Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
Food C hain Roles
Producers
Producers are organisms that create their own food. Photosynthesis is a
chemical process plants use to produce food by using energy from the Sun,
carbon dioxide from air and water from soil.
Local Producer Examples:
River Oats
Red Maple
Consumers
Consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food. Animals are
consumers because they need to consume plants or animals for energy.
Local Consumer Examples:
Herbivore (Eats Plants)
Carnivore (Eats Animals)
White-Tailed Deer
Dragonfly
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Algonquin Wolf
Omnivore (Eats Both)
Northern Cardinal
Human
Decomposers
Decomposers are organisms that consume dead plants and animals. The
material they consume is broken down so that nutrients can return to soil. This
process is important because it makes these nutrients available for plants to use
to grow.
Local Decomposer Examples:
Earthworm
Oyster Mushroom
Horsefly
(SS1)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
Global Interactions
Biomes are large areas of the Earth defined by factors such as climate, geology,
and soil.
An ecosystem includes all of the living organisms in a specific area. These
systems are made of organisms interacting with each other and their non-living
environment. An ecosystem’s environment is deeply influenced by the type of
biome in which it exists.
Image:http://www.next.cc
Infer
Why might Cattails, a plant which exists in Temperate Forests and grows in
marshy water, not exist in a Desert?
Cattails need a warm climate, Desert would not provide the necessary
water source.
The Egyptian Camel Spider exists in Deserts. Why might this spider not exist in
the Tundra?
The Tundra would be too cold to support a camel spider, which needs
warm weather and prey on desert animals.
The Arctic Fox is covered in thick white fur, and is found exclusively in the
Tundra. Why might the Arctic Fox not be found in Temperate Forests?
Temperate forests would be too warm for a fox with thick fur, and green
forests would not provide the proper camouflage for a white predator.
(SS2)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Bingo Wordbank
Fill out the following table using the list of organisms your class created.
Use the field guides provided by your instructor to determine the
organisms’ scientific name and an interesting fact.
Common Name
Scientific Name
Other Interesting
Information
1 Sycamore
Platanus occidentali
Can reach 98 to 130 feet in height
2 Eastern Grey Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
44 day Gestation Period
3 Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Has a lifespan of 1-10 months
4 Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus
5 White Oak
Quercus alba
Eat freshwater and marine
invertebrates
Is deciduous, loosing its broad
leaves seasonally.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 (SS3)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Bingo Wordbank
Fill out the following table using the list of organisms your class created.
Use the field guides provided by your instructor to determine the
organisms’ scientific name and an interesting fact.
Common Name
Scientific Name
Other Interesting
Information
16
17
18
19
20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (SS4)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Bingo
• To play BioBlitz Bingo, use the scientific names of common
organisms to fill in every block of the table. Your teacher will
announce the common name of this organism, and it is up to you to
mark the appropriate corresponding scientific name.
(SS5)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Bingo
• To play BioBlitz Bingo, use the scientific names of common
organism to fill in every block of the table. Your teacher will
announce the common name of this organism, and it is up to you to
mark the appropriate corresponding scientific name.
(SS6)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Prep
Our BioBlitz is a field study - a way of gathering scientific data outside of a lab.
This scientific method uses natural circumstance to gather information on
patterns in nature.
Our field study will give us an idea of the organisms in our ecological
communities. Each organism plays an important role in the food-chain.
Image:123rf.com
Things to Remember While Outside
o Field-studies are non-invasive – Plants and animals are not to
be disturbed, and are to be left exactly as found.
o Any materials brought to the study (i.e. Papers, pens,
measuring tape, rope) needs to also be taken out of the study
area after the allotted time.
o While this activity is meant to be fun and informative, it should
be treated as scientific so that every organism is respected.
(SS7)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Protocol
Introduction
You will be observing the organisms present in your area. We
will be using this data to analyze the biodiversity of our ecological
community. You will be determining species’ names and sharing your
favorite organisms with other students online.
Materials
Flexible Measuring Tape
60ft Rope
4 Dowel Rods
Field Guides (Physical or Digital)
Cameras (Digital or Cell Phone)
Procedure
1. After your teacher has assigned your group to an area, delineate a square
area using four pieces of rope cut to 15ft each. At the corners of your
square, rope should be tied to a dowel rod.
15ft
2. After your study plot has been defined, visually analyze your space,
keeping all of the living organisms in mind. After you look over your plot,
start to list identifiable organisms on the attached sheets. For those which
you cannot identify, use a field guide to determine the organism OR take
a picture.
3. Before you are finished, take some pictures of your favorite observations.
Once your allotted time is over, remove all materials and await your
teacher’s direction.
(SS8)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Observations
Animals
Insect
Mammal
Reptile
Bird
Fish
Amphibian
(SS9)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
BioBlitz Observations
Plants
Groundcover
Shrub
Tree
Decomposer
(SS10)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
Get C onnected!
We are using iNaturalist to share our observations with other
students also participating in BioBlitzes. Either on a mobile device
approved by your teacher or a computer, register with iNaturalist to
join this exciting community. (http://www.inaturalist.org)
National Geographic’s Great Nature program is an online resource
for students to share as many great observations as possible!
Once you have your photos uploaded, other users can let you know
the type of organism you have spotted!
(SS11)
Micro BioBlitz
Name __________________________
Teacher_________________________
Date __/__/__
C alculating Diversity
Simpson Diversity Index
The Simpson Diversity Index is a way for researchers to quantify overall species
diversity in a community. The basic equation for the Simpson Index is:
𝑑=
𝑁 (𝑁 − 1 )
∑𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)
𝑑 = the value of the diversity index
𝑁 = the total number of individuals present
∑ = the total ‘sum of’
𝑛 = the total number of individuals present in each species
Species
Number of Individuals Present
A
𝑛=
B
𝑛=
C
𝑛=
D
𝑛=
E
𝑛=
F
𝑛=
G
𝑛=
H
𝑛=
I
𝑛=
Total
𝑵=
_______ =
(𝑛 − 1)
𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)
____ ( ____!!)
(SS12)