BIO 205 Laboratory Session 2
Forest floor animals and germination setup, 2004
Changes from lab manual:
1. ONLY pitfall traps will be used to trap animals. Cover boards will not be used.
2. Only 2, not 4, pitfall traps will be tended by each lab group in the forest floor experiment
3. We are going to try to turn our temporary zoo into a cumulative one to achieve uniformity in
identifications over all lab sections. Consequently, when you show up for your section, there will be
a set of reference specimens in bottles for you to take out to the woods. While you are waiting for the
starting time, you might want to tell students they can look over what’s been found to gain familiarity
before they go outside.
4. We’ve decided to combine in the field the soil cores taken for C:N, moisture, and organic matter
determinations with those taken for the germination experiment. Therefore, each group will take
TWO cores from each quadrat and combine them in a single bag. Be sure the bag contains a piece of
paper identifying the quadrat from which it came. When we return from the field, the group will use
the soil from one bag to prepare planting cells for the germination experiment. The remaining soil
will be weighed and used for moisture/organic/C:N measurements.
5. For the germination experiment we will use only Manitoba maple seeds. These germinate very well
so if there is a chemical that suppresses germination the effect should be easy to detect. We will
plant four Manitoba maple seeds in each type of soil. Detailed arrangements specified below.
Equipment for TA (over and above that for each lab group):
A trowel in case you need to reinstall a pitfall trap.
Extra plastic cups in case one gets destroyed.
Measuring tape for subdividing planting area
Copy of these instructions and the associated maps and site assignments.
The pitfall trap reference “zoo” accumulated by previous sections
Cumulative data sheet for tree planting counts for each lab group (appended to this description)
Equipment for each lab group:
Bottles with tape labels for the reference collection
Data sheet for each person (copy appended below)
Quadrat map for forest sites and Field sites.
Brush for handling organisms
Tray for sorting organisms
Pictures of likely organisms and field guide (on clipboard)
3 plastic bags for soil samples with label sheet inside each
Soil corer
Rope for subdividing tree planting site
Heavy T-topped pin for litter depth determination.
Preliminaries in the lab:
1. Quiz
2. Announcements:
a. Important that students register for their section on the Turnitin.com web site. Instructions
appear on the course web page. Emailing lists made up of Turnitin registrants will be the
primary way for TAs to communicate with their classes.
b. Instructions about the first data submission assignment will appear by Oct. 1. The whole class
will have the same due date. Instructions will appear on the course web page. The assignment
will be very uncomplicated--- just submitting a few lines of data in an Excel file attached to
an email. Everyone will need a copy of all the data on forest floor plants that their lab group
collected in the first lab session, in order to meet the submission requirement.
c. Remind people that in the second week of their Lemna data gathering, one person is supposed
to measure the width of all the individuals in ONE replicate of each treatment. If that hasn’t
been done for your group yet, do it soon!
Agenda Overview:
1. Lab talk, ending with quadrat assignments (same as for session 1), as specified in the 2 tables
appended.
2. Tell students whether they will be sampling site V1 (river) or site V2 (houses), whether they will be
sampling Old Field pitfall trap #1 (F1) or #2 (F2). Put a table on the board like the one below:
Lab
Forest Forest
Field pitfall Mulch expt.
Mulch expt. replicate
Group site
Treatments and
trap identifier treatment (FC,
number ( 1 or 2)
(V1 or quadrat numbers (F1 or F2)
FO, or FZ)
V2)
A
V?
R1, P1
F? red
See assignment
see assignment table
table
B
V?
R2, P2
F? pink
C
V?
R3, N5
F? white
D
V?
R4, N6
F? yellow
E
V?
P3, N7
F? blue
F
V?
P4, N8
F? orange
3. Write these on the board, please and ask students to put the forest site designation in the first line of
the Pitfall Trap portion of their dataset, and in BOTH lines of the Litter Depth data table. the Field
site designation (F1 or F2) on the bottom line of their Pitfall Trap data table. The location your
section samples in the field will also have to be identified. The site assignments are specified in the
appended tables.
a. We will also be sampling a new site in this period: the old field near the Argos hut,
designated site “F”.
4. There will be four activities outside in this lab:
a. Recording pitfall trap contents
b. Measurements of litter layer thickness
c. Collecting soil samples from both forest and field sites.
d. Counts of trees and shrubs surviving from a planting last fall. Planting treatments in site F
include C = paper mulch mat, O = plastic mat, and Z = zero mat (mulch only).
5. In the Old Field each lab group will be assigned one pitfall trap identified by the colour of its flag and
the number written on the trap cover. The colour assignments are specified in Table 2 attached, and
the number assignments are specified in Table 1.
6. Gather equipment and go out to DESIGNATED SITE in forest. There’s a pitfall trap in the center of
each quadrat.
7. Gather data on animals active on the forest floor from pitfall traps.
8. Take THREE soil cores from each of the assigned quadrats. Be sure the bag contents are properly
labelled on a piece of paper inside so we don’t lose track of what treatment they are from.
9. For each assigned quadrat, take four measurements of leaf litter depth as specified in lab manual, and
report the average on the datasheet.
10. When each group has finished the whole lab section should proceed thru the woods to the field near
the Argos hut.
11. Each lab group will first record the contents of its assigned pitfall trap.
12. Subdivide the tree planting plot assigned to your section (Table 1)into 6 roughly equal-sized strips
using the black pipe stakes to identify the corners of your plot, the tape measure to measure and
divide the length of the site, and the ropes provided to mark the boundaries of the subdivisions. Each
lab group will count the surviving trees in its assigned subdivision, and the number of survivors
without tree guards. Each group will also take a single soil core from the area that they counted. If
the soil is difficult to penetrate with the soil corer, then just collect a number of short cores and
combine them.
a. Note that not all of the planted trees/shrubs were fitted with tree guards. Specifically, guards
were not installed on rose bushes.
b. Students should look carefully for plants at the center of paper mulch mats or accumulations
of wood chips.
c. Plants with two stems coming from one planting hole are counted as a single plant.
13. The group returns to the lab and:
a. sets up the germination experiment
b. processes the remaining soil from the two forest floor treatments and the Old Field as
specified in the lab manual. Labelling requirements for the soil bags are specified on the
chalkboard.
14. Before leaving the lab, each student should show the TA written predictions she/he has made on page
20 of the lab manual. (likely subject of questions for next session’s quiz).
Detailed Agenda suggestions:
1. Care of experimental plots: Please try to minimize the amount of walking on the experimental
plots in the forest! Stand beside them, not on them when you’re not actually sampling.
2. Discuss pitfall trap procedures. Draw a diagram of a pitfall trap on the board. It’s just a pair of
nested cups buried to the rim. A 6.6” board is placed over the top, supported by nails at the corners
so it’s about 1 cm above the ground. This keeps out rain and attracts things that are looking for dark.
To collect pitfall trap data:
a. Observe the size of the gap between the wooden trap cover and the ground. There should be a
finger-thickness of clearance. If the cover is pushed into the ground so that it impedes entry
by small animals, make a note of that fact in the “Comments or notes” column of the data
sheet.
b. Lift off the cover, and determine whether the cup protrudes above the level of the ground to
form a rim that might impede entry to the trap. If it so protrudes, note “rim above ground” in
the data sheet’s “comments and notes column”. N.B. After the lid is removed, place it
NAIL SIDE DOWN outside the quadrat, so nobody will get injured by
stepping on it accidentally.
c. Pull out the inner cup, and empty the contents into the sorting tray.
d. Using fingers, a pencil, or a brush to move the dirt and the beasts around, figure out what
how many of each animal type there are in the trap. Animals may be clinging to soil
particles. Move the soil particles around and look carefully to be sure you have found
everything that is in the trap. Record the data on the datasheets.
e. Check the course collection of reference specimens to be sure you are giving the animals the
same name as others before you. Be sure to change the names on your datasheet to
correspond to the class standard nomenclature. If you have a new animal type, you should
place one specimen in a collection jar and give it an appropriate name (exception: don’t save
salamanders!)
f. Return the remaining animals alive to the vicinity of the trap
g. Replace the inner cup in the outer placeholder cup and be sure the soil around the trap is level
with the rim so there is no barrier to entering the trap.
h. Replace the cover of the trap. Be sure there is a finger thickness of clearance between the
lid and the ground.
3. Show them the kinds of things they will see out there (there is a cluster of photos of the most
common animals on the clipboards carried by each lab group.
4. Show them the reference collection of animals being accumulated from previous sections. You will
take this out with you. Your section will add to this any kind of beast that isn’t yet there. N.B.
RELEASE ANY SALAMANDERS CAUGHT WITHOUT ADDING THEM TO THE
COLLECTION!
5. Mention the value of zeros. There may be many zeros for pitfall data. If we get a rain or something
that generates lots of high catches, those zeros will be especially significant!
6. Show them a soil corer and emphasize that it should be inserted ONLY HALFWAY. Also caution
them that if the ground is so hard that it threatens to bend the corer, then gather a larger number of
shallower cores into your sampling bag.
7. Show them the list (already on the chalkboard) of all information that should be on the core bag.
8. Review the layout of the tree planting experiment (map provided) and explain how the assigned
sampling area for your lab section area will be divided up for counting using the measuring tape and
ropes. Mention that each group should take A SINGLE soil core from their counting strip.
9. Point out the questions they will each have to answer about temperature on page 20 of the lab
manual. Suggest that if there are any slack periods while the group finishes data gathering at the
forest sites, it might be a good idea for members of the lab group to discuss answers to these
questions with one another and perhaps fill in answers they are happy with.
10. Gather up equipment and head out to the field. Make sure you go to your designated site! This is
important!!!! Site assignments are posted in 1080 if you forget.
11. Visit first the assigned forest site, then the Old Field pitfall trapping area, then your assigned Old
Field tree-planting site, then return to the lab with soil samples.
12. To set up the germination experiment (using Forest Soil only):
a. Fill a 4-hole germination block half full of soil from a single forest treatment type. That will
mean each lab group will fill two germination blocks. Use masking tape to label each block
with all the information specified for soil samples on the chalkboard.
b. Break off the sail from 8 Manitoba Maple keys and insert one of the remaining seeds into
each of the cells in your two germination blocks. The sees should not be completely
covered with soil. Light is necessary for germination in this species.
c. Place the two germination blocks in the appropriate locations in the greenhouse trays for
transportation to the greenhouse.
13. Label a paper bag for the soil remaining in each of the 3 soil bags (COMPLETE INFO PLEASE--see chalkboard), weigh the empty bag, add the soil and weigh the total. Record all these numbers on
your data sheet AND on the bag itself. Then return the paper bags to the proper location for drying.
14. Students should show you their predictions written on lab manual page 20 before leaving the lab. No
credit for this, just a reminder that it will be on the next quiz.
Site assignments for Forest and Field sites for BIO 205 session 2
The sampling locations in the Old Field are mapped below the table.
Table 1
Sampling Assignments for PITFALL TRAPS
Symbols: V1 = River Site; V2 = Houses site; F = Old Field sites
N.B. In the Old Field there are a total of 12 traps, each marked by a coloured flag stuck in the ground next to
the trap. Each day each of the 6 lab groups in a section will sample ONE pitfall trap. There are two traps for
each colour, one of them numbered “1” and one numbered “2”. Lab sections assigned F1 should sample #1
traps. Those assigned F2 should sample #2 traps. (Each of the lab groups is assigned a colour as specified in
Table 2, following Table 1 below.)
Week of
Lab
Time of
Lab
3 site assignments in each cell:
1.
2.
3.
Forest floor site = V1 or V2;
Old Field Pitfalls = F1 or F2
Old field tree count site FC, FO, or FZ, replicate 1 or 2
Monday
Week 1
labs
Week 2
labs
Morning
Afternoon
Morning
Afternoon
V1, F1, FC1
V2, F2, FC2
Tuesday
V2, F2, FO2
V1, F1, FO1
V1, F1, FZ1
V2, F2, FZ2
Wednesday
V2, F2, FC2
V1, F1, FC1
Thursday
V1, F1, FO1
V2, F2, FO2
V2, F2, FZ2
V1, F1, FZ1
Friday
V1, F1, FC1
V2, F2, FC2
Table 2
Lab Group sampling assignments for Forest Floor and Old Field
(The Vinca quadrat assignments are same as for lab session 1 (plants sampling))
Lab
Group
A
B
C
D
E
F
Quadrats to
sample and
flag colour
for samples
from Old
Field
R1, P1,
F red
R2, P2,
F pink
R3, N5,
F white
R4, N6,
F yellow
P3, N7,
F blue
P4, N8,
F orange
Type of
Question being asked in Vinca Experiment
Comparison
manipulative
manipulative
Does removing Vinca from a small area changed the
local animal community?
manipulative
manipulative
How similar are removal plot animals from those on
the normal forest floor?
mensurative
mensurative
How do animals from invaded areas differ from
uninvaded areas?
Data sheets for 2nd Lab Session --- Animals in forest and field
Pitfall Trap Contents
(You will have one line of data for each kind of organism in a single trap!)
Section
(3digits)
Lab
Group
Date
DD/MM/YY
Days
since
last
cleared
Site
(V1,
V2,
F1,
or
F2)
Treatment
(R, P,
N, or
F)
Quadrat
#
Name of organism in
trap
# of
this
type
in
trap
Comments or
notes
Litter Depth Measurements (forest floor only)
(Each group should have two lines of data, each of which is the average of 4 measurements from a single
quadrat)
Section
Lab
Group
Date
(DD/MM/YY
Site
(V1 or
V2)
Treatment
N, P, or R
Quadrat
#
Average
number of leaves
pinned
Notes or comments
Surviving Plantings in Mulch Experiment in Old Field
Treatments: C = compressed compost mat only; O = plastic mat + chips; Z = no mat, only wood chips
Section
Lab
Group
Date
(DD/MM/YY
Site
(F)
Treatment
(C, O,
or Z)
Replicate
Plot #
(1 or 2)
#
Survivors
in
subplot
strip
#
survivors
without
tree
guards
Notes or Comments (for C
treatments, please specify here the
number of plants whose mulch mat
is missisng)
Section Summary of all Tree survival counts in one planting site
Section
Lab
Group
A
B
C
D
E
F
Date
(DD/MM/YY
Site
(F)
F
F
F
F
F
F
Treatment
(C, O,
or Z)
Replicate
Plot #
(1 or 2)
#
Survivors
in
subplot
strip
#
survivors
without
tree
guards
Notes or Comments (for C
treatments, please specify here the
number of plants whose mulch mat
is missing)