Lab 1-CommunityStructure-Spring

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West Chester University of Pennsylvania *

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Biology

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Feb 20, 2024

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SCI 101 -- The Carbon Cycle Lab 1: Community Structure, an exercise to build science process skills (43 points total) Objectives (taken from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Academic Standards for Science and Technology and Ecology and Environment, 4 th grade and 7 th grade):  Identify patterns that regularly occur in nature (e.g. seasons, leaf patterns, climate) [3.1.4C] and as repeated processes or recurring elements in science and technology (3.1.7C).  Explain observations and results, distinguishing between a scientific fact and a belief (3.2.4A) and answer “what if” questions based on observation, inference or prior knowledge or experience (3.2.7A).  Measure materials using a variety of scales, describe relationships and communicate observed information (3.2.7B and 3.2.4B). Materials:  Handout, calculators, rulers, notebook or graph paper, pencil or pen. Names of group members: Checklist for completing lab: Make sure all components listed below are turned in for your group (with Cover Sheet) _____ Two graphs, one a frequency distribution histogram in bar graph format, and the other a line graph (10 points). _____ Answers to the questions below (33 points). Background : Community structure A biological community is an assemblage of different types of organisms that "work" or live together. The community structure includes the numbers and different types of organisms in the community. Consider the classroom to be a biological community. Each of your classmates represents an organism. To characterize the community structure, you would identify different characteristics of the organisms and count the number of organisms that have each characteristic. The environment can heavily influence community structure. Abiotic factors in the environment are non-biological, physical or chemical factors, such as the humidity of the air or the amount of sunlight. When speaking about humans, the environment includes social, emotional, and cultural factors as well as abiotic factors. Your job as a scientific investigator is to characterize and analyze the community structure and the environmental factors that influence it. 1

SCI 101 -- The Carbon Cycle 1) 4 points: Characterizing a community and generating data related to environmental factors Select a characteristic, such as something that people are wearing, that you expect will change over the semester in response to changes in temperature (an abiotic environmental factor). Select a characteristic that you can easily see (or otherwise easily measure) and that has 4 or more different subgroups. In the chart below, list the characteristic, the subgroups, and the number of organisms (people) in each subgroup. First, count the number of organisms in each subgroup at your table; then count the number in each subgroup in the entire class. These are the data that characterize the classroom community. Characteristic Subgroups # in each subgroup at your table # in each subgroup in the class Total number of students 2) 7 points: Proportions, ratios, sampling size and extrapolation a. Examine the data in the chart above. Are the numbers of students in each subgroup at your table in the same proportion as the numbers of students in each subgroup in the entire class ? For example, the numbers would be in the same proportion if the numbers in each of four subgroups at your table were 1, 2, 0, 3; and the numbers for the entire class were 5, 10, 0, 15. The numbers would not be in the same proportions if the numbers in each of four subgroups at your table were 1, 2, 0, 3; and the numbers for the entire class were 8, 8, 4, 10. (1 point) b.For the following question, you will be extrapolating your data on the subgroups to make a prediction of the number in each subgroup for all Early and Middle Grades majors (total = 1187 students). Which dataset would be a better choice for the extrapolation: the data from your table or the data from the entire class – and why? (2 points) c. Show all your work and fill in the numbers in the chart below. (4 points) Subgroups Extrapolated # in each subgroup for all EGP, MGP majors Total number of students 1187 2

SCI 101 -- The Carbon Cycle 3) 1 point: Understanding variables and displaying data on graphs The dependent variable is the variable that is actually measured or counted in an experiment. The independent variable is the variable that is selected or controlled during the experiment. In your characterization of the classroom community, the subgroups that you selected are the independent variable . What is the dependent variable ? (Hint: What did you count that depends on the subgroup selected? Think about the graph that you would make. Which variable would plot on the y-axis?) Use the data for the subgroups that you selected to make a frequency distribution histogram in bar graph format. Typically, the dependent variable is plotted along the vertical y axis . The independent variable is plotted along the horizontal x axis . Use graph paper for the histogram, label everything clearly, and give your graph a meaningful title. Attach your graph to this handout when you turn it in. (5 points) 4) 8 points: Making a hypothesis, providing a rationale, and testing your prediction a. Explain how the characteristic you selected will be influenced by temperature (abiotic environmental factor). Discuss how the number of organisms (people) in each of your subgroups will change over the semester in response to temperature. You are making a hypothesis about a set of data. (4 points) b. State a null hypothesis for how the number of organisms (people) in each of your subgroups will change over the semester in response to temperature. This can be a general statement about all of the subgroups. (1 point) c. Provide an explanation of why you think the abiotic environmental factor is influencing the community structure (the number of organisms in each subgroup). This is called a rationale for your hypothesis. (2 points) d. Briefly discuss one way in which you could test your hypothesis. (1 point) 3

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SCI 101 -- The Carbon Cycle 5) 9 points: Understanding variables and displaying data on graphs -- AGAIN Make reasonable predictions about how the number of people in each subgroup that you selected will change over time as the temperature changes. Assume that 1) the total number of students in the class remains the same and 2) the temperature in each month listed is typical of that time of year. (4 points) Subgroups Current # in each subgroup in class Predicted # in each subgroup in March Predicted # in each subgroup in May a. What is the new variable that we have added that will cause changes in the number of students in each subgroup ? (1 point) b. Is the new variable a dependent variable or an independent variable ? Hint: the value of the dependent variable may depend on the value of the independent variable. (1 point) c. What is the best variable to plot on the x-axis of a line graph and why? (2 points) d. How many different lines will you need to show all your data? Attach your graph to this handout when you turn it in. (1 point) Draw a line graph showing your current and predicted data. A line graph is a scatterplot with a line through the points. Use graph paper to draw your line graph, label everything clearly, and give your graph a meaningful title. Remember that the dependent variable is shown on the y- axis. (5 points) 6) 4 points: Analysis and interpretation of data a. Based on your graphs, what would you interpret as the optimal month for each of your subgroups? (2 points) b. Let’s imagine that these folks are actually different organisms or species (for example, sweater-organisms have thick, wooly fur and the shirt-organisms have thin, sparse fur). How would changes in temperature affect the community structure ? How do organisms adapt to changes in the environment? Discuss each of your subgroups in your response. (2 points) 4

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