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An Experimental Approach To Teaching The Concept Of Functional Diversity., Cory Mckelvey Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study tested an experimental approach to use in teaching the concept of functional diversity. The project culminated in a laboratory exercise for use in high schools.

Experimental design consisted of representatives of three functional groups of plants, (legumes, grasses, and forbs), planted singly, and in two, or three species combinations. Legumes were represented by Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina, grasses were represented by Cynodon dactylon and Festuca rubra, and forbs were represented by Helianthus annus and Raphanus sativa.

Plants were grown inside a controlled growth chamber. During the growth phase, measurements were taken to highlight temporal …