Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching (ABLE Proceedings)

Title:

Urban Ecology: Inquiry-Based and Experiential Laboratory Exercises for Urban Ecosystems

Url:

http://www.ableweb.org/volumes/vol-37/v37reprint.php?ch=19

Author:

Adrienne Lohe
Derek Stefanik
Joslyn Mills
Jacob Reilley-Luther
Ashley Jennings
Melissa LaBonty
Amanda Gallinat
Raka-Larissa Basu
Alla Yalonetskaya
Tristan Lubinski
Nafis Hasan
Angela Seliga
Ajit Kamath
Nathan Rycroft

Author's Address:

University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, PA
Boston University, Biology, MA
Tufts University, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA

Email Address:

nrycroft@bu.edu

Description: Many universities are located within urban areas, not commonly recognized as complex and dynamic
ecosystems. This module was created to introduce students to these ecosystems, provide them with
techniques used commonly by ecologists to assess ecosystem diversity and health, and gain a better
understanding of both positive and negative human impacts on urban environments. This lab has been
designed to be flexible and has been executed both as a 3-hour module and a three-day, 18-hour module,
and with indoor contingencies in place in case of inclement weather.

Keywords:

Water Quality
pollution
modular
ecosystem health
human impacts
invasive species
scavenger hunt
water quality

Topic:

Ecology

BEN Subject/Discipline Taxonomy:

Ecology

Learning Resource Type:

Laboratory exercise (DCMI Type Vocabulary)

Context:

High school upper division 11-12
Undergraduate lower division 13-14

Format:

pdf