Measuring Animal Movements in a Natural Ecosystem: A Mark-Recapture Investigation Using Stream-Dwelling Snails

In this investigation, students measure and describe movements of animals in a natural ecosystem. Students mark stream-dwelling snails with nail polish, then search for these snails 1-7 days later. Distances and directions moved by recaptured snails are recorded. Simple statistical techniques are us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American biology teacher 2007-01, Vol.69 (1), p.e6-e16
Main Author: Stewart, Timothy W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biology
Ecology
Evolution
Investigations
ONLINE INQUIRY & INVESTIGATION
Science Education
Science Experiments
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In this investigation, students measure and describe movements of animals in a natural ecosystem. Students mark stream-dwelling snails with nail polish, then search for these snails 1-7 days later. Distances and directions moved by recaptured snails are recorded. Simple statistical techniques are used to answer specific research questions and identify movement patterns in the snail population. Students also use knowledge of ecological and evolutionary concepts and snail biology obtained from lectures and readings to propose explanations for observed movement patterns.
ISSN:0002-7685
1938-4211
DOI:10.1662/0002-7685%282007%2969%5B6%3AMAMIAN%5D2.0.CO%3B2