Adaptations of Aquatic Insects to Habitat and Food Resources in Streams

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2006, Volume 27

Amy Braccia & J. Reese Voshell, Jr.

Abstract

This exercise is a field study of the ecology of aquatic insects in a small stream. By using the inquiry technique, students discover how different animals have unique adaptations for being successful in particular habitats, especially at small spatial scales. Students also learn how these specializations establish essential ecological roles for the aquatic insects in stream ecosystems. Thus, students gain an appreciation of how biodiversity is not just a list of species in a particular environment; it also includes what they do in that environment.

Keywords:  field studies, aquatic ecosystem, biodiversity, macroinvertebrate

Virginia Tech (2005)