Plant Succession Field Investigation

1. Observe both biotic and abiotic features of selected site.
2. Gather evidence which will help determine current plant succession stage and past events.
3. Create a model showing the various succession stages their plot has went through in the last 100 years.
4. Communicate results to class.

This activity would be used in a high school Environmental Science class to introduce the concept of ecosystems and plant succession. Student will be paired or work in small groups in a location such as a school forest or school nature area. Before the activity, students will be given instructions about the type of detail they should look for in their observations and types of specimens the are allowed to collect or prohibited from collecting. The class will conduct the activity before holding the classroom discussion on succession. After making observations and collecting data students will need to create a timeline which outlines the history of their site for the last 100 years. They will be asked to share this information with the rest of the class. Expected time for the exercise is 1 ½ to 2 hrs.

This activity will be used to introduce the concept of plant succession. The activity will begin with instructions about the level of detail expected in their observations and what they should plan on collecting as specimens. Specimens can be both biotic and abiotic in nature. They should be looking for any clues which help tell the story of the areas past. Students will begin the field portion of the activity by marking their study area with survey flags. They will then begin making observations within the flagged area for a predetermined amount of time. When the observation portion of the activity is complete the class could be moved back to the lab or the classroom to prepare their timeline . They will need to use their observations to model what they think has happened in their plot for the last 100 years. If their plot is in an early stage of succession, they may want to look into the history of the region and create their arguments from all available evidence. The timelines may be done in any appropriate fashion (they will be encouraged to be creative). The groups will then share their findings with the rest of the class.
Materials needed:
Measuring tapes
Survey flags
Notebooks
Sandwich bags for collecting specimens
Poster board, Whiteboard, Computers
Community History book, old plat books or maps

This activity will work best for those who have school nature areas or access to wild lands. Students will need to combine the evidence they have collected with a certain amount of speculation of what has happened in the past on their site. Encourage student to use community history books , old land use records or old photographs to help their with their timelines. Outdoor safety will need to be observed, students should wear appropriate clothing and check for ticks when finished. This activity will replace a the traditional classroom discussion I have used in the past.

Students will be assessed on the presentation they make to the rest of the class and on their field notes and diagrams.
This could be a PowerPoint presentation, video, display, or other method of presenting the evidence which clearly tells the story of their plot.

Interdependence of Living Systems 9.4.2.1.2