Integrated ecology education: Research as service learning in undergraduate ecology labs

Background/Question/Methods: As ecologists, we recognize the importance of ecological systems, integration, and the need to inform management. However, what we do in the classroom with our undergraduate students seems out of sync with ecological principles. In fall 2007 undergraduate ecology students, both biology and science education majors, were involved in a comprehensive service learning project conducted at Reynolds Nature Preserve located in Morrow, Georgia. Students conducted field surveys in field and riparian sites of a variety of abiotic factors such as PAR, soil pH, humidity, and a variety of biotic factors such as herbaceous cover, woody vegetation cover, and leaf area. Students then determined if these factors differed statistically between field and riparian sites. Graphical models were constructed using PowerPlay modeling software to explore and illustrate the relationships between the abiotic and biotic factors evaluated at the preserve. Population structure was also explored through a plant population distribution study conducted at the preserve. Students wrote individual papers on each of the projects. The semester culminated in a team project wherein teams wrote integrated papers that incorporated all research projects conducted at the preserve. The class evaluated all team papers and voted for the paper that best integrated the projects and utilized ecological principles to explain the results of the field projects. This paper was then presented to the manager of Reynolds Nature Preserve.
Results/Conclusions

The extended service learning project allowed undergraduate students to conduct research about a variety of ecological topics, synthesize the knowledge gained from the projects via research papers and graphical models, and participate in the feedback loop between science and management.