14.4: Data Analysis and Discussion

Instructions

Discussion should be typed (double spaced, size 12 font and standard 1” margins). There are no specific length requirements for this discussion but be sure to address all the components in the prompt below. You will submit this discussion along with your sketches and observations for your completed lab report.

Prompt/Questions to Address

Write a discussion for this experiment which explores community dynamics of an ecosystem. Use ecological reasoning (population and community ecology, competition, disturbance, keystone roles) to answer the questions below:

1. Describe the patterns you observe for deer, voles and big bluestem from 2000-2020. What ecological interactions or landscape changes might explain these trends? (Hint: consider browsing pressure, habitat fragmentation, woody encroachment and predator dynamics). What kind of interspecific relationship best describes the indirect interaction between deer and prairie voles (e.g., competition, facilitation)? How could deer density affect plant species richness and small mammal habitat indirectly? Describe at least two ways the invasion of Juniperus virginiana (eastern red cedar) may alter energy flow, nutrient cycling, and trophic structure in an Illinois prairie.
2. Evaluate the impacts of varying management strategies on prairie ecosystems. Describe the trend in plant species richness across plots A → C. How is richness related to shrub density and animal presence? Which plot would you call the most stable in terms of long-term plant community and why? Consider resilience to invasion, maintenance of native forbs, and likelihood of trophic cascades.