APES-Comparing Biodiversity: Spiders, Spiders Everywhere!- Field Quadrat Studies Name: __________________________ 1.

First, make a hypothesis about the diversity of spiders in the (Habitats A & B). Without looking at the spider habitat sheet which habitat do you think will be more diverse in terms of spiders? Explain your reasoning.
If theres a habitat that has more spiders, then that habitat is going to have more diversity.

Next you have to sample the different habitats Find the sheet of paper with the squares cut out of it. The three square holes are the three random quadrat samples you will take in each habitat. * Place each of the quadrat sheets on the habitats and count the number of spiders inside the squares Count and record (below) the number of spiders you find in each square. **Only count spiders that you can see at least FIVE of their legs. Then sample Habitat B with the same quadrats. These are the four species of spiders you may find in your samples: Species A Species B Species C

Species D

Table 1 Habitat A Quadrat 1 Quadrat 2 Quadrat 3 Total Table 2 Habitat B Quadrat 1 Quadrat 2 Quadrat 3 Total

Total # of Spiders
6 6 7 24 T

Which Species?
D, B, C B, C, D A, B, C, D

How many of each species A: 0 B: 1 C: 2 D: A: 0 B: 2 C: 3 D: A: 1 B: 2 C: 2 D: A: 1 B: 5 C: 7 D:

3 1 2 6

Total # of Spiders
4 4 8 12

Which Species?
C D C, D

How many of each species A: 0 B: C: 2 D: A: 0 B: C: D: A: 0 B: C: 5 D: A: 0 B: 0 C: 7 D:

2 3 4 9

2. How many species of spiders did you find in Habitat A: 4

Habitat B: 2

3. What was the AVERAGE number of spiders you found per quadrat? Habitat A: 24/3 = 8 Habitat B: 12/3 = 4 4. Twelve quadrats can fit in this area. How many spiders do you estimate are found in the whole area? Habitat A: 8*4= 32 Habitat B: 4*4= 28 5. Look at the bottom sheet of paper with the spiders on it. How many spiders are there in Habitat A: 35 Habitat B: 20

Te
6. Was your estimate close to the actual number of spiders in the area?

There was an slightly difference. But we were close.

7. Why might there be a difference between your sample estimate and the actual number?

Because some quadrant could have excluded an spider, or our counts could have been incorrect.
Sometimes we want to compare not only how many different species or total number of spiders there are in an area, but also the relative abundance of the species. For example we might sample two areas and find: Area 1 Area 2 2 90 3 5 100 Both areas have four species and 100 animals total but the distribution of the species is very different Area 2 has a more even distribution of species compared to area 1.

Species W Species X Species Y Species Z Total

25 25 25 25 100

What is the number of each species? What is the PROPORTION of each of spider in your habitats? (see Tables 1&2) species in your habitats?

Table 4 Species A Species B Species C Species D Total

Habitat A

Habitat B

1/19= .052 5/19= .26 7/19= .37 6/19= .31 .98

0 0 7/16= .43 9/16=.56 .99

Table 3 Species A Species B Species C Species D Total

Habitat A

Habitat B

1 5 7 6 19

0 0 7 9 16

8. Based on the proportions you just calculated (Table 4), do you think the species are evenly distributed within the habitats? No, there are more species in habitat A. Habitat A: 19 Habitat B: 16

9. Is this what you think it would be like in nature? Why?

Yes, there is always going to be more in one habitat than the other. One is going to have more and the other less, one is going to have more diversity depends on the type of biome.
10. Was your original hypothesis supported by the data you collected today? Why or why not?

Yes, there were more diversity in the habitat that had more spiders. Because there was bigger chance.
11. What did you learn about doing a biodiversity quadrat study?

That the habitat with more spider is going to have more diversity. Also the method to use to know the number of species per habitat, thats called the quadrant square.