AHS
Biodiversity Lab
Name:__________________________________ Date: _________
Problem:
What is the diversity of invertebrates on AHS property?
Introduction: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in an area. "Bio" means "life” and "diversity" refers to
the "variety". The health of an ecosystem depends on there being a wide variety of plants and animals. An
“unhealthy” ecosystem has only a few different types of organisms. In an “unhealthy” ecosystem the loss of even
one species could hurt the whole area and upset the balance of life. A proper balance would include many different
species with similar numbers of each. The question of how many different species exists in a particular
environment is central to the understanding of why it is important to promote and preserve species diversity. A
uniform population of a single species adapted to a particular environment is more at risk of dying out if
environmental changes occur. A more diverse ecosystem consisting of many different species is “healthy” and can
better survive if environmental changes occur.
Scientists use a formula called the biodiversity index to describe the amount of species diversity in a given area. A
simple biodiversity index is calculated as follows.
# of species in the area
---------------------------------=
total # of individuals in the area
biodiversity index
Purpose: To Collect insects over a 24 hour period and count them to determine biodiversity.
Pre-Lab Questions:
1. Translate the word "biodiversity"?
2. How could you determine if there is a high insect (invertebrate) diversity count at AHS?
3. List 5 types of organisms you think we might trap. Which one do you believe we will find the most?
Procedure
Day 1:
1. Punch a hole in the sticky trap
2. Tie a piece of string through the hole.
3. Tie the string with the trap attached to a tree branch. Peel the protective cover off both sides of the trap.
4. Take note of the location of your group’s trap.
Day 2:
1. Collect traps as a class.
2. Determine how many different animals you collected.
a. get a dissecting microscope
b. lay a paper towel over the viewing area of the microscope (do this to avoid getting glue from the sticky
trap all over the microscope)
c. Use your data table to record the number of each different type of invertebrate.
3. Record your group data on the board. Tally up the total number of each of the different species collected.
Record this on your data table.
4. Use the biodiversity index formula to calculate biodiversity of the area we sampled. Record all work on the data
table.
5. Answer post lab questions.
DATA:
Type of Invertebrate
Number of each
Total number
type collected
collected by group
by the class
Biodiversity index for each type of
invertebrate the class collected:
Show the formula
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Total number of invertebrates
Post Lab Questions: (Answer in complete sentences.)
1. Describe the biodiversity of invertebrates on AHS property? Would you say the area you surveyed was
“healthy”? Why or why not? Base your answer on the data.
2.
3.
Look at the data table. List the organisms in order from greatest amount found to least amount found.
Which type of organism is there the most of? How do the results compare to what you predicted?