BIODIVERSITY

FIELD STUDY
Diversity leads to stability in ecosystems. Stable ecosystems are more likely to be sustained.
One may then argue that in order to sustain ecosystems we must be concerned with preserving
biodiversity. Our recent field study allows for us to make some quantitative observations
related to the biodiversity that exists on the study sites. It also provides an opportunity to
explore for patterns that may be present in the area. For this assignment, you are to limit your
analysis to the site where you gathered data.

Grading Rubric:

Organization 1 point
The report should be typed. Pages will be 1.5-spaced and have one-inch margins on all sides.
The font will be either Arial or Calibri and font size will be 11- or 12-point.

The report should be should be broken into the following 7 sections: 1) Heading, 2) Purpose, 3)
Materials, 4) Procedure, 5) Results, 6) Conclusion, and 7) References. Bold the title of each
section except the heading. Each subsequent section should begin after the end of the previous
section, but do not have a section title at the bottom of one page and the information in that
section at the top of the next page.

Grammar and Sentence Structure 2 points
Scientific reports are written in passive, past tense format (this is different than the way you
write in your English classes!). For example, instead of writing we dissolved 5 grams of sugar
in 250 mL of water, you would write, 5 grams of sugar were dissolved in 250 mL of water.
Never begin any sentence with The students or The student researchers.

The only exception to passive past tense is the purpose you must still use third person, but I
will allow you to choose what tense you would like to write the paragraphs. The report should
be written with correct grammar and sentence structure.

Heading 2 points
Aligned at the top left of the first page of the report, list the following:

Your name
Your class
Date the lab was PERFORMED (use October 30, 2014 the date we finished data collection)

Following the date, center-align the title of the lab. Do not format the title differently (no
underlining, bolding, italicizing, or using a different font/size)


Purpose 15 points
The purpose of the field study was to conduct a systematic inventory of vegetation present in a
field study area in close proximity to the school. The learning activity provided opportunities
for the collection and analysis of data related to biodiversity, and as such, served as an
instructive analogue of quantitative methods employed by ecologists concerned with
estimating the smallest amount of land needed to preserve a percentage of natural flora and
fauna.

Include an additional paragraph detailing the importance of biodiversity, i.e. WHY do we do
biodiversity studies, what purpose do they have, what is their impact on the environment, etc.

Materials 5 points
This section is to include a complete list of all equipment required to conduct the field study,
arranged in a neat column or columns (no numbers, please)

Procedure 15 points
This is the set of step-by-step instructions for performing the experiment. It is like a recipe in
cooking. 1) The steps should be numbered, 2) written in full sentences, and 3) they must be
detailed enough that someone who has not done the experiment should be able to read your
procedure and perform the experiment.

Results 30 points
This section must contain two sub-sections as detailed below:
1. The data sheet that lists all of the species present and the quadrants that they inhabit
along with the cumulative totals summarized at the bottom of the sheet. (10 points)

2. Graphic representations of the data (20 points)
a. A linear depiction of the data (standard graph)
b. A logarithmic graph of the data

**Your graphs must have proper scale labels (titles, axes, etc.) and be large enough to
easily read.

Each table and graph should be numbered and include a descriptive title above (for
tables) or below (for graphs) the graph/figure, e.g. Figure 1 The Effect of Temperature
on Sugar Solubility

Conclusions 25 points
A well-written paragraph that directly relates to the purpose stated above. Include a
discussion of what the data reveals about species diversity and area.

References 5 points
All sources must be properly cited using MLA formatting. Parenthetical citations should be
included anywhere you use data/thoughts/ideas that are not your own. The references
section must include all cited sources and be the final page of your report.



Total Points = 100

Be forewarned: if any section of the lab report is missing, the grade

earned cannot be higher than 85%.


Adapted from: chem2ndsem2014.wikispaces.com and www.acschools.org Anneville-Cleona
HS