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📢🛑 Click on the headings below to view more information. 🛑📢
📢🛑 Click on the headings below to view more information. 🛑📢
Useful links for students
Useful links for students
📝 Student worksheet:
A copy of the worksheet you will be completing during the excursion.
📑 Student resource book:
This student resource book contains a range of different materials designed to support this excursion.
🌳 Vegetation identification book:
This book is used during the excursion to identify plants in the field.
🌿 Herbivory:
A chart used to assess damage to plants by herbivorous predators, like insects. Used during the excursion.
🧪 Parameter testing instructions:
Written instructions on how to complete aquatic and terrestrial parameter testing. Videos of these tests can be found towards the bottom of this page.
⛰️ How parameters affect an ecosystem
This information will assist you in understanding why you will be testing each of the terrestrial and aquatic parameters.
What impacts microbats?
What impacts microbats?
About the study site - Longneck Lagoon
About the study site - Longneck Lagoon
This fact sheet includes a brief description of Longneck Lagoon's history, land use in the catchment, vegetation, soil and introduced species.
This aerial map shows the boundaries of Longneck Lagoon catchment as well as land use patterns in the catchment.
How to test terrestrial parameters - video instructions
How to test terrestrial parameters - video instructions
Once a video has started playing, you can view it in fullscreen mode by clicking the square in the bottom right corner, or click on the underlined title to open the video in a new tab.
In a terrestrial ecosystem leaf litter provides nutrients to the ecosystem, helps retain moisture, provides homes for terrestrial animals and promotes bushfires for regeneration.
pH refers to potential hydrogen and is a measure of how acid or alkaline a substance is. Soil acidity or alkalinity is important because it influences how easily plants can take up nutrients from the soil.
Soils are a combination of sand and clay and the percentages of each will determine the soil name. Soil texture is important in determining which plants grow in a particular area as it influences the retention of soil moisture and the availability of nutrients.
Soil temperature plays an important role in many processes which take place in the soil such as chemical reactions and biological interactions. Germination and plant growth are affected by soil temperature.
See the transcript for the video
The canopy level of a forest or woodland is important because it provides a habitat zone, protection from storm events and controls available light to lower storeys. It also dictates the local microclimatic conditions such as temperature and humidity.
Light is needed for photosynthesis. If the tree canopy is open (such as in the woodland around Longneck Lagoon) there is enough light to allow shrubs, grasses and an understorey of trees.
Light is needed for photosynthesis. If the tree canopy is open (such as in the woodland around Longneck Lagoon) there is enough light to allow shrubs, grasses and an understorey of trees.
Herbivory is the consumption of plant material by animals. As in predator-prey interactions, this interaction drives adaptations in both herbivores and the plant species they consume. Herbivores may also be a food source for other animals.
How to test aquatic parameters - video instructions
How to test aquatic parameters - video instructions
Once a video has started playing, you can view it in fullscreen mode by clicking the square in the bottom right corner, or click on the underlined title to open the video in a new tab.
Lower water temperatures usually retain higher levels of oxygen. High temperatures in association with increased nutrients may cause algal blooms and reduced oxygen levels.
20°C is needed for optimal tadpole development.
Average freshwater readings are 150ppm. Above 350ppm is considered brackish and above 1900ppm significantly inhibits the growth of many organisms. The salt enters the lagoon by rising ground water and runoff.
Healthy water bodies require a level of 6ppm or above for aquatic animals to thrive. Dissolved oxygen in water is derived from absorption from the air, water plants and the aeration of water.
Turbidity refers to the clarity of water. High turbidity reduces the penetration of sunlight inhibiting photosynthesis in water plants. Plants are important because they provide food, habitat and oxygen, and absorb nutrients. Levels of around 30NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) are considered moderate while above 100NTU are considered excessive. European Carp are a common cause of increased turbidity.
pH water quality test instructions.pdfpH
pH
pH values below 5 and above 9 could be regarded as polluted. Values between 6.7 and 8.6 can support healthy fish populations.
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