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TEACHING ALL VOLUMES SUBMIT WORK SEARCH TIEE
EXPERIMENTS TO TEACH ECOLOGY TEACHING ISSUES AND EXPERIMENTS IN ECOLOGY
Experiments to Teach Ecology. 1993, edited by J.M. Beiswenger.
  1. Mimicry. Ernest Williams (Hamilton College)
  2. The Influence of Acidification on Ammonification. Brian R. Shmaefsky (NW Oklahoma State University), tested and presented by Jane Beiswenger (University of Wyoming)
  3. Population Ecology: Experiments with Protistans. Jon C. Glase and Melvin Zimmerman (Cornell University and Lycoming College)
  4. Population Ecology: Experimental Models Using Duckweed, Lemna. R. L. Jefferies (University of Toronto)
  5. Foraging and Flocking Behavior. Christopher Smith (Kansas State University)
  6. Cemetery Demography. Nancy Flood (University of Toronto), tested and presented by Charles N. Horn (Newberry College)

Download the Title Page and Preface PDF (70 kb) here.

Mimicry

Ernest Williams (Hamilton College) - this lab was tested and presented at a 1991 ESA workshop.

In this lab, students will...

  1. learn about the components of Batesian mimicry,
  2. measure the effectiveness of mimicry when the relative numbers of models and mimics are changed,
  3. observe the feeding behavior of birds and determine whether it can be modified through learning,
  4. conduct a manipulative experiment and make inferences from observed results.

Download PDF (1,676 kb) here.

 mimicry lab
[click on image to enlarge]

The Influence of Acidification on Ammonification

Brian R. Shmaefsky (NW Oklahoma State University), tested and presented at a 1991 ESA workshop by Jane Beiswenger (University of Wyoming).

In this lab, students will...

  1. determine the ability of two soil bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus), to convert organic nitrogen to ammonia,
  2. determine the effect of acidification on the ammonification ability of the above species of bacteria,
  3. determine the effect of acidification on the ability of native soil microbes to convert organic nitrogen to ammonia.

Download PDF (903 kb) here.

 acidification and ammonification lab
[click on image to enlarge]

Population Ecology: Experiments with Protistans

Jon C. Glase and Melvin Zimmerman (Cornell University and Lycoming College) - this lab was tested and presented at a 1991 ESA workshop. A version of this lab was previously published in the 1991 ABLE Proceedings.

In this lab, students will understand...

  1. the roles of birth and death rates on population growth rate,
  2. the major density dependent and independent factors affecting population growth,
  3. the details of parameter estimation in modeling logistic population growth,
  4. the effects of interspecific competition on population growth and regulation,
  5. the effects of predation-prey interactions on population growth and regulation,
  6. how to design and carry out an experiment of their own design on protistian population ecology.

Download PDF (3,573 kb) here.

 experiments with protistans lab
[click on image to enlarge]

Population Ecology: Experimental Models Using Duckweed, Lemna

R. L. Jefferies (University of Toronto), tested and presented at a 1991 ESA workshop by Andrea Worthington (Siena College).

In this lab, students will understand...

  1. the dynamics of exponential and logistic growth in duckweed (Lemna),
  2. the effects of resource limitation on population growth,
  3. the outcome of competition among species of aquatic plants in the same and different environments.

Download PDF (1,557 kb) here.

 experiments with duckweed lab
[click on image to enlarge]

Foraging and Flocking Behavior

Christopher Smith (Kansas State University).

In this lab, students will understand ...

  1. how the environmental variables of habitat structure, vegetation density, and food color interact to affect short term behavioral decisions that animals make during their daily search for food,
  2. how habitat structure affects the ease of finding food and the avoidance of predators,
  3. how predator attributes such as food preference, experience, territoriality, and flocking influence food seeking-behavior.

Download PDF (2,949 kb) here.

 foraging and flocking bevahior lab
[click on image to enlarge]

Cemetery Demography

Nancy Flood (University of Toronto), tested and presented by Charles N. Horn (Newberry College).

In this lab, students will understand...

  1. how to compare and explain the differences in the survivorship curves for at least two cohorts in a community with respect to local or national history,
  2. how to predict future changes in demography, based on current community changes,
  3. how to collect age data, calculate survivirship, and illustrate survivorship differences.

Download PDF (718 kb) here.

 cemetery data lab
[click on image to enlarge]
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