Ecosystem Structure - Whitney Ruppel

Ecosystem structure and function are common measurements used to characterize stream habitats. Often, only the structure of a stream is measured through invertebrate assemblages, fungal biomass, fish or periphyton. I will be measuring the structure and function of two streams, in Carolina Forest Wildlife Refuge and Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve. Decomposition of leaves in litter bags placed at each site will be used to measure ecosystem function. Ecosystem structure will be measured using the Coastal Plain Macroinvertebrate Index (CPMI). Designed for south eastern coastal plains, the CPMI is a combination of metrics used to assess ecosystem quality. Besides the 100 invertebrates necessary for the CPMI, an additional 200 invertebrates will be sub-sampled and used for the measure of ecosystem structure. The invertebrates collected in litter bags also will be identified and used to assess the stream ecosystem. Percent shredders in the litter bags will be compared with decomposition rate over 6 months. Fungal biomass also will be used to measure structure, by extracting ergosterol from leaves collected in the litter bags as well as leaves in the stream sediment. Changes in ecosystem structural measures may not accurately represent the changes in ecosystem functional measures and vice versa. The combination of measurements will help answer my question, do structure and function metrics correlate so each accurately represent stream ecosystems? The measurements will also help determine if there are other methods that could be used to properly assess stream systems.

In 10th grade, students have begun developing their own unique ideas and opinions and are beginning to consider their future after high school. My research would be relevant because it connects the physical stream that you can see, with microbial and invertebrate assemblages. By 10th grade most students have a sample of knowledge of streams, microbes, and invertebrates. My research would help them understand how each relates to one another. Also, on a much broader view my research will help students understand basic environmental management techniques and principles currently used. This would give students an idea of why science is necessary, and hopefully get them excited about science and science-based career futures.

To incorporate my research into a middle or high school science classroom, I can envision many activities they could do, and many that would help them understand the scientific method. For instance, they could sort through a sample of invertebrates, and using a dichotomous key, identify them and hypothesize about the biotic integrity of a stream. Many bottle ecosystem experiments also could be done that would help students understand and actually watch decomposition of leaves, plant material, and even different foods they want to bring in. I would love to bring students into the field to collect samples, but could also bring in water samples and have them investigate the communities like real scientists. There are many possible activities that would help students not only learn the applicable concepts but also encourage excitement of science.