76 Fresh-water Biology 



Study 11 

 THE LIFE OF A FLOOD-PLAIN MARSH 



Work Program: 



1. A field trip to a marsh for the purpose of: 



A. Individual collecting by hand picking from the stems and leaves of aquatic 



plants and from fallen brush and logs; also dip net collecting from pools. 



B. Sieve and seine collecting from the more open water areas. 



2. A laboratory examination of the catch. 



3. Reading in the Life of Inland Waters, pp. 261 to 281; 341 to 348. 



For Record include: 



1. A sketch map showing the collecting places. 



2. An annotated list of the organisms collected and observed, arranged under the 



following headings: 



I. Plants — with notes on size, color, relative abundance, growth habits, etc. 



A. Vascular plants — mosses. 



Emergent. 



Floating. 



Wholly submerged. 



B. Algae — microscopic ones, only when these appear in masses, or tinge the 



water with color. 

 Free floating algae. 

 Fringing (sessile) algae. 

 Slime-coat algae. 



II. Animals — with notes on size, color, relative abundance, feeding habits stages 



or ages found, habitat and special activities. 



A. Vertebrates: 



Fishes. 



Other vertebrates. 



B. Invertebrates: 



Free swimming. 



On surface. 



On vegetation. 

 Sessile. 

 Free ranging. 

 In tubes. 



On bottom: 

 Sprawlers. 

 Burrowers. 

 Tube dwellers. 



