Plants & Human Affairs (BIOL106)  -  Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe

Leaf Climate:  Pre & Post Lab

PreLab:

1. Print and read the lab handouts: Are Leaves Good Predictors of Climate?; Climate: Pre & Post Lab; and Common Woody Plants of St. John's
    

2. Before lab begins, send to me an email that contains the following items (in addition, be sure to record these data on your lab handout and bring them to lab):

1. data for our area for the mean annual temperature (MAT) in both degrees F and degrees C

2. data for our area for the mean annual precipitation (MAP) in both inches and cm.  (These data can be obtained from a variety of web-based sources such as the Midwest Regional Climate Center (click on: Climate of the Midwest/Climate Summaries).  To convert units, there are many web sites that will help); and

3. a calculation showing the predicted percentage of leaves of deciduous woody trees in our area with serrate leaves (use equation 1 and show your work).

3. For each of your assigned species, bring to class:  (a) an image of the plant clearly showing the leaf margins; (b) indication of whether the plant is native to Minnesota or not; and (c) approximate length & width of the leaves.  Most of this information can be obtained from various sources including the USDA Plants Database.  Images are available in this site or easily found through a Google "Image" search.

Post Lab:

1. On a separate sheet of paper, complete tables 1, 2, 3, & 4.
    

2. Type an essay in which you compare our predicted MAT and MAP to the actual values.  How closely do these values match?   Are these mathematical models valid for our area? Which of the three models for MAT are most accurate for our area?  Why might there be differences between the predicted and actual data?

Last updated:  09/12/2005 � Copyright  by SG Saupe