Troy University
BIO L229 - Guidelines for General Ecology Lab Reports - Fall 2018
General features of lab reports: Labs must be typed; use a standard 12-point font (Times New
Roman, Arial, etc.) for the text of the report. Labs must be written in complete sentences, with
correct spelling and punctuation. Lab reports are due prior to the beginning of lab class of the
specified due date.
You will lose one point per day for labs turned in late; no lab report will be accepted more
than three days late. An unexcused absence on the day of lab will also result in a deduction of
one point (even if the report is turned in on time).
Lab reports must be written in your own words. Do not copy from other members of your
group, from the internet, or from other sources. Do not copy and paste from the lab
handouts into your write-up. Do not use direct quotes; the information must be in your own
words.
Numbering the pages: Number each of the pages at the bottom. Don’t use a cover page.
Terminology and other notes on grammar, calculations etc:
Tenses for different sections of the report – The introduction should use past tense when
referring to previous studies and future tense when referring to what will be presented in the
report. The methods section should be in past tense. The results and discussion sections are
generally in past tense, except when referring to information presented further along in the
report, areas for future study, etc.
Spacing – Double space the text throughout the report. Text in tables and figures, as well as
references, may be single spaced.
Numbers – A zero must always be put before a decimal point if there is not another number
before it, e.g. 0.45 not .45. Do not use more than two decimal places.
In the text, numbers less than 10 are written out in letters, e.g., three not 3. However, numbers
associated with a unit of measurement are always written as Arabic numerals, e.g., 1 m2, not one
m2 .
Calculations – When reporting calculated values, show your work!
You must retain the computer files of your work for this course until the semester is over
and you have received the final grade for the class.
1
Format for General Ecology Lab Reports (unless otherwise specified)
Name:
Lab Section:
Title of Lab:
Date of Lab:
Location of the lab: Briefly describe the site and location, i.e., the lab was performed in the
wooded area of the Troy University Arboretum. Include the latitude and longitude (available
from Google Maps/Google Earth) reported in decimal degrees, e.g. 31.784°N, 85.975°W.
Physical conditions: Describe the weather during the lab, e.g., sunny and 30 °C.
Species studied: Give the common and scientific names of all species observed in the lab. The
scientific names of species must be accompanied by the authority (the last name of the person
who named the species or an abbreviation). The primary source for plant scientific names and
authorities is the Alabama Plant Atlas. Put the information in the following format:
Common Name
Tuberous Vervain
Southern Crabgrass
Scientific Name
Verbena rigida
Digitaria ciliaris
Authority
Spreng.
(Retzius) Koeler
The genus is always capitalized, and the species is not. Scientific names should be italicized. The
authority is not italicized.
Introduction: The introduction defines the general purpose of the lab and introduces specific
terminology and concepts related to the lab.
Methods: The Methods section describes the step-by-step procedure that was used in the field.
Include all equipment that was used in the performance of the lab exercise. Do not write
instructions. Typically, you should cite the lab handout as your source of information.
Results: This section contains tables and/or figures. You should have an introductory sentence
or two that refers to the tables and/or figures. Pictures, maps, graphs, and diagrams are all
figures. You need to have “stand alone” titles for figures and tables. For example:
Figure 1. Species-area curve for herbaceous plant species collected at Troy Arboretum.
Figure 2. Logarithmic plot of species-area relationship for herbaceous plant species
collected at Troy Arboretum.
Tables and figures should be numbered in increasing Arabic numerals, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, in the
order that they are first cited in the text. The word table or figure is always capitalized in the text
when referring to a specific table or figure, e.g., Table 1, Figure 1.
2
Discussion: This section should summarize the main findings of the experiment. Do not repeat
the results in paragraph form. Explain how the findings of your work compare with the
expectations of the study.
Unless otherwise instructed, your discussion should include an outside reference from a
published scientific peer-reviewed journal study that was conducted on the topic and used a
similar method for collecting data. The publication date of the study should be within the last 10
years. Print out the first page of the article and attach to the end of the report for verification of
your source.
References: All references cited should be put into the References section. Wikipedia, blogs,
and other similar sources are not acceptable.
References are listed in alphabetic order of the first author’s last name. Examples of proper
reference listings are shown below:
Gotelli, N.J. and L.G. Abele. 1982. Statistical distributions of West Indian land-bird families.
Journal of Biogeography 9: 421-435.
•
This should be cited as (Gotelli and Abele 1982) in the text.
Keener, B. R., A.R. Diamond, L. J. Davenport, P. G. Davison, S. L. Ginzbarg, C. J. Hansen, C.
S. Major, D. D. Spaulding, J. K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2017. Alabama Plant Atlas.
University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.
•
This should be cited in the text as (Keener et al. 2017)
Smith, T.M. and R.L. Smith. 2015. Elements of Ecology. 9th ed. Pearson Education.
•
This should be cited as (Smith and Smith 2015) in the text.
Troy University, Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences. 2017. Title of lab. General
Ecology Lab Handout 1 {or relevant number}.
•
This should be cited as (Troy University 2017) in the text.
3
Troy University Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences
BIO L229 – General Ecology Lab – Fall 2017
9. Soil Structure and Chemistry
Various physical, chemical and biological factors are involved in soil formation. In today’s lab
experiment we will examine the soil structure (determined by relative percentages of sand, silt,
and clay), physical characteristics of the soil horizons, and soil chemistry (pH) at two different
sites at the Troy University Arboretum.
Lab exercise:
We will examine soil profiles at two locations at the Arboretum to determine various physical,
chemical and biological factors. We will measure variables including soil pH, soil moisture, leaf
litter and humus depth, color of the horizons, and soil characteristics such as texture.
Lab Report:
Your report for this lab needs to contain the usual sections, Introduction, Methods, Results,
Discussion, but there is no species list for this report.
In your Introduction, you should introduce the topic of soil properties and then narrow your
focus towards our specific study. Include a general hypothesis and specific predictions
contrasting the two sites. Include at least one outside source to supplement your introduction of
the topic (this can be the same source used in Discussion).
In Methods, you should be able to describe how each test was performed and what equipment
was used, including those tests not done by your group directly.
For Results, you will need to create a table (Table 1) to display the data collected from the sites.
Create a column chart (Figure 1) with side-by-side columns comparing % sand, % silt, and %
clay for the two sites. As a preface, you should include introductory sentences highlighting what
is in Table 1 and Figure 1.
In Discussion, you should give a detailed comparison of the two sites, including statements
regarding if the results were expected based on the type of ecosystem. You should also include a
short discussion of a published study that looked at similar aspects of soil properties.
All references, including your textbook, should be listed in References using CSE Name-Year
style. All references need a parenthetical citation in the text along with the full listing in
References.
.
1
Soil data sheet
Measurements
Date:
Time:
Site A
Site B
Approximate texture for A&
E mixed (using flowchart)
% sand
% silt
% clay
Texture (using pyramid with
% sand, silt, clay)
Soil moisture (% sat)
(A horizon)
O Horizon depth (cm), avg.
of 6
Approximate A & E Horizon
depth (cm)
Horizon color, name and
code (using Munsell Color
Chart)
A
E
B
pH A horizon
E horizon
B horizon
2
60
pH Wide Range
La Motte
pH Test
2
3
Fill test tube (0755)
to line 4 with pH
Indicator (5701).
Squeeze bottle
gently to control
amount dispensed.
Cap and mix gently
for one minute.
Use 0.5g spoon
(0698) to add
three measures
of soil sample.
4
5
Match color reaction with
pH Color Chart (1353).
Record result as pH.
Allow tube to
stand for 10
minutes to let
soil settle.
Phosphorus Test
2
3
DERVU
and watc
The sar
allowi
soluti
to th
5. P
und
Start
Steve J. Thien
LANSAS STATE UNIVEET
6.
R
Place approximately 25 g soil in palm.
Ade water dropwise and knead the soil
to break down all aggregates. Soil is
at the proper consistency when plastic
and moldable. like most putty.
Add dry soit to
soak up water
Does soit remain in
a ball when squeezed ?
BO
Is soil
too dry?
Is sail
too wet?
SAND
TES
Place ball of soil between thumb and forelinger
gently wushing the soil with tra chumb. STAR
it upward into a roon. For Profile
thickness and wintAllow an tea
ad exrna overlassfinge reaking from its
Jex, ght.
LADY
Roea sol
Does soir the
wez, TP or less
than 2.5 cm long
before breaking?
Does soil make a
medium ribbon
2.5 - 5 cm long
before breaking ?
Does soil make a
strong ribbon 5 cm
or longer before
breaking ?
13
TES
Excessively wet a small pinch of soit in palm and rub with forefinger
Does soil
Does soil
Does soil
feel very
feel very
feel very
gritty?
SANDY
aritty?
TES
SAXDY
LOAM
gritty?
CLAY
LOAN
SAKDY
CLAY
00
Does soil
Does soil
teei very
Smooth?
TES
feel very
Does soil
feel very
Smooth?
SILT
LOAM
SILTY
CLAY
LOAK
Smooth?
TES
SILTY
CLAY
10
0
Neither grittiness
nor smoothness
predominates
Neither grittiness
nor smoothness
predominates
TES
Neither grittiness
nor smoothness
prerrominates
TES
LOAN
CLAY
LOAN
CLY
Figure 2-3. Determining soil texture by the "Teel method." Taken from "A Flow Diagram for Teaching
Texture-by-Feel Analysis," by Steve J. Thien, Journal of Agronomic Education, Vol. 8, 1979, pp. 54-55.
A AVERY
POLY.VU
PROCEDURE
1. Place the three Soil Separation Tubes in the rack.
2. Add the soil sample to Soil Separation Tube "A" until it is even with
line 15
NOTE: Gently tap the bottom of the tube on a firm surface to pack
the soil and eliminate air spaces.
3. Use the pipet (0372) to add 1 mL of Texture Dispersing Reagent
(5644PS) to the sample in Soil Separation Tube "A". Dilute to line
45 with tap water.
4. Cap and gently shake for two minutes, making sure the soil sample
and water are thoroughly mixed.
The sample is now ready for separation. The separation is accomplished by
allowing a predetermined time for each fraction to settle out of the
solution. Be sure that you continue to gently shake the separation tube up
to the time of the first separation (Step 5).
5. Ware Soil Separation Tube "A" in the ran to stand
uts listurbed for exactly 30 secords.
0. Carefully pour off all the solutiointe Soil Sepu. Tul. "B"
Return Tube "A" to herk. Allow
mauris for
30 minute:
7. Coletulle sour of the semi Ceraration To be “B” into
Sort-Supar Hion Tube €". RC Tube "B" to the rack
NOTE: The clay fraction is calculated by addin, the sand and silt fractions and
i tracting this total from the initial volume of soil used for the separation.
EXAMPLE:
Tube "A" Sand 2 Initial Volume 15.
+Tube "B" Silt +8 Total "A" & "B" - 10
Total "A" & "B" 10 Clay 5
10. Read Soil Separation Tube "A" at top of soil 1 vel. Ta calculate
percentage sand in the soil, divide reading by 13. Multiply by 100.
Record as % sand.
11. Read Soil Separation Tube "B" at top of soil level. Ta calculate
percentage silt in the soil, divide reading by 15. Multiply by 100.
Record as % silt.
12. Calculate volume of clay as shown above. To calculate percent clay in
the soil, divide value by 15. Multiply by 100. Record as % clay,
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