What is LETS?
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LETS (Local Environmental Transect Survey) is a citizen science project where students map and measure trees along an elevation gradient to study the effects of climate change on forest biomes. Over 400 students and 30 teachers have participated in LETS days, where they survey over 600 trees across 1200 meters in elevation. Students record species, measure trees, and enter the data which is then analyzed to show trends in species distribution with elevation. Participating in the authentic science project helps students better understand issues like climate change and how it affects their local environment.
What is LETS?
- 1. What is LETS? -or- One School’s Experiment in Citizen Science
- 2. LETS stands for Local Environmental Transect Survey Local -- takes place locally Environmental -- examines an environmental gradient Transect -- records species along a line Survey -- generates maps
- 3. LETS is a Climate Change Study
- 5. The Rhone Glacier Rhone Glacier in 1870 Rhone Glacier recently
- 6. LETS Examines Climate Change Through the Lens of Forest Ecology
- 8. Biomes Exist Close Together
- 15. Tasks had to be outlined and assigned
- 16. Plant guides had to be created to reflect local forest.
- 17. Sites had to be identified and marked. Protocols had to be developed
- 22. Developed Protocols for Study
- 23. Many materials were custom made.
- 24. LETS Benefits From Student Training and Curriculum Integration
- 28. LETS Day Involves the Whole School (to date > 400 students and > 30 teachers have participated)
- 31. LETS Results in Authentic Science!
- 32. This graph shows how as elevation increases, so does the number of coniferous trees, while the opposite is true for deciduous trees.
- 33. The three most common species were Norway Spruce, European Beech, and Silver Fir.
- 34. Many different species of tree were observed, but some were far more common than others.
- 35. Over 600 trees spanning a change in altitude of more than 1200 metres were mapped and measured.
- 37. The Data is Entered, Analyzed, and Visualized
- 41. First ECSA Conference 2016 LAS Student Work is Featured!
- 45. “Climate change is a big issue and Leysin, being a town on top of a mountain, can be very affected by it. Recording the data can help us know, for example, that if there are not many trees we have to place some protection for avalanches. I liked talking to the college students because that gave me knowledge of why climate change is a real issue that affects all of us directly. It was harder than I imagined. It was far away, cold, and I fell a couple of times because the mountain was very steep. Overall it was a great experience and I enjoyed it.” - Ana Lucia Moreno Portoni (RIFP)
Editor's Notes
- #2: Why citizen science? Why LETS? How to run the LETS program? The science of LETS? What’s next? What is iNaturalist?
- #5: Climate change is happening, all you need to do is look around you to see it
- #6: Here is an example that is quite close to home.
- #12: Explain this
- #14: This shows the transect aspect
- #33: Talk about error in this data, don’t say “clearly,” forest management practices, we want to make the science better