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ABLE 2007: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY June 5-9. Host: Ruth Beattie
E-mail: rebeat1@uky.edu
Major Workshops
Thursday June 8
Kathy Winnett-Murray and Lori Hertel, Hope College, Holland MI
Investigating the consequences of an invasive species to the ecological
integrity of the community.
In this open-ended investigation spanning 4 lab periods, non-science majors
explore the ecological consequences of 2 invasive plant species, Autumn Olive
(Elaeagnus umbellata) and Myrtle (Vinca minor) at nearby field sites, each
lab focusing on one of the 2 species. In a modified jigsaw framework, 6 teams from each
lab section design, implement, analyze and present experiments to answer 6 different,
but integrated, sub-questions, each deriving from a single “big picture” question:
What are the consequences of an invasive species to the ecological integrity
of the biological community?
The sub-questions are: 1) What is the effect of the invasive plant on the growth/germination/survival of other plants? 2) What is the effect of the invasive plant on the light characteristics in the immediate environment? 3) What is the effect of the invasive plant on the soil nutrient characteristics in the ecosystem? 4) How do herbivores respond to the invasive plant as compared with natives? 5) What is the effect of the invasive plant on the soil seed bank? 6) What is the effect of the invasive plant on the leaf litter arthropod community?
Teams meet with their “counterpart” group (the team investigating the same question with the other species) periodically during the combined lecture, and each team meets with the instructor for progress interviews. Students present their results orally, with a portion of the evaluation being peer assessment of the counterpart group’s effectiveness at answering the shared sub-question, as well as the “big picture” question. The structure of this lab encourages student ownership of their research project and maintains a level of cohesiveness among projects because different student groups are linked by invasive plant species (within lab section) and by sub-question (among lab sections), as well as by the “big picture” question (all students in all sections).