Outside Lab ~~ YWYT Ch. 4
Using Forest & Field to Study Ecology
Ecologist
Section
Date
Overview: This is a group project; the final project will be a PowerPoint that will be viewed and
evaluated by small groups of your classmates and also your teacher. Your individual grade will be
lowered if you do not do your share of the work. Steps marked with a “” will be part of the
PowerPoint.
KEY CONCEPTS / BIG QUESTIONS: What can be learned in the field and forest about the role humans
play regarding these concepts:
Unit 2 Big Question: Life on Earth depends on interactions among organisms and between organisms
and their environment
Chapter 4 Big Question: How do changes in population size relate to environmental conditions?
Lesson 1. How do ecologists organize and study life?
1.1. Describe the different levels of ecological organization
1.2. Explain the difference between biotic and abiotic factors
1.3 Discuss how an organism’s habitat relates to its survival.
Lesson 2: What are the important characteristics of populations?
2.1. Define population density.
2.2 Describe three ways populations can be distributed
Lesson 3: What factors determine whether and how populations change size?
3.1 What factors influence a population’s growth rate?
3.2 What are exponential and logistic growth?
3.3 How do limiting factors and biotic potential affect population growth?
 Problem Statement/s: Mine = a) Compare the differences and effects of biotic and abiotic factors
in a field and forest to understand ecological organization; b) What can be learned about populations
in a field and forest and the role humans play regarding their growth and distribution? Yours = Each
person in your group will also create a problem statement based on what they hope to learn during
this outdoor lab.
 Background: Your group needs to do research about the plants commonly found in the field and
forest near HMS. There is a separate assignment sheet to explain this part of the project.
Hypothesis: Since we cannot control variables in the field or forest, this lab will not have a hypothesis.
Instead your group will choose 2 problem statements to address -- one of yours and one of mine.
Safety Concerns: Generally we will not pick or collect any plants or leaves, flowers, etc.
Be sure you know what poison ivy looks like!
Experimental Procedure: The basics of what you need to do outside will be explained to you. You will
follow the same procedure in the field and forest.
HMS/Spiegel
aligned to YWYT Ch. 4
Page 1 of 2
Oct 2013
 Data and Collaboration: Your field notes, sketches, and observations will be graded separately.
This will be explained later. Be sure to use class names for plants.
a. Biotic Data: Your group’s data should include a total of 6 plots, 3 in the field and 3 in the forest.
If your group did not do 6 plots, you must increase the amount of collaboration data you use.
b. Abiotic Data: Your group is expected to collect data from a minimum of 4 sites: 2 in the field
and 2 in the forest. Try to go to the same places you did for your biotic plots.
We will use Excel spreadsheets to exchange collaboration data. Do not include “0” for missing
collaboration data as this will skew averages.
 Analysis: So that all four areas will be covered, EACH person in your group is responsible for ONE of
these four different areas.
Forest – biotics
Forest – abiotics
Field – biotics
Field – abiotics
Each area needs data table, graphs, and inferences
 Conclusion: Each person in your group must answer ONE of the following questions. All four
questions must be answered, so everyone has to answer a DIFFERENT question. Groups of three
should see me. You MUST relate/incorporate one of the key concepts into your answer. It will be
impressive if you work in possible sources of error too !
 a. Use a lot of the data, graphs, inferences and research to make comparisons and inferences
about the similarities and differences of the two study areas.
 b. Describe what you think causes the differences between the biotic and abiotic factors of
the field and forest. Think about the populations and their distribution.
 c. Using your data, graphs, inferences and research, do you think you would find similar
conditions in other fields and forests in our area? Another region somewhere else in the
world? Describe why or why not.
 d. Choose one and use your data, graphs, inferences to defend your position:
1) the abiotic factors determine what the community will be, —OR—
2) the biotic factors determine what the abiotic factors will be.
 Also part of the Conclusion:
 2 new and 2 cool things you learned and/or did during this lab.
 Answer one of the problem statements (either the one of mine your group selected, or the
one of your group’s that your group selected).
And all the “unused” plant background slides. (See the separate assignment sheet about plant
research to better understand this! )
HMS/Spiegel
aligned to YWYT Ch. 4
Page 2 of 2
Oct 2013