., changes in multiple types of physical and biological components) are correlated with changes in organism populations.

Success Criteria

• I can use observations to identify several species of organisms in a particular environment.
• I can use the Population Sampling Technique to estimate the population of several species of organisms.

Questions to Ponder...

1. Which method of population estimation do you think would be best for a population of trees in a large wooded area?

Population Studies Field Experience

Estimating Populations - Field Experience

In this activity you will be responsible for choosing the best method of estimating two populations in the woods behind Colonel Richardson Middle School.

• loblolly pines
• holly trees

Instructions

1. Observe - Observe both loblolly pines and holly trees in their natural habitat. Draw diagrams of each. Include descriptions of the bark, leaves or needles, and size (estimated height, girth, etc.)
2. Collect Data - Use the sampling technique to estimate the size of the Loblolly Pine and Holly tree populations in the woods behind Colonel Richardson Middle School.
   • individual sampling area size 50' x 50'
   • total area size (using polygon tool on Google Earth Pro) - 7,336,000 square feet.
   1. Analyze - Use the Population Sampling technique to estimate the sizes of the tree populations in the CRMS woods.