Using Stream Leaf Packs to Explore Community Assembly
In this TIEE experiment, students will explore functional and taxonomic diversity in a stream ecosystem, learn about food web relationships, and learn about the ways in which abiotic and biotic factors determine what organisms are present in a community.
Students will make and install artificial leaf packs in a stream, wait for the leaf packs to be colonized by stream organisms, measure abiotic variables that could influence leaf pack colonization, retrieve the leaf packs and classify the organisms they find in both taxonomic and functional ways, and participate in a class discussion of how the leaf pack community is situated within a larger ecosystem.
Students will make and install artificial leaf packs in a stream, wait for the leaf packs to be colonized by stream organisms, measure abiotic variables that could influence leaf pack colonization, retrieve the leaf packs and classify the organisms they find in both taxonomic and functional ways, and participate in a class discussion of how the leaf pack community is situated within a larger ecosystem.
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| Format | |
| Resource Group | TIEE |
| Resource Group Link | https://ecoed.esa.org/index.php?P=SearchResults&F46=TIEE |
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| Life science discipline (subject) | |
| Keywords | Abiotic factors, Aquatic Ecology, Biodiversity, Biotic Factors, Community Ecology, Competition, Dispersal, Food Web, Herbivores, Microorganisms, Mutualism, Predation, Stream Ecology |
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| Pedagogical Use Category | |
| Pedagogical Use Description | This experiment has been used successfully in an introductory Ecology laboratory and in advanced high school Biology courses (8-24 students). This experiment would also be appropriate for introductory Biology laboratories. |
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| Structure | |
| Url | http://tiee.esa.org/vol/v7/experiments/doherty/abstract.html |
| Full Name of Primary Author | Jennifer H. Doherty |
| Primary Author Controlled Name | |
| Primary Author Affiliation | Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364 Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Education Department, PO Box AB, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY 12545-0178 |
| Primary Author email | laurel.hartley@ucdenver.edu; dohertyjh@gmail.com; harrisc@caryinstitute.org; |
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| Rights | Copyright 2011 by Jennifer H. Doherty, Cornelia Harris, Laurel Hartley, and the Ecological Society of America |
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| Review type | |
| Drought and Water Ecosystem Services Collection | Off |
| Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection | Off |
| Big Data Collection | Off |
| Editors Choice | No |
| Resource Status | |
| Date Of Record Submission | 2011-08-29 |
| I Agree to EcoEdDL's Copyright Policy & Terms of Use | Yes |
| Date Of Record Release | 2011-08-29 12:30:12 |
| Last Modified By Id |
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| Date Last Modified | 2018-07-26 15:09:33 |
| Release Flag | Published |
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