EPScoR Reaches Out:Alaska Biogeography – Plants &

their SymbiontsChrista Mulder, Alina Cushing,

and Ruthie Knight

Goals• To teach rural teacher and students about plants and

their symbionts, particularly nitrogen fixers and mycorrhizae

• To provide contemporary, place-based, culturally relevant science curriculum

• To provide teachers with a mechanism for forming links for data exchange and collaborative experiments across the state

• To provide students with a mechanism for joining in collaborative experiments with other students across the state

• To increase communication between the UA system and schools, encouraging students to think about careers in science and scientists to travel to their communities

• To provide scientists with access to data collected across the state

Instructors and AdministrationFaculty:

Christa Mulder (UAF)– overall responsibility for program; science instruction

Jeffrey Loftus (UAS)– responsibility for the teaching development component; outreach to schools

This is a 500-level EDU course run through UAS. It will provide 4 credits toward recertification for teachers.

Instructors and Administration

Staff: the “Teaching Team”:

Alina Cushing (UAF) – science teaching

Ruthie Knight (Valdez) – science education teaching

Alina Cushing

Course Structure

Two modules:• Biogeography and phenology of Arctostaphylos uva-

ursi (kinnikinnick, bearberry) and its mycorrhizae• Invasive legumes and their nitrogen fixers

Two methods of delivery:• Two weeks of theory by distance delivery• Two weeks of hands-on training in Fairbanks

Beforehand: surveyAfterwards: follow-up by phone, email, and in person

Module 1: Biogeography and phenology of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick, bearberry) and its mycorrhizae

• Aimed at teachers who work in communities within the geographic range of bearberry (most of AK)

• Introduces them to plant-mycorrhizal associations

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARUV&mapType=large&photoID=aruv_001_avp.tif

http://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/ArctostaphylosUvaUrsi_Bearberryleaf_Photo05.jpg

Why kinnikinnick?

1) Very wide distribution in the US and Alaska2) Multitude of human uses

• Important food to wildlife• Revegetation and soil stabilization• Emergency food for humans• Other uses (medicine, tobacco substitute, for

tanning leather)3) Ericacious plants are important in Alaska

(includes Vacciniums)4) Inclusion in the list of plants followed by the

National Phenology Network

http://greenspade.com/2008/01/common-bearberry-arctostaphylos-uva-ursi/

National Phenology Network

• A network devoted to monitoring phenology of plants and animals

• Focuses on common species that are easy to identify

• Strong involvement of scientists, schools, and individuals across the country

• Provides a way for students in Alaska to contribute to a nation-wide effort

• Allows instant comparison with the rest of the country!

• http://www.usanpn.org/?q=Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi

• http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/resources_plant.php?Species_ID=53

Kinnikkinick and mycorrhizae

• It has arbutoid mycorrhizae

• High diversity of morphotypes (70 morphotypes at 4 sites in Austria!)

• Considered a “non-selective” host – very useful for forest regeneration and afforestation

Module 2: Invasive Legumes and their Nitrogen Fixers

• Aimed at teachers who live in communities where invasive plants are becoming an issue

• Will familiarize students with the role of N-fixers

• Will make students aware of the problems invasive plants can create, and how to mitigate them

http://www.invasive.org/images/768x512/1196145.jpg

Photo credit: K. Villano

Why invasive legumes?

• Common across the state, sometimes in very high densities

• Some of the most problematic in terms of impacts… but also often very attractive; often thought of as desirable

• Students can contribute data to the AKEPIC Alaska Exotic Plant Information Clearinghouse (AKEPIC) invasive plants database:

http://akweeds.uaa.alaska.edu/

Melilotus alba along the Stikine river

Viccia cracca ( bird vetch) on campus

The teachers

• Aimed at secondary school teachers, but many elementary school teachers have also shown an interest

• We can accommodate up to 10 teachers

• Currently 7 have registered, another 10 or so who have expressed an interest

• Wide range of ages (25-52) and experiences

Locations of Participating Schools (so far)

Post-registration Survey

• Science resources:– Module preference- Presence of invasive legumes and kinnikinnick- Teaching resources available (e.g. room for growing

plants, compound microscopes)

- Science pedagogy background:- Experience and background- Familiarity with teaching different teaching models- Experience with independent student projects

Part I: Distance Education

• Two-week distance component taught through Elluminate (June 15-26)– Allows students to interact during lecture

times

• Some topics are taught to both modules• Some topics are taught to one or the other

module• There are assignments in both science

and science pedagogy

Part I: Distance Education

• General science topics:– Symbioses– Biogeography– Experimental Design– Common gardens: genetics vs. environment

• Module I:– What is phenology?– What are myccorhizae and what do they do?– Natural history of bearberry and its mycorrhizae

• Module II– What is nitrogen fixation?– History of invasive plants in Alaska– Legumes and competition with native plants

Part I: Distance Education

• Science Pedagogy topics:– Current research on student perceptions and

motivation in science– Comparison of Alaska and National science

content standards– Grade-level expectations– Research connection: why try a hands-on

teaching strategy?– Strategies for Science Education: Teacher

Share

Part II: Residency at UAF

• Students will spend 2 weeks in Fairbanks (June 29 – July 10)

• 4 hours per day in structured exercises (lecture, field, lab, and discussion)

• Rest of the time preparing presentations, sharing information, etc.

Part II: Residency at UAF: Science Topics

In the field:• Identification and collection of kinnikinnick, alder, invasives• Survey of invasives on the UAF campus• Tour of the poplar common garden (Matt Olson)

In the lab:• Current research in mycorrhizae and N-fixation (Roger Ruess, Lee

Taylor• Examining, measuring, and describing mycorrhizae / nodules on

plant roots• Phenological measurements• Environmental measurements• Submitting data to databases (NPN, AKEPIC)• Data collection and analysis

Part II: Residency at UAF: Pedagogy and Planning

Pedagogy:• Science options for high school students• Local science education resources and partnerships• Place-based education• Big Ideas in Science• Safety and managementPlanning:• Brainstorming classroom experiments• Developing plant and soil exchanges• Establishing evaluative tools• Developing the course database

What kinds of observations and experiments can classes do?

Module I – some ideas• Collecting and sharing phenological

observations (within AK and using NPN database)

• Collecting and sharing information on mycorrhizae (including morphotypes)

• Establishing common gardens from cuttings from different locations– Determining what genotypes can survive where– Testing for genotype, environment, GxE interactions

What kinds of observations and experiments can classes do?

Module II – some ideas• Comparisons of presence of different invasive species• Measurements of rates of growth of legume populations

in the area• Estimates of nodule biomass and N-fixation across sites

in Alaska• Comparisons of nodule distributions on plants• Comparisons of plant impacts on soils: invasive legumes

vs. native legumes vs. plants that are not legumes• Soil exchanges: will invasive legumes grow equally well

in all soils?

Follow-Up

• Teachers will be contacted regularly to see what progress is being made

• Alina will be visiting schools to see how experiments are being established

• A database will be developed to which all classes can contribute data

Next Year?

• Many teachers said they were interested but already had summer plans

• We could possibly run it again in June and include elementary school teachers