Plucking the Tussocks
This morning we went through the tussocks (Eriophorum vaginatom) harvested yesterday. Each tussock was pulled in half so as to get away from the edges that may have been damaged during harvesting. From each tussock 20 mature tills were pulled for dry mass weight. The number of immature tills, flowers, and buds were recorded. Sitting around plucking reminds me of a corn shucking party where everyone is relaxed and just peeling away the husk from the corn, except here we are peeling away the dead leaves from the green growth. | |
Direct Scope Arthropod Counts
To complete direct counts of arthropods, 4-5 g of soil are covered in water inside a petri dish with a 1/cm grid. The soil samples then need to sit for 20 min before the search begins for ciliates, nematodes, copepods, mites, rotifers (big, inchworm, glider), tardigrades, insects, and collembola. Large pieces/sticks could be picked out. Read John Moore's article on how to use springtails in the classroom.
Stomata Studies Continue
C. Knight continued his work on leaf mass per unit area (LMA) and used the acetate method to continue to examine stomata in local flora 40x with 10x eyepiece is used to view stomata. I would like to develop a lesson plan for students around this technique for when they study photosynthesis. I am posting a couple of background articles and labs here for me to come back to as I develop this lesson plan. Article for my STEM biology students to read prior to development of stomatal inquiry. Potential lab procedure to modify for students and another lab with better background information.
Saturday Night Special - Toolik Trivia
Tonight the entire camp came together and played a trivia game with categories like hodge podge, picture it, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. I was fortunate to be paired with Professor John Moore and the other RET teacher Mary Richmond. I wouldn't have fared so well without their wide knowledge base. It was a challenge but we rolled our way into second place. It was great to see all the researchers and staff to come together and participate in this event. |