A species area curve is designed to show us the amount of plant
diversity in a habitat. To make your own species area curve, arrange to meet
with a ranger at a site that has been left relatively undisturbed. Once you
arrive at the site itself, pick a spot at random for each person in the class.
You can use SELECT to walk a random
number of meters north-south and east-west.
Mark a 1 meter square about each of these spots in a consistent manner. For
example, you can choose the spot to be the southwest corner of the square.
Now, each student will count the number of plant species inside their square
meter. Gather their data and have a look at it. Plot the mean and take
note of the standard deviation. Repeat this with a 10 square meter area
(3.16 meters X 3.16 meters) and organize the results. Finally,
the class
can work together counting the plant species for a 100 square meter area
(10 meters X 10 meters). This last project will require
considerable teamwork.
The species area curve is the graph having area for the
x-axis and number of species for the y-axis. If
your region has a variety of
habitats, you can choose different habitats in different years and maintain
a data base of your results.