Integrating Research in the Regular Biology Classroom

Grantsburg High School Research Biology, Summer 2005

St. Croix River of Life

by Kerissa Nelson - GHS

Why have Students do Research?

The boring answer:

• The state demands it! State Science Standards require that students engage in inquiry based activities.

The selfish answer:

• I like it! Anything I can do to get outside as a teacher is good!

Be Honest!

• A day on the St. Croix SCUBA diving and canoeing or….

• a day in a white walled building with periodic bells, raging hormones, and continual complaining about homework.

The Real Reasons

• Students learn best by doing.

The Real Reasons

• Students learn best by doing.

• You don’t learn much biology from a text book.

For example..

• A text book says that freshwater mussels use fish to reproduce.

A picture can show how they attract fish. (Just how many fish are in this

picture?)

But when I take my students to the river

They can see mussels luring for fish

And see fish taking the bait

The Real Reasons

• Students learn best by doing.

• You don’t learn much biology from a text book.

• Rivers are more than fish and water – they are ecosystems and this is a complex concept for students to understand.

The Real Reasons

• Students learn best by doing.

• You don’t learn much biology from a text book.

• Rivers are more than fish and water – they are ecosystems and this is a complex concept for students to understand.

• People don’t care about what they don’t understand.

The #1 Reason

• Ownership – It’s not just class, it’s not just a project – It becomes their class and their project.

The #1 Reason

• Ownership – It’s not just class, it’s not just a project – It becomes their class and their project.

• Ultimately, it becomes their river.

Summer of 2005

Summer of 2005

• A Longitudinal Survey of Dragonfly Communities on the St. Croix River and its Wisconsin Tributaries.

Summer of 2005

• A Longitudinal Survey of Dragonfly Communities on the St. Croix River and its Wisconsin Tributaries.

• A Quantitative Survey of the Unionid Mussels Below Four Dams on Three Wisconsin Tributaries of the St. Croix River

Dragonfly Study Objectives:

Dragonfly Study Objectives:• Increase Public

Awareness about Endangered Dragonflies of the St. Croix River

Dragonfly Study Objectives:• Increase Public

Awareness about Endangered Dragonflies of the St. Croix River

• Give Students an Understanding of Dragonfly Life Cycles and Habitat Associations

Dragonfly Study Objectives:• Increase Public

Awareness about Endangered Dragonflies of the St. Croix River

• Give Students an Understanding of Dragonfly Life Cycles and Habitat Associations

• Gain an understanding of species distribution and community ordination throughout the St. Croix River

Methods

We sampled 100 ft. segments of river bank for dragonfly

exoskeletons at 70 sites on the St. Croix River 1time/week.

After carefully labeling our specimen vials (rule of 3)

We sorted by species

And sorted

And sorted

And sorted

And sorted

And sorted

And sorted

After we had sorted for four weeks – things got a little crazy

We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons!

We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons!

• This included 43 species

We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons!

• This included 43 species

• A new Minnesota state record the Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeshna pentacantha)

We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons!

• This included 43 species

• A new Minnesota state record the Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeshna pentacantha)

• A few more mysteries that we continue to work on. >!< >!<

After all data was recorded and organized, we could produce

species distributionsSt. Croix Snaketail (Ophiogomphus susbehcha )

2005 Emergence on the St. Croix River

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1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51

Plot Number from St. Croix Mouth to Source

# o

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And phenograms showing when emergence had occurred

St. Croix Snaketail (Ophiogomphus susbehcha) 2005 Emergence on the St. Croix River

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Future Plans

Future Plans

• Complete Mathematical Analysis for all Species and Communities

Future Plans

• Complete Mathematical Analysis for all Species and Communities

• Complete Ordination Analysis using Habitat and Water Quality Variable Data that We Collected

Future Plans

• Complete Mathematical Analysis for all Species and Communities

• Complete Ordination Analysis using Habitat and Water Quality Variable Data that We Collected

• Publish Our Results

A Quantitative Survey of the Unionid Mussels Below Four Dams on Three Wisconsin

Tributaries of the St. Croix River

Study Objectives:

Study Objectives:

• Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species

Study Objectives:

• Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species

• Examine Mussel Community and Age Structure Below Dams

Study Objectives:

• Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species

• Examine Mussel Community and Age Structure Below Dams

• Examine How Substrate Variables May Affect These Communities

Study Objectives:

• Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species

• Examine Mussel Community and Age Structure Below Dams

• Examine How Substrate Variables May Affect These Communities

• Tag Mussels For Future Growth Analysis

Methods

At each site, we located areas with mussels and then, within this area, we randomly sampled the substrate

We snorkeled in shallow water.

And when water was over chest height, we put our SCUBA skills to

good used.

Substrate samples were run through a series of sieves

and weighed

Data Recorded

Data Recorded

• Species

Fluted-shell(Lasmigona costata)

Data Recorded

• Species• Length, Width, Height

Data Recorded

• Species• Length, Width, Height• Age

(Fusconaia flava)

4 and 5 Year Old Wood River Wabash Pigtoes

Data Recorded

• Species• Length, Width, Height• Age• GPS Site Coordinates

Creek Heelsplitter (Lasmigona compressa)

Study Sites:

Study Sites:

We sampled 100 (.25m2) quadrats at four sites below dams and one

high density non dam site.

The Clam Lakes Dam had high diversity with 15 live species

Mussel Community at Clam Lakes Dam at Clam Dam County Park

51%

22%

7%

7%

4%

2%2%

2%

1%0%0%1%1%

0%

0%

Mucket

Strange Floater

Fat Mucket

Fluted Shell

Wabash Pigtoe

Pocketbook

Giant Floater

Threeridge

White Heelspliter

Elktoe

Pimpleback

Black Sandshell

Cylinder

Hickorynut

Lilliput

The substrate was almost pure loose sand – not “typical” quality

habitatSubstrate Analysis

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10%

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152 mm 81 mm 14 mm 6 mm .5 mm

Sieve Diameter

% C

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Clam Lakes Dam

The Memory Lake Dam Site on the Wood River had the highest diversity with 18 live species.

Wood River Mussel Community Below Memory Lake Dam

37%

26%

13% 6%

3%

2%

1%1%

0%

0%0%

0%

2%

2%

1%

3%

1%

Species

Spike

Mucket

Threeridge

Fat Mucket

Pocketbook

Wabash Pigtoe

Fragile Papershell

Flutedshell

Strange Floater

Black Sandshell

Elktoe

Cylinder

Pimpleback

Creek Heelsplitter

Hickorynut

Purple Wartyback

Pink Heelsplitter

It also had the most heterogeneous substrate.Substrate Analysis

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5%

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30%

35%

152 mm 81 mm 14 mm 6 mm .5 mm

Sieve Diameter

% C

om

po

sit

ion

Memory Lakes Dam

Comparison Analysis Between Sites

Substrate Summary

Summary of Substrate Analysis at All Sites

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152 mm 81 mm 14 mm 6 mm .5 mm

Sieve Diameter

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ion Beaver Dam Road

Spooner Dam

Clam Falls Dam

Clam Lakes Dam

Memory Lakes Dam

Species Richness Summary

Species Richness at Each Site

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Yellow River Beaver DamRoad

Yellow River Spooner Dam Clam River Clam FallsDam

Clam River Clam LakesDam

Wood River Memory LakeDam

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Mussel Density Summary

Density of Mussels/m2 at Each Site

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Road

Yellow RiverSpooner Dam

Clam RiverClam Falls

Dam

Clam RiverClam Lakes

Dam

Memory LakeDam Wood

River

Sites

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Summary of the Community Age

Mean Age of Mussels at Each Site Based on Annular Ring Analysis

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Yellow RiverBeaver Dam Road

Yellow RiverSpooner Dam

Clam River ClamFalls Dam

Clam River ClamLakes Dam

Wood RiverMemory Lake Dam

Sites

Mea

n A

ge

in Y

ears

Conclusions:

Conclusions:

• Sites Below Dams Generally Hold Large and Diverse Mussel Communities

Conclusions:

• Sites Below Dams Generally Hold Large and Diverse Mussel Communities

• These Mussels Appear to Grow at a Faster Rate than Mussels Elsewhere in the River System

Conclusions:

• Sites Below Dams Generally Hold Large and Diverse Mussel Communities

• These Mussels Appear to Grow at a Faster Rate than Mussels Elsewhere in the River System

• Compact Substrate with Anoxic Conditions May Affect Reproduction at Some Sites (Such as the Spooner Dam)

Conclusions:

• Sites Below Dams Generally Hold Large and Diverse Mussel Communities

• These Mussels Appear to Grow at a Faster Rate than Mussels Elsewhere in the River System

• Compact Substrate with Anoxic Conditions May Affect Reproduction at Some Sites (Such as the Spooner Dam)

• Each Site Was Unique Making it Difficult to Generalize about “Below Dam Conditions”

Future Research :

• Return to sites within 5 years to analyze rate of growth for different species at different sites.

Future Research :

• Substrate Analysis at 40 Randomly Determined Sites

• Continue with Water Quality, Shoreline and Land Use Analysis

Future Research :

• Substrate Analysis at 40 Randomly Determined Sites

• Water Quality, Shoreline and Land Use Analysis

• Complete GIS and Mussel Community Ordination Analysis (NMDS) for our Dataset

Special Thanks to :Mark Hove, Dr. Dan Hornbach, Lisie Kitchel,

and St. Croix SCUBA for technical and logistical support.

Grantsburg School District, the Wisconsin DNR Citizen Science Grant Program, and the Wisconsin Environmental

Education Board for financial support.

In the end….

Research is Hard Work!

But that’s O.K!

‘Cuz we’ve got mussels!

Lots of mussels!

GHS 2005 >!<