DZP AS/A2 Biology Weekend Course – Environmental Science Residential
For each section we can highlight the area of the specification for the three main exam
boards.
Key areas covered:
Population estimates
Sampling techniques
Running means
Transects
The use of keys
Quadrats
randomisation
Practical skills:
Standard error
Surveying
Standard deviation
Microscopes
Spearmans rank correlation coefficient
Handling animals
Mark release recapture
Sampling plants and animals
Activity
LessonSampling plants
Activity –
Sampling plants
Lesson –
Data analysis
Lunch
LessonSampling animals
Day 1
Summary
Requirements
Lesson providing background to sampling.
Transects and quadrats.
Raw count.
Percentage cover.
Numerical scalar technique.
Randomisation requirements and methods
Sample area of grassland using quadrats along a transect heading towards the
woodland.
Picnic area near big cats.
Use all three methods.
Collect data and add to sampling sheet.
Transects from footfall path to overgrowth.
Also compare percentage cover in two areas.
Raw count of trees (discuss issues….what is a tree and what isn’t?)
Classroom
Return to classroom and analyse data collected.
Statistical tests on Standard Error and Standard Deviation of the data
Plenary: how does early and late succession affect biodiversity?
Calculators
Zoo tour introducing the different animals. At the end let students look around the zoo
to count the number of wallabies? Number of deer (different species), number of
Lechwe and Capybara.
When students return, give real numbers, ask why are student numbers so far out
when our animals are contained? What would it be like in the wild?
So how do we sample animals?
Jam jars, slate,
pebbles
Small mammal traps
Muslin, elastic
bands, 40mm drain
pipe and fly pupae.
Sheets of
corrugated iron
Quadrats
Recording forms
Tape measure
20m length of rope
Random number
grid
Species keys
Not as easy to spot? They also move? They avoid us, weather, overgrowth, remote
and/or bitumen
(snow leaopard, otters and Iberian wolf examples). How can we solve this problem and roofing felt.
get an idea of how many animals there are in a population.
Use vegetation techniques with static animals (limpets, mussels, etc)
Traps; pitfall traps, small mammal traps, shrew bait tubes, tracking traps for footprints
reptile and amphibian traps,
Demos and discussion of radio collars, eartags, fluorescent dyes, GPS tags, camera traps
Activity –
Sampling animals
LessonStatistical analysis
preparation
Set up small mammal traps.
Build and set up bait tube.
Build and set up hair tubes
Build and set up pitfall traps.
Set up footprint traps.
Check reptile and amphibian traps. ID and handling of reptiles and amphibians.
Prepare tables for data collection.
Fit these to a chosen stats test.
Can have a collection of limpet shells to measure.
Compare two sites / beaches using height to width ratio and for both.
Plot these on graphs and calculate the Spearmans rank of each beach, and then look at
the graph to see what the actual statistical result means.
Close encounters with reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Dinner and Set up Camp
Activity – night time Get up close and personal with owls and other birds and learn how they fly and hunt and
falconry display
orientate at night.
Download bird call apps onto mobile phones and try to communicate with local tawny
owls (can we estimate population density? No. Can we estimate distribution? Yes).
1m bamboo canes,
blue insulation tape.
Large clear plastic
bag, small weighing
bags, small mammal
balance / scale.
Duct tape (blue)
Calculators
Two bags of limpet
shells (one labelled
sheltered, one
exposed). Each
limpet to have
either S or E written
on them.
Calipers. Rulers.
Guided stats sheets
Activity- Sampling at
night
Use sugar gliders to show how similar to bats as a nocturnal “flying” mammal and to
look at scorpions at night.
Bat detector around the park
Trying to identify animals in the park at night using infra-red and to try to establish
population sizes at night (e.g wolf count).
Build / set up moth traps using a variety of scented or coloured candles.
Camp fire and marshmallows.
Overnight camping in the park
Infra red
Bat detector and
frequency keys
Moth traps (or
equipment to make
them; lamps, bright
bulbs, buckets, egg
boxes, selection of
scented or coloured
candles
Activity
Activity – check traps
Day 2
Summary
Check small mammal traps – students to handle small mammals. Link to legislation such
as Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) for handling small mammals, plus CITES.
Mark the small mammals
Check moth trap – Use ID keys
Check reptile and amphibian traps - students to handle reptiles and amphibians
Students to take photos of animals found.
Lesson – analysing
Empty pitfall traps into trays. Use keys to identify species found and to classify them.
results
Small mammal population estimate using previous data from trapping on site.
Use Simpson’s index to calculate biodiversity within different areas of the park (can use
historical data if insufficient is collected over the weekend).
Break
Lesson- Mark release
Mark release recapture of pond snails, or crickets, cockroaches, woodlice.
recapture
Calculate running means. Reliability.
Activity- collect shrew
Analyse shrew faeces under microscopes.
tubes
Identify shrew species.
Use graticules to calculate the size of material observed.
Use images and calculate the size of the magnification (IAM)
Lunch
Activity – Biological
Lichen survey -Survey park using maps
Indicators
Relate to air quality in different areas of the park
Activity-Natural sampling Owl Pellet analysis
Using keys to identify species
Put data from the entire weekend onto the map. “what have you found about DZP’s
wildlife?”
Requirements
Large clear plastic bag,
small weighing bags,
small mammal balance /
scale. Scissors. Small
mammal and moth ID
Keys. Cameras
Calculators
Trays
ID keys
Worksheets
Pond with snails, nail
varnish, pond nets,
Microscopes, graticules,
calculators
shrew poo keys
Slides etc
Maps of zoo, lichen
survey keys
Forceps, face masks,
trays, ID keys
Weekend plenary
Summarise areas covered:
Sampling techniques.
Transects
Quadrats,
randomisation
Standard error
Standard deviation
Spearmans rank correlation coefficient
Mark release recapture
Population estimates
Running means
The use of keys
Practical skills:
Surveying
Microscopes
Handling animals
Sampling plants and animals
Note: An extra session on CITES and in situ vs ex situ conservation for Edexcel students can be
provided.