Spider Quadrat Labs:
1. First, make a hypothesis about the diversity of spiders in the (Habitats A & B).
Without looking at the spider habitat sheet… which habitat do you think will be more diverse in
terms of spiders? Explain your reasoning.
I think that habitat A will have more diversity due to the many more features that the animals can use for resources.
Without looking at the spider habitat sheet… which habitat do you think will be more diverse in
terms of spiders? Explain your reasoning.
I think that habitat A will have more diversity due to the many more features that the animals can use for resources.
Table 1:
Table 2:
2. How many species of spiders did you find in…
Habitat A: 4 Habitat B: 2
3. What was the AVERAGE number of spiders you found per quadrat?
Habitat A: 5.6 Habitat B: 4.3
4. Twelve quadrats can fit in this area. How many spiders do you estimate are found in the whole
area?
Habitat A: 67.2 Habitat B: 51.2
5. Look at the bottom sheet of paper with the spiders on it. How many spiders are there in…
Habitat A: 22 Habitat B: 20
6. Was your estimate close to the actual number of spiders in the area?
No. My estimates were almost 3x the actual number.
7. Why might there be a difference between your sample estimate and the actual number?
Because not each quadrat on the paper should have 5.6 spiders.
Habitat A: 4 Habitat B: 2
3. What was the AVERAGE number of spiders you found per quadrat?
Habitat A: 5.6 Habitat B: 4.3
4. Twelve quadrats can fit in this area. How many spiders do you estimate are found in the whole
area?
Habitat A: 67.2 Habitat B: 51.2
5. Look at the bottom sheet of paper with the spiders on it. How many spiders are there in…
Habitat A: 22 Habitat B: 20
6. Was your estimate close to the actual number of spiders in the area?
No. My estimates were almost 3x the actual number.
7. Why might there be a difference between your sample estimate and the actual number?
Because not each quadrat on the paper should have 5.6 spiders.
8. Based on the proportions you just calculated (Table 4), do you think the species are evenly
distributed within the habitats?
Habitat A: No because they all differ in numbers by a lot.
Habitat B: No because some weren't even distributed in the habitat.
9. Is this what you think it would be like in nature? Why?
Yes because some species require different things than others to survive so they have to spread depending on what they need.
10. Was your original hypothesis supported by the data you collected today? Why or why not?
Yes. Habitat B has two less species than habitat A.
11. What did you learn about doing a biodiversity quadrat study?
I learned that each quadrat is different, so you cannot really take an estimate depending on what you find.
distributed within the habitats?
Habitat A: No because they all differ in numbers by a lot.
Habitat B: No because some weren't even distributed in the habitat.
9. Is this what you think it would be like in nature? Why?
Yes because some species require different things than others to survive so they have to spread depending on what they need.
10. Was your original hypothesis supported by the data you collected today? Why or why not?
Yes. Habitat B has two less species than habitat A.
11. What did you learn about doing a biodiversity quadrat study?
I learned that each quadrat is different, so you cannot really take an estimate depending on what you find.