Soil respiration is an important process for the cycling of carbon in ecosystems and contributes significantly to the global carbon cycle. The respiration rate of different plant litter and environmental conditions is studied during a 200-level ecology lab using sodium hydroxide traps and statistical analysis. Despite successfully completing the practical components of the activity, students struggle with the counterintuitive analysis of the C:N ratio and the daily respiration rate when announcing their hypothesis, the two parameters being inversely proportional. A gamification approach based on the board game Timeline?? was used to allow students to familiarize themselves with the relationship between the two parameters. In small groups, students need to sort different substrates (examples: cow manure, tree leaves, pine needles, general food waste) in terms of their C:N ratios. This activity is a valuable way to help students understand the impact of molecular structure of the available litter and the important relationship between nutrient availability and microbial activity.
Keywords: Soil respiration, gamification, group activity
University of Manitoba (2025)
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