Conducting investigations

NOTE - Only complete this virtual fieldwork section if you are unable to attend the field trip to the Minnamurra River study site.

Part 2 - Conducting fieldwork

Lesson goals

Learn field ecology sampling equipment and methodology for conducting fieldwork investigations.
Collect quantitative population data (NOTE - only complete virtual fieldwork sections if you are unable to attend the field trip to Minnamurra River).

Lesson description

Following their previously developed methodology and utilising a range of digital mediums, students collect quantitative measures of biotic and abiotic conditions within Minnamurra's coastal ecosystem.

Estimated time

60 minutes

Supporting materials

Lesson 6 Worksheet - Data collection

Outcomes

Working Scientifically - Conducting Investigations

Conducts investigations to collect valid and reliable primary and secondary data and information
Employ and evaluate safe work practices and manage risks
Use appropriate technologies to ensure and evaluate accuracy

Module 4 - Ecosystem Dynamics

Measuring populations of organisms using sampling techniques

Worksheet access

Click on the image below to access the Lesson 6, Part 2 worksheet. Once opened, save to your personal google drive or download your own copy.

Once saved, use your current knowledge and resources below to complete the document.

Lesson 6 - Data collection

Rewatch the instructional videos below to revise how to estimate vegetation cover and number of animals within a quadrat.

Lesson 6

Estimating vegetation cover

Estimating number of animals

Low tide quadrat survey

There are ten randomly placed quadrats within the 360 degree image of the low tide zone below.

Select a total of three quadrats and count the number of animals and the cover of plants in each.
Record your results in Table 1 and Table 2 of your Lesson 6, part 2 worksheet.

High tide quadrat survey

There are ten randomly placed quadrats within the 360 degree image of the high tide zone below.

Select a total of three quadrats and count the number of animals and the cover of plants in each.
Record your results in Table 3 and Table 4 of your Lesson 6, part 2 worksheet.

Experiment #3

Qualitative comparison of saltmarsh ecosystems

Field experiment inquiry question: Why do population dynamics differ between high and low tide communities?

The quadrat experiment would have confirmed your qualitative observation that a vegetation shift is apparent from the low tide zone into the high tide zone. That is, mangrove species are abundant in the low tide zone, but absent from the high tide zone. Instead, various salt marsh species along with she oaks are abundant in the high tide zone.

Developing an experiment to determine what is influencing this zonation involves making an inference on which abiotic factor is causing the change.

Our pilot and our quadrat study showed the vegetation shift occurred at the point of elevation shift from low to high tide, so this variable may be the determining factor.

Write a hypothesis that includes the independent and dependent variables for a transect experiment in the tidal ecosystems. Lesson 6, part 2 worksheet, page 3.

Experiment #3 - Developing a procedure

Watch the instructional videos below on how to set up a transect and how to use the equipment needed for the transect experiment and complete the procedure on page 3 of Lesson 6, part 2 worksheet.

Experiment #3 - Intertidal transect

This belt transect has been set up as described in the videos above. The majority of the data has been collected for you but stations 6m, 14m and 20m still require assessment.

Select either the hyperlink icons in the 360 degree image below or open the image icons to view images of the recorded data at each station.
Use the images to record your results in data tables 5, 6 and 7 of your lesson 6, part 2 worksheet (page 4).

Return to Lesson 6 page

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