Environmental Education Topics

Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

1. Ecosystem concept / structure
2. Energy flow; ecological pyramids, trophic levels
3. 10% law; biomagnification
4. Concept of limiting factors
5. Ecological status of stream organisms; biotic indices
6. Hydrologic cycle; biogeochemical cycles
7. Ecological Succession
8. Biodiversity; ecosystem management
9. Environmental Stress; bioindicators
10. Biotic components: aquatic macroinvertebrates (sampling), fish (observation, sampling), salamanders (sampling using leaf packs), birds (observation), mammals (observation), reptiles (observation), vegetation analysis (herbaceous, woody) (sampling)

Abiotic components (Aquatic): temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, physical stream characteristics

Abiotic components (Terrestrial): air temperature/speed, meteorological variables (Mt. Mitchell station), ozone, slope, aspect, elevation, cover type, soil characteristics

Ecological Sampling

1. Scientific method and sampling (bias, replication, calibration, etc.)
2. Field sampling techniques: stream sampling, vegetation analysis, data collection/recording
3. Data summary and analysis (EXCEL: means, standard deviation, plots and graphs, trends and relationships (linear regression)

Environmental Instrumentation

1. GPS; Terrain navigator mapping software
2. Field water quality instrumentation
3. Meteorological instrumentation
4. Field ozone quantifier

High Elevation Spruce-fir Ecosystem

1. Description: Flora / Fauna; distribution
2. Uniqueness of ecosystem
3. Environmental stress factors (air pollution, insects, disease, atmospheric deposition)

Headwater Stream Ecosystems

1. Significance of headwater streams
2. Water quality monitoring; need for data in our region; how data will be used
3. Unique species associated with headwater streams
4. Environmental stress factors (atmospheric deposition, water pollution, development)