This laboratory exercise examines the changes in human demographic patterns by visiting a local cemetery, collecting data recorded on tombstones, and producing a graphical representation of survivorship.
Bean beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) are phytophagous insects that lay their eggs on the surface of several species of beans in the family Fabaceae. Larval development is completed within the bean. Therefore, we would expect strong selection when the beetle switches to a new host. Students are provided with live cultures of beetles containing adults that have been raised on mung beans (Vigna...
In this TIEE dataset, students address the question of how changes in demographic vital rates influence the rate of population growth.
Students learn how projection matrices and elasticity analysis can be applied to a case-study exploring loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) conservation and population dynamics. Students are first introduced to the concept of vital rates and population...
In this TIEE experiment, students investigate the costs of reproduction. In dioecious plants, a female's investment in reproduction is typically much greater than a male's, because while both sexes encounter the basic cost to produce a flower, only females have to allocate energy to seeds, exceeding the energy requirements to produce pollen. This 1-2 week field project tests whether the effects of...
This article illustrates how multiple methods can be used to assess student understanding of the “novel weapons hypothesis” presented in the Callaway and Ridenour review of theories regarding invasive plant species[attached]. The paper introduces students to concepts of natural selection, fitness, competition, and invasion of exotic species. The assessments we describe here engage students ...
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