1. Integrating Research in the Regular Biology Classroom

2. Grantsburg High School Research Biology, Summer 2005 St. Croix River of Life by Kerissa Nelson - GHS

3. Why have Students do Research?

4. The boring answer: The state demands it! State Science Standards require that students engage in inquiry based activities.

5. The selfish answer: I like it! Anything I can do to get outside as a teacher is good!

6. 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.

7. The Real Reasons Students learn best by doing.

8. The Real Reasons Students learn best by doing. You don’t learn much biology from a text book.

9. For example.. A text book says that freshwater mussels use fish to reproduce.

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

11. But when I take my students to the river

12. They can see mussels luring for fish

13. And see fish taking the bait

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. The #1 Reason Ownership – It’s not just class, it’s not just a project – It becomes their class and their project.

17. 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.

18. Summer of 2005

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

20. 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

21. Dragonfly Study Objectives:

22. Increase Public Awareness about Endangered Dragonflies of the St. Croix River

23. 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

24. 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

25. Methods

26. We sampled 100 ft. segments of river bank for dragonfly exoskeletons at 70 sites on the St. Croix River 1time/week.

27. After carefully labeling our specimen vials (rule of 3)

28. We sorted by species

29. And sorted

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

36. We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons!

37. This included 43 species

38. We had identified and counted over 11,000 exoskeletons! This included 43 species A new Minnesota state record the Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeshna pentacantha)

39. 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. >! !<

40. After all data was recorded and organized, we could produce species distributions

41. And phenograms showing when emergence had occurred

42. Future Plans

43. Complete Mathematical Analysis for all Species and Communities

44. Future Plans Complete Mathematical Analysis for all Species and Communities Complete Ordination Analysis using Habitat and Water Quality Variable Data that We Collected

45. 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

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

47. Study Objectives:

48. Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species

49. Study Objectives: Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species Examine Mussel Community and Age Structure Below Dams

50. Study Objectives: Increase Public Awareness of Endangered Species Examine Mussel Community and Age Structure Below Dams Examine How Substrate Variables May Affect These Communities

51. 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

52. Methods

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

54. We snorkeled in shallow water.

55. And when water was over chest height, we put our SCUBA skills to good used.

56. Substrate samples were run through a series of sieves

57. and weighed

58. Data Recorded

59. Species Fluted-shell (Lasmigona costata)

60. Data Recorded Species Length, Width, Height

61. Data Recorded Species Length, Width, Height Age (Fusconaia flava) 4 and 5 Year Old Wood River Wabash Pigtoes

62. Data Recorded Species Length, Width, Height Age GPS Site Coordinates Creek Heelsplitter (Lasmigona compressa)

63. Study Sites:

64. We sampled 100 (.25m 2 ) quadrats at four sites below dams and one high density non dam site.

65. The Clam Lakes Dam had high diversity with 15 live species

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

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

68. It also had the most heterogeneous substrate.

69. Comparison Analysis Between Sites

70. Substrate Summary

71. Species Richness Summary

72. Mussel Density Summary

73. Summary of the Community Age

74. Conclusions:

75. Sites Below Dams Generally Hold Large and Diverse Mussel Communities

76. 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

77. 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)

78. 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”

79. Future Research : Return to sites within 5 years to analyze rate of growth for different species at different sites.

80. Future Research : Substrate Analysis at 40 Randomly Determined Sites Continue with Water Quality, Shoreline and Land Use Analysis

81. 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

82. 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.

83. In the end….

84. Research is Hard Work!

85. But that’s O.K!

86. ‘Cuz we’ve got mussels!

87. Lots of mussels!

88. GHS 2005 >!<