Burlese Funnel Extraction of Soil Arthropods
Student Project Write-up
Ecoplexity Course 2007
Sam Koss
I plan to teach this unit a few weeks after the first fall rain with my entry level Principles
of Biology class. Soil samples will be taken from the Tualatin Hills Nature Park which is
located just across the street from Merlo Station High School, Beaverton, OR. I have
begun to forge a relationship with the natural resources coordinator of the park system,
and we are currently involved with a long term oak restoration study. Perhaps we could
look at soil diversity in association with this management activity.
Background:
Students should enter this investigation with some basic ecological background
knowledge: modeling food webs, trophic dynamics, nutrient cycling, and basic
classification emphasizing the major kingdoms of life and their main strategies for
survival (photosynthesis, respiration, nitrification, etc…) as well as some basic material
on arthropod taxonomy, morphology, and ecology. I would love to get Andy Moldenke
(OSU) to come to my classroom to show his slideshow on the importance of soil
arthropods. Perhaps I can put my own together from the notes I took this summer.
As far as modeling asking research questions, I plan to model inappropriate/appropriate
questioning and hypothesizing while I am introducing that part of our investigation.
Pre-assessment: A pre-assessment will be given asking students to model the roles they
think soil arthropods play in the ecosystem as well as the elements of the ecosystem that
impact their community.
Methods:
We will use the Burlese Funnel Extraction Protocol found on the Ecoplexity website. I
will also be using OSU’s arthropod identification web page currently under construction
(if it is completed in time). I will need to do some reconnaissance and networking with
the park officials in order to determine precise portions of the forest that we will be able
to survey. Park officials and volunteers are often easily upset when seeing atudents off
trail, so proper permits will be aquired prior to the investigation. Sample plots will be
randomized within stands characterized by species of canopy cover. I will need to
investigate techniques in randomizing sample sites within habitat areas. I plan to
randomly generate transect numbers and paces.
Habitat information will be collected at the same time that the soil samples are taken.
Arthropod identification data will be collected in the lab following extraction.
Students will be able to create research hypothesis that can be answered using the data we
have already collected as a class, which will hang on the wall for easy access. The pool of
possible questions should be fairly rich considering the amount of habitat data we have
collected. Most questions will relate to associations between a measured habitat
component of the habitat and the species make up.
Formative Assessment: I will ask the kids to, again, create a model of the roles they see
soil arthropods playing in the ecosystem- with specific attention to their research
question.
Analysis:
Analysis will need to be modeled. I will probably model and discuss the use of species
richness, biodiversity, and community similarity measures with the class in relation to
field data. We will use the analysis tools and graphing tools on the Ecoplexity web page.
If the web tools do not work, we will conduct what measures we can using Microsoft
Excel.
Writing Research Papers: My student body generally struggles with math and large
open-ended writing assignments. This finished product will need to be introduced to the
students in pieces with separate due dates. Eventually these sub-assignments will come
together in the form of a Research poster. I will explore the use of PowerPoint in the final
presentation of posters.
Post Assessment: I will ask each student to attach a model of the ecosystem we studied,
centered around the soil arthropods and the specific questions driving their research, but
including all important factors, both biotic and abiotic, that influence or are influenced by
the major components of their model.
Equipment: Ethyl alcohol, car oil funnels, ¼ inch screen, 40 watt bulbs with reflectors
and extension cords.
Timeline:
Day 1: Explain protocol to class, preassessment
Day 2: Field trip, extract soil samples and collect habitat data
Days 3-6: Identify soil arthropods
Day 7: Model hypothesis / questioning, student selection of hypothesis, begin writing
background and hypothesis / questions. Formative assessment.
Day 8-9: data analysis
Day 10: charts and graphs
Days 11-12: Writing analysis
Days 13-14: Interpreting results and writing conclusions/discussions. Completing
posters. Post-Assessment.
The following pages include:
1. The soil arthropod data sheet for keeping tabs of species identified in the lab
2. The habitat data form for keeping data tied tot eh habitat where the soil samples were
taken
Trap #:
Soil Arthropod Data
Total # of
species found:
Group members:
Directions:
1. Using your microscopes, slides, forceps, and eyedroppers, carefully sort though
the specimens in your sample. You may need to put the whole dish onto the stage.
2. Name the class and order of each species you find and give it a number on the line
in the upper left portion of each box. (Arachnid, mite #1, Arachnid, mite #2, etc.)
3. Put the total number of animals of that species found in your trap on the line in
the upper right portion of each box.
4. Draw a sample of each species and label unique characteristics. Be careful to
include details.
a. Look at legs, mouth parts, color, patterns, antennae, body plan, size (mm).
b. Size differences, when all other features are very similar, may just be
differences in age within a species that goes through incomplete
metamorphosis.
Soil Samples: Habitat Data
Group members:
Plot Number: ______
Describe the location. Exactly where did you get the soil? Map it.
Depth of detritus or duff layer: _________
Composition of duff layer (leaves, needles, cones, twigs, seeds, roots, fungi):
Depth of organic layer: __________ % Canopy closure: __________
Diameter (DBH) of typical canopy tree: __________
Species of trees overhead
D= C/pi (pi= 3.14)
Species of plants nearby
% vegetative ground cover: _________
Moisture level of soil: _______________ (wet, moist, somewhat moist,
somewhat dry, dry)
Give a general description of the habitat. Young or old forest? Lots of tall
shrubs? Lots of ferns? Next to a trail?
Place a labeled piece of paper with the plot number on it into the bag of soil
so we can tell them apart in the lab.