A HEALTHY PRAIRIE
METHODS
DATA PLANTS
Count of the plants in the ten by ten meter environment. Using that data, group and class results both,
density, dominance, and species evenness (ln (pi), and the Shannon Index (H).
DATA ANIMALS
Count of the animals in the ten by ten meter environment. Using that data, group and class results
both, density, dominance and species evenness (ln (pi), and the Shannon Index (H).
Animals
An ecosystems biodiversity is not just measured in plants but also the animals. There were 9 species
out of the 13 on the list that were spotted. The class as a whole was able to identify 11 of the species.
The dominating category was ants/bees/flies/mosquitos, with beetles as a close second. Species
evenness is a little bit better than the plants however the Shannon Index was only 1.78673 which isnt
very diverse ecosystem. Counting animals may be slightly variant due to the tall grasses and their
movement in and around the area.
Overall this was moderately healthy prairie. Abiotic factors such as temperature and rainfall are
consistent with that of other prairie studies conducted in places such as Iowa and Indiana. However the
flora and fauna, in terms of biodiversity was under par. Averages ranged from 3-4 in other places. In
other aspects, the lack of disturbance sensitive plants indicates that there has been an interruption in
the prairie life, possibly the same that increased dominance in others such as the Indian Grass.
Sources:
http://www.sugargrovenaturecenter.org/
http://www.biodiversity.ru/coastlearn/bio-eng/boxes/specdiv.html
https://ed.fnal.gov/help/prairie/Prairie_Res/illist.html
http://www.ccfpd.org/nativeplants/Prairie.html
https://www.cbd.int/doc/case-studies/for/cs-ecofor-id-01-en.pdf