a) Water quality of study rivers based on macroinvertebrates

After you have identified the bugs found in the Mt Hope River and Trout Brook with your field team, you will then need to work individually to synthesize your results.  You can download the spreadsheet for the entire class's compiled sampling days from the links below.

worksheet download

Combine data from similar locations but each location should have it's own column.  You should have three columns of data:

1) Mt Hope River (2 locations)
2) Trout Brook Beachland Park
3) Trout Brook Railroad Riffles

You have been asked by a local watershed organization that is interested in the overall health of the Park River to assess the water quality of the Park River (Trout Brook) and compare it to a rural river system of the Mt. Hope River watershed in Ashford.  Over the last few weeks you have collected and identified macroinvertebrates in both the Park River watershed (Trout Brook) and the Mt. Hope River.  All analyses that you do can be done in the spreadsheets provided. Before leaving today you should email Prof. Gourley a Word Document that includes imbedded Excel graphs.  Please make sure to include your name in the filename of the Excel file (e.g. gourley_macros.xls).  Refer to the hand out given to you in lab for how to calculate the statistics listed on the master spreadsheet.

We have talked about some reasons why there may be severe impact on the Park River.  These reasons need not enter your discussion. Focus on the macroinvertebrates and determine what these results can tell you independently of any other factors that may affecting the bugs.  This exercise is about demonstrating your ability to make sense of the data that you collected and not about speculating reasons why the data looks the way it does.  Your graphs and explanation of the graphs will make or brake your final analysis and the final evaluation forthis semester.  This is in sense your lab final, a culmination of many skill that we have covered this semester in lab.  I want to see how well you can synthesize and present data, perhaps one of the most important skills you can take from this course.  This work should be done completely individually. 

What you need to be included in your final submitted write-up:

1) A clear summary statement (need not be more than one page-single spaced) that compares the Park River watershed to the Mt Hope River watershed in term of the macroinvertebrates. This statement should reference various graphs that you produce that show your results clearly.  IN addition make sure to include some degree of site description for each site BUT this should not be the focus of the write-up.  This should be written in Word.

2) At least four graphs that help demonstrate the difference between the two watersheds and three sampling sites.    These graphs should be imported into your Word file directly. Reference the graphs using clear references such as Figure 1...etc.  Of the four graphs you must make a graph that shows:

- %EPT
-Biotic Index
-Simpson's Diversity Index

Graphing hint:  Since these data are grouped in categories (i.e. sample locations), you will not be plotting on XY scatter plots but rather bar or line graphs.
If you include the graphs in Word please still send me your master spreadsheet file.

We have used Excel enough this semester that you should be comfortable setting up formulas and making a variety of graphs quickly and efficiently.  Not all graphs will be useful to make your argument.  While there is no one right or wrong way to approach this, you will need to think carefully how you will present the data to make the strongest argument.  Think about which statistics are most useful for assessing stream health. All calculations must be completed in Excel using formulas.

The Word document must be emailed before leaving class. You will not be allowed to work beyond the lab period. Email what you have at the end of lab.