Seeing is Believing: Looking at Insect Diversity in a Natural Field, a Playing Field, and Right Outside Your Door

 

Marsha Fanning & Brian Johnson

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Species diversity is one of the fundamental concepts of ecology, and while students often think they understand what it means, they often don’t fully appreciate it. Actually seeing how a small change in habitat can result in huge changes in diversity gives a lasting impression. In this exercise, participants sample insects in two very similar but different habitats, and determine species richness and evenness. Diversity of size, color, as well as kind becomes obvious. Hypotheses about the effect of various biotic and abiotic parameters, as well as the effect of various land uses, can be tested. This exercise can be used in both college and high school biology classes.

Keywords:  ecology, hypothesis testing, sampling techniques, species diversity, insects

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)