Biology Field Study Essays

Biology Field Study Essays Biology Field Study Essay Biology Field Study Essay A general description of the area with reasons why the field study is being conducted. Geological overview Bicentennial Park which is located on the shoreline of Home bush Bay is a natural heritage site which features a vital wetland ecosystem and a large area of parkland colonized by a vast range flora and fauna. Within the park there are four communities of vegetation which are: Coastal Saltmarsh – a type of marsh that is intertidal between land and salty water, consisting of a group of salt-tolerant vegetation, grasses and other organisms. Historical Overview Gather information from first hand observations to construct food chains and food webs Explain trophic interactions between organisms in an ecosystem using food chains and food webs Describe the role of decomposers in ecosystems Measure a number of Abiotic factors to compare the mangrove and Saltmarsh environments Use quadrats to estimate the size of a population in an ecosystem Collect, analyse and present data to describe the distribution of species whose abundance has been estimated Consider the accuracy of population estimation strategies Identify factors determining the distribution of species whose abundance has been estimated Examine trends in population estimates for some plant and animal species in each environment Examine trends in population estimates for some plant and animal species within an ecosystem Justify the use of different sampling techniques to make population estimates when total counts cannot be performed Identify some adaptations of living things to factors in their environment Identify and describe in detail adaptation of a plant and an animal from the local ecosystem Analyse trends in a plant population using a transect Identify examples of allelopathy, parasitism, mutualism, and c ommensalism in an ecosystem and the role of organisms in each type of relationship Identify the impact of humans on the ecosystems studied {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Organisms specialisations for certain habitats In order for an organism to exist in this ecosystem, it must have certain characteristics which will allow it to tolerate the aforementioned conditions. This is referred to as an adaption. The majority of species have adapted to suit their individual habitats. The concept which is named ‘habitat requirement’ states that these specializations allow the organism to survive in one type of habitat but not necessarily in another. Changes in a habitat can be made by organisms that are free to move about such as animals, but these choices are made based upon the pros and cons of each place and the requirements of the organism. Aim: To determine the distribution of vegetation and changes in mangrove height along a transect. Location: {draw:rect} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Food web {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Food pyramid {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Calculating abundance of organisms Results We can calculate the total number of crab holes in the area by using the formula shown above where; Average number in quadrat = 23. 9 {draw:g} {draw:g} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} *Adaptations of the grey mangrove *and the mangrove snail the grey mangrove (avicennia marina) _ {draw:frame} _The pneumataphors form an Ariel root system and act as a ‘snorkel’ to the mangrove, allowing the plant to ‘breath’ air and obtain the oxygen needed for respiration. They need to absorb air through tiny pores on their surface called lenticels due to the lack of air diffusion between sediment grains within the soil, and the oxygen supply is transferred to all the parts of the plants including the underground roots. draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Adaptations of the Mangrove Snail _ {draw:frame} _Small Size: The maximum size that a mangrove snail can reach is approximately 1cm3. This allows the organism to be able to hide from predators more easily in places such as under leaves or branches, and hence making it harder to see. Human impacts *o*n the mangrove Long term effects of Pollution: _ {draw:frame} _ The altered behavior of nocturnal organisms due to light pollution. E. g. Birds who use the moon and stars for navigation will be disrupted and misled if too much light is present. Excessive unnatural light may also affect some predator-prey relationships and the competitive interactions of the animals. {draw:frame} If there is excessive noise pollution, animals within the network which depend on hearing to locate their prey may have extreme difficulties. Because of this, the organism will struggle to locate its food source, or companion, causing a lower chance of survival. Also, excessive and ongoing noise pollution will cause communication issues between a certain species, therefore disrupting their natural breeding patterns. If noise is not maintained, it may cause some offspring to not be produced i. e. ecreasing reproduction rates which may eventually cause the extinction of species within the environment. Questions Was there possible ways human error may have occurred? Discuss. Did you select the most accurate equipment and measurements for the measurements you conducted? Suggest how your methods could be adjusted to increase accuracy. To increase the acc uracy of the quadrat sampling method when measuring the height of the pneumataphors, these steps could have been taken: Double check the measurements recorded incase of human error. Repetition of the method by different people is advised to eliminate previous errors made such as misreading measurements and miscounting the pneumataphors. Random pneumataphors must be chosen in order to decrease the chance of a biased result. Quadrats should be placed at a regular distance such as 5m to increase consistency. In order to increase the accuracy of the results when measuring the Abiotic factors these steps could have been taken: Repeat each method several times and find the average of the total results. This increased the accuracy of the results and eliminates human errors. Ensure that the instructions are precisely followed. Generally, care should be taken when measuring any feature of an ecosystem as any wrong data will lead to a misconception of the lifestyle and actions of certain organisms. By: Julie Assi