Ecosystem dynamics program

Excursion outline:

On this excursion students undertake a journey through natural environments to access three main sites. They will engage with content from Module 4 from the NESA Biology syllabus including:

• Study of a population of the Long Nosed Bandicoot and it's ecological niche (including interactions, adaptations, threats and population dynamics)
• Rigorous, hands-on ecological surveys of the biotic and abiotic factors at two different forest sites. The data collected from these surveys allows for a comparison of the sites which informs a habitat assessment for the Long Nosed Bandicoot.
• Observation and analysis of human activities, environmental impacts, management and research priorities.
• In-field data interpretation and identifiction of cause-effect relationships

An optional hands-on communication activity is available by request. This engaging activity focusses on animal adaptations, habitat, threats and management.

All of the fieldwork activities have an explicit teaching focus on the syllabus skills for working scientifically.  

Inquiry questions:

How do biotic and abiotic factors affect animal populations in natural areas?

What fieldwork & analysis methodologies are needed for a valid and reliable habitat survey?

How can human activities impact the natural ecosystems and how should they be managed?

Activity details:

Sites A and B - Twin ecological surveys

Students work in groups of 3 or 4. Each group uses fieldwork instruments and tools to record quantitative and qualitative data, including biotic and abiotic factors.

Biotic factors include: leaf litter invertebrate sampling, fauna evidence, leaf-litter coverage (using a sectioned quadrat) and identifying dominant plant types.

Soil factors include: soil texture, pH, moisture, colour and temperature.

Abiotic environmental factors surveyed are numerous and use instruments including hygrometers, compasses, clinometers, light meters and anemometers.

Students record their data and observations using worksheets and a shared online spreadsheet, accessible on their phones using the Google sheets app. This streamlines data collection, processing and analysis (and allows the teachers to spot and correct errors and suspicious data outliers as they occur)

Groups identify and discuss issues with each survey method's validity and data reliability. This discussion includes explicit examples of different types of error and bias and strategies to minimise these.

Note: In order to make the most of these activities students need to watch these videos in the week before the excursion and complete a least the first two activities in this Google docs worksheet.

Human activities, impacts and management

Students locate evidence of human activities identify environmental impacts and current management strategies that promote survivorship of the local Long-Nosed Bandicoot population.

During the excursion students will use their own phones/devices to make a short, informative video to communicate their observations, learnings and findings.

In-field data interpretation, processing and analysis

As data and observations are collected students identify and discuss emerging patterns and trends. Students formulate inferences and communicate these as proposed cause and effect statements.

Students can take photos using their own devices that enable them to identify and communicate information relevant to the syllabus content and assessment task.

To conclude students consider and discuss information they have gathered and use this to make an initial comparison and assessment of the two study sites, specifically their suitability as habitat for the long-nosed bandicoot as well as future directions for land and ecosystem managers.

Assessment:

Teachers can use this excursion and data collected as the basis of an assessment task.

A range of sample assessment questions, tasks and marking rubrics are available by request.

Schools that choose to collect their excursion data using the Google sheets spreadsheet app (instead of pen and paper) will find it much easier to assess their students' data processing and analysis skills. Your school will be provided with a spreadsheet link in the week before the excursion.