This lab requires you to download a free app to an internetaccessible computer (or preferably a smartphone or tablet) and have the ability to take digital images (on smart phone or camera). I

Name: _______________________ PLANT BIODIVERSITY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OBJECTIVES: 1. Use a citizen-science tool to identify common plant species in your neighborhood. 2. Classify plants according to taxonomic names. 3. Have fun while appreciating the diversity of nature in your neighborhood. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT: This lab requires you to download a free app to an internetaccessible computer (or preferably a smartphone or tablet) and have the ability to take digital images (on smart phone or camera). Introduction to iNaturalist and Seek by iNaturalist iNaturalist.org (www.inaturalist.org/) is a citizen science initiative run by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society that allows anyone to identify animals, plants, and fungi around you. When many people participate, everyone gains valuable information on the kinds of life found around the world. Over time, this can help ongoing conservation efforts as well as help people better understand the biological world around them. Available for free using a smartphone app or website, the basic workflow is simple: take a photograph of some organism, upload it to the website, add collection and locality data (often automatically entered via your phone), and collaborate with others who can help you better understand what you observed. For this lab, you can either create a free account at www.inaturalist.org/ or in the iNaturalist app (available for iPhone and Android phones and tables) or use their non-accounted version, Seek by iNaturalist app available at https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app . If you have a smart phone, Seek will be easier to use. If you do not have a smartphone or table, then use the computer version of iNaturalist. The goal of this lab is to use one of these apps to identify at least 10 plant species in your neighborhood, on campus, or at a local park, woods, or nature preserve. The apps turn your smartphone or tablet into a virtual fieldguide, using machine-learning image technology to quickly identify plants, animals, and fungi. A. Download the iNaturalist or Seek app at the links above to your smart phone or computer. B. For Seek, following the instructions at https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app, or the instructions at https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/getting+started for the full version if iNaturalist. C. Go outside to an area where you have wireless internet access. (You can also take photos offline, then upload them later when you have internet access.) D. Find at least 10 different kinds of plants. (You can do more than 10 if you’d like, and also include birds, mammals insects, mushrooms, or other organisms you find, but make sure to include at least 10 kinds of plant • The apps can identify plants by leaf, bark, flower, and other body parts. The more of the plant you can see, the better your chances of getting a complete identification. • Make sure to take a photo of all species to include with this lab. E. If using Seek by iNaturalist: • Open the app and then move your camera around a plant of interest, trying to capture as much of the plant as possible (and not including other plants in the background). i. If using without internet access, then take several pictures and then upload them manually when you again have internet access. • Watch the screen as it narrows down the taxonomy (from division and class down to family, genus, and species). Once it has gotten as close as it can to identifying the species, then take a photo to capture your identication. • Scroll down to read more about this species. F. If using iNaturalist: • Take a photo of some plant, upload your photo, and enter the collecting and locality information. (If connected to the internet, you can do all of this at the same time.) • When you upload an image (or images), it will often give you an estimate of what type of organism you uploaded (possibly to the genus or species level). If so, record these best guesses below. • Be aware that when you post an image to iNaturalist (but not Seek), it is publicly visible to the world. Do not violate our Academic Honesty Policy by mis-using the app. • When you are satisfied that you have entered all the relevant data, click the Upload button to share it with the iNaturalist community. • Check back regularly for activity on your observation from the iNaturalist community or be notified by email to the address in your account settings. The experts in the community may wind up providing you a more accurate identification of your plant. 1. Are you using the iNaturalist or Seek app? 2. As you identify your 10 plants, fill in the following table (using the information provided from the app.) a. If something is unidentified, then leave it blank or write N/A (for not available). b. For the last row, list whether each plant is native to Illinois, intentionally introduced as a garden or cultivated plant, or is as invasive species has is now outcompeting native species. c. Although you only need to identify 10 plants, the table includes room for more, if you wish to add more. Common name Kingdom Division/Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Native/inv./introd. Common name Kingdom Division/Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Native/inv./introd. Common name Kingdom Division/Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Native/inv./introd. Common name Kingdom Division/Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Native/inv./introd. Common name Kingdom Division/Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Native/inv./introd. 3. Where did you go to identify plant species? 4. Looking at your tables above, what taxonomic groups had the highest diversity (meaning the most species observed in the group)? Which had the lowest? 5. Which species were native? Which were introduced and invasive? 6. What was your favorite plant you identified? Why? 7. What did you most enjoy about using this app? 8. What did you like least about using this app? What suggestions do you have to make this a better lab experience in the future? Make sure to upload or embed the photos of the plants you identified with this lab, labeling each photo with the species. …
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