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APA
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Social Sciences
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Essay
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Temperate Grassland

Essay Instructions:

M1A1: Field Project One: Quantifying variables in a field setting
Introduction
You begin this project in this module, Module 1, and turn in your report by the end of Module 2. The goal of the project is to practice a technique that enables you to systematically evaluate the organisms in a particular area. In a larger study, you repeat steps 1 – 7 until you had a representative sample of the area you are interested in.
Instructions
Step 1: select an outdoor site, describe boundaries, identify terrestrial ecosystem
(Students who have no access to any outdoors area should contact the instructor about using an indoor or artificial population.)
The site needs a definitive boundary. Describe the boundary in biological terms, not walls or sidewalks. Is the boundary natural? Sites do not necessarily have distinct boundaries that you can see. 
Review terrestrial ecosystems in Chapter 23 to determine in which ecosystem your site belongs and identify it.
Step 2: Select a plot within the site.
Your site may be many acres or more. It is not practical to sample the entire site, so you will choose a subsection of the site. The subsection, the area that is being sampled, is called the ‘plot.’
Try to make your plot square. One way ecologists make square plots is with a compass. Ecologists sometimes build a square frame and throw that on the ground. 
Delineate your plot. Use stakes, nails, rope, popsicle sticks, rocks, etc… but the plot must have distinct boundary.
Step 3: Describe, diagram (draw or photograph), and measure the plot.
Measure: record the exact area in a metric unit of your choice (i.e. m2).
Step 4: Choose two types of organisms within the plot, identify and describe each.
This could include an insect, seed (remember each seed is an organism), or any type of plant, animal, fungus, etc…Describe and identify, using biological classification, to the species level if possible.
Step 5: Choose at least one variable to categorize each organism.
A variable is a characteristic that varies. For example height, weight, color, presence or absence of something, "has a flower" or "does not have a flower.” You may use the same variable for each type of organism. The variable could be size. A variable is a characteristic that varies. Your count is an experiment and NEEDS to be reproducible. So if your variable is height, can you classify the plant as “tall” and “short”? Clearly you could use those words, but they need to be defined in such a way that someone else could reproduce this count.
Step 6: Count the members of each organism and group according to the chosen variables.
This is not a trivial step! You need to design a method to obtain an accurate count of a living thing. How are you getting an accurate count? Did you count some and extrapolate? Are they moving?
Step 7: Present your information graphically.
Any graphic (table, chart, diagram…) except a photo is acceptable.
Step 8: Analyze and discuss findings
Your final report will use the following subheadings:
Introduction
Site description
Plot description
Organisms
Organism variables
Methods
Results
Discussion
The INTRODUCTION tells us why you choose this site, perhaps why you thought it might be interesting, the terrestrial ecosystem you are working in, and some background info on the organisms you’re working with.
In the METHODS section you will describe exactly what you did in a manner specific enough to be replicable. (This allows another researcher to repeat your study)
The RESULTS section will include your graphics and written results.
The DISCUSSION will sum up the significance of what you found. What did you learn? How could you apply this information to another project or idea? Why did you choose the size plot that you did?

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Temperate Grassland
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Ecology
Introduction
The temperate grassland is a great choice, mainly because it one of the most interesting ecosystem on earth. It one that has inspired millions of people to travel the world and visits the expansive bounds of the ecosystem as they enjoy to watch the various animals found here. It is one of the major ecosystems that support tourism in most countries across the globe especially those to the north and south of the equator, approximately 23.5 degrees on either side. As such it is quite interesting to get to study one of the areas falling under the ecosystem, with significance in mind(Defenders of Wildlife, 2012).
Ecosystem
Also referred to as the temperate grassland, it is an ecosystem that is characterized by grass with the shrubs and trees being absent. As such, grass is the dominant organism, spreading for miles on the rolling landscapes.It is an ecosystem that is largely affected by the seasonal droughts and fires are quite common in this ecosystem(Defenders of Wildlife, 2012). The plants in the ecosystem are adapted to the harsh climate and the occasional fires that tend to destroy vast amount of vegetation and other organisms. Although there is a very low diversity of wildlife, the abundance is quite high. Large mammals such as the bison and the pronghorns are the most common ones.Prairie dogs and the pocket gophers are the most common rodents on the ecosystem(Defenders of Wildlife, 2012). Carnivores on the other hand include the swift foxes, wolves, badgers, black-footed-ferrets and the coyotes. There are quite a number of birds in the ecosystem among them hawks, owls, grouses, quails, sparrows, meadowlarks among others. There are quite a number of insects among them, dragonflies, grasshoppers, monarch butterflies, mosquitoes, painted lady butterfly, tiger swallowtail butterfly, crickets andants. The main types of plants include the buffalo grass, wild oat, ryegrass, foxtail and purple needle grass. The most common flowers in the prairies are the clovers, blazing stars, goldenrods, asters, sunflowers as well as the wild indigos.
Site
The site of choice is vastly covered by grass, without shrubs and trees characteristic of the temperate grassland ecosystem.Most of the time the area is dry and without lush vegetation, but springs to life when the rains come(Defenders of Wildlife, 2012). The better majority organisms in the area are the grasses, spreading through hectares of land. The site is characterized with a mixer of long and short grasses that are spread interchangeably through the expansive lands. Most of the grasses on the boundaries are erect with open branches. Some of the species have long and wood-like stems, standing at one meter tall. Most of the leaves are also narrow at the tip and base, with lengths going up to 10 centimeters and 2cm wide.
Plot
The plot is 4 meters squared, with boundaries of grasses on either side. This means that to the north of the plot are grasses commonly referred to as the buffalo grass, with patches of the purple needle grass. To the east, west and a large p...
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