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SLE103 Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report

Due: Wednesday 15th May: 5.00 pm

Weighting: 25%
Seminar week 8 Submit: online via the AT 3 drop box on CloudDeakin.

• Assessment Task 3: Ecology report YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE OFF-CAMPUS FIELD WORK QUIZ
TO SEE THE AT3 DROPBOX
• Food webs

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report
Supporting resources: On the Unit web Page
- Resources- Assessments- Assessment task 3
• Instructions handout (pdf)
• Video for how to collect data in the field
• Video to demonstrate how to generate figures in excel
• Discussion board
- for questions about the task
- to find people to pair up with to collect data
• Assignment writing for SLE103 workshop
(Week 8: Friday 3.00pm class,)
The purpose of the exercise is to help facilitate your understanding
and appreciation of some key properties of an ecosystem.
You will look closely at two areas within a single ecosystem (which
may consist of two different habitats). Or, you could compare two
separate ecosystems (e.g. a grassland versus a forest area).
How? You will first consider the biotic components (living things)
that make up an ecological community in an ecosystem, and their
interrelationship with both other biotic components and also the
abiotic components
Then - consider energy flow and chemical (nutrient) cycling in your
chosen areas.

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report Field data collection:

Set up a 1m x 1m quadrat in area 1
How to approach the task x
Record all the plant species occurring in the quadrat and record the % cover of
each so that you can determine which two species are the most dominant
1) Fill in the off-campus field work form online overall, in each area
2) find someone to collect data with Plant Species Area 1 Quadrats
3) read the instructions and watch the video 1 2 3 4 5
4) Ask questions BEFORE you collect data if you are unsure of Grass 1 10
what to do %
5) Take the instruction sheet into the field with you, as well as the Shrub 1 5%
equipment and data sheets you need etc
6) Collect data and take notes Area 2 Quadrats
7) Referring to the marking sheet to guide you, start formatting
Grass 1 15
and writing your report
%
8) Generate the graphs that you need, and select the photos and
Grass 2 5%
maps that you will use. Number these consecutively, in the
Tree 1 20
order that they will appear in your report %

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Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report

Area 1 Area 2
Field data collection: Primary What is it What Format will the report take?
consumer 1 eating?
ie
caterpillar
What other data do you need? Primary
consumer 2
Scientific report format
- primary, secondary tertiary consumers
……..
- Chemical cycling

Repeat until you have data for 5 quadrats

Secondary
consumer 1
Introduction
in area one …..
Methods
Spend at least 30 mins making observations
and taking notes in area one
Secondary
consumer 2
Results
Discussion
Move to area two and repeat! Tertiary
consumer 1

CHECK YOUR INSTUCTION SHEET TO MAKE SURE

YOU HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report

What Format will the report take? What Format will the report take?
Methods
Introduction
This is where you outline how you did your study
- Do not list equipment
This is where you briefly outline the context and - Do not write this section as a list of instructions
background for your study (DO NOT COPY THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ASSESSMENT TASK GUIDE)
(why did you do this – why is it important to do
- describe what you did
this type of research?
- write in full sentences, not dot points or numbered points
- speak in the PAST TENSE ( you have completed the study)
Look at the marking criteria- have you addressed
the points required in your introduction Look at the marking criteria- have you addressed the points required in your
methods

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report

Assessment Task 3 : Ecology report
What Format will the report take?
Results What Format will the report take?
This is where you summarise the data you collected Discussion
- Provide written sentences that describe the “patterns” you This is where you provide your interpretation of
found (see the example in the assessment task guidelines) the patterns you have observed.
- Write the sentence, present the figure that relates to that
sentence - Format the discussion as a series of answers to the
- Write the next sentence, present the next figure etc questions posed in the assessment task guidelines.
- Refer to figures in brackets at the end of the sentence - Provide headings and numbers
- Number figures consecutively, in the order that you present Look at the marking criteria- have you answered all the questions?
them -Have you provided a conclusion?
- speak in the PAST TENSE ( you have completed the study) -Have you cited sources for information that supports your
Look at the marking criteria- have you addressed the points required in your interpretations/answers (using the Harvard style)
results - Have you included a reference list

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Fantastic food web game

Food webs
Objective of the game

You will need to think strategically, using your knowledge

of food-webs to “win” 10 organisms to fit into a food-web.

Teams will comprise 5-6 members.

Each team will have 10 balls that they need to throw into one
of four cups.

The cups represent different trophic (feeding) levels.

- To help understand how food webs work.

- You will form teams to “win” organisms in the different
trophic (feeding) levels.
- Teams can organise themselves into “roles” ie strategists,
throwers, collectors and a referee
- GOAL – to throw table tennis balls into the cups on the table,
thinking about how many of each trophic level you should
ideally win, to be able to make a food web.
- You will have @10mins to throw the balls

SC

TC PP

PC
Table set-up

- referees will write down on a slip of paper how

many organisms from each trophic level the
team have won
- you will then have 10 mins to decide which
organisms to use, from the list on the
powerpoint slide
- each team leader will then come up and
collect their organisms from the stacks on the
table (referees and demo’s to dispense )
- Each organism is worth a set number of points -
if you have any organisms that have not been
fitted into the web, or any balls that you couldn’t
get into cups, these points will be tallied.
- Use the butchers paper and a small amount of
bluetack to build your foodweb
- use the highlighter to draw in the links between
organisms- INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF ENERGY
FLOW

- The winning team is the team with the LOWEST

number of points at the end of the game

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left over balls Primary consumers/ Secondary consumers

(2 points) detritivores and (3 points)
decomposers Mosquito
Primary producers (2 points) Praying mantis
(1 point) Bee Pied Currawong
Kangaroo Skink
Grass Earthworm Dingo
Eucalyptus leaves Leaf-cutter ant Wedge-tailed Eagle
Acacia leaves Dung beetle Meat-ant
Orchid (flower) Caterpillar Spider
Pearl Beard-heath Cricket Cat
Moth Potoroo (O)
Potoroo (O) Brown Snake
Koala Willy Wag-tail
Red-necked Striped Marsh Frog
Padymelon Yellow Footed Antechinus
Tertiary consumers
(5 points)
Pied Currawong
Dingo
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Remember that the winning team is the team Cat
What is wrong with this food-web?
with the lowest score!! Brown Snake

Please help tidy up for the next session by:

- Replacing balls in the snaplock bag

- Removing critter images from butchers paper

and returning to their stacks on the table

- Putting blutack into a neat glob and placing

on side table near critters

- Placing used butchers paper in a pile for recycling

Thankyou - we hope you had fun, learnt lots and we would welcome any feedback/ ideas
on the game (email tricia).