Name:…………………………………………………………….
Phillip Island Investigative Report
You have been employed as an environmental consultant by Phillip Island Nature Parks to
assess the ecosystem health of three ecosystems on the island – a rocky reef, a bushland area
and the sand dunes that are home to the penguins. You need to present your findings to the
PINP clients as a 1500-2000 word report, but not in the formal scientific style. Use the
headings below to structure your report and make sure to include pictures/diagrams etc taken
on your field trip.
1. Introduction:
 What will this report investigate and discuss?
 What was the aim of the investigation?
 A brief history of how humans have used the island (including indigenous people) and
the positive and negative impacts they have had on it
 What the main ecosystems on the island are, and the biotic/abiotic factors in each
2. Detailed investigation of rocky reef ecosystem.
 Detailed description of the area (including a labelled diagram) and suggested abiotic
interactions that may have shaped the coastline.
 Include a brief method for the transect/quadrat sampling
 Presentation of class results (tables and graphs etc).
 Discussion of interactions within the living community to demonstrate your
understanding of the following relationships:
 competition (inter or intra)
 predator/prey
 symbiosis: parasitism, mutualism and/or commensalism
 Construct a food web to demonstrate how upper level consumers gain their energy
requirements and the flow of energy through the system.
 Categorise animals into the ecological groups and trophic levels. Discuss the numbers
of organisms at each trophic level with understanding of energy transfer between each
level. This can be done using a diagram.
3. Detailed investigation of rocky reef ecosystem.
 Detailed description of the area (including a labelled diagram) and suggested abiotic
interactions that may have shaped the ecosystem.
 Include a brief method for the transect/quadrat sampling
 Presentation of class results (tables and graphs etc).
 Discussion of interactions within the living community to demonstrate your
understanding of the following relationships:
 competition (inter or intra)
 predator/prey
 symbiosis: parasitism, mutualism and/or commensalism
 Construct a food web to demonstrate how upper level consumers gain their energy
requirements and the flow of energy through the system.
 Categorise animals into the ecological groups and trophic levels. Discuss the numbers
of organisms at each trophic level with understanding of energy transfer between each
level. This can be done using a diagram.
Name:…………………………………………………………….
4. Detailed investigation of Sand Dune ecosystem, with a focus on the penguin colony:
 Detailed description of the area (including a labelled diagram) and suggested abiotic
interactions that may have shaped the ecosystem.
 Construct a food web to demonstrate how the penguins gain their energy requirements
and the flow of energy through the system.
 Categorise animals into the ecological groups and trophic levels. Discuss the numbers
of organisms at each trophic level with understanding of energy transfer between each
level. This can be done using a diagram.
 Discuss the human impacts on the penguins existence, as well as the effect of feral
animals.
 A picture of Little Penguin with two sets of inputs and outputs.
6. Conclusion – summary of main findings and recommendations for management of the
three focus ecosystems in the future.
 Discuss the similarities and differences in the three ecosystems in terms of
biotic/abiotic factors, biotic interactions and human impacts.
 What is the overall health of the ecosystems?
 What are the main threats into the future?
 How could these threats be managed and/or mitigated?
This report will contribute 30% to your overall unit two mark. Please see next page for
marking rubric. If you miss the field trip and have to use data from students who attend, you
will automatically lose 25% of your mark.
DUE: FRIDAY 20TH APRIL
Name:…………………………………………………………….
Category
Introduction
0
Not
included
Investigation
into Rocky
Shore Ecosystem
Not
included
Investigation
into Bushland
Ecosystem
Not
included
Investigation
into Penguin
Ecosystem
Not
included
Conclusion
Not
included
Overall
presentation,
bibliography
and word count
Total
2
Limited and or confusing account of what is
to be discussed and the aim of the report, the
human history, positive and negative human
impacts throughout time, and summary of
the main ecosystems on the islland
Limited information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem. Poor
understanding of trophic levels and energy
transfer.
Data displayed but rarely referred to or data
was poor.
Limited information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem. Poor
understanding of trophic levels and energy
transfer.
Data displayed but rarely referred to or data
was poor.
Limited information of the area, food web
and trophic levels poorly constructed and/or
understood, limited discussion of human and
feral animal impact on penguins, and
inputs/outputs poorly displayed.
Poorly discussed the similarities and
differences in the three ecosystems, the
overall health of the ecosystems, the main
threats into the future and how these threats
can be managed and/or mitigated?
Not
Poor presentation. Less than 1000 words or
included
more than 2200 words. Bibliography
contains fewer than 5 references and no
book/printed references.
Report has name, date and title – 2 marks
___________/50
5
Most points of the discussion covered and
aim articulated.
8
All points of discussion covered and aim
clearly articulated.
Detailed information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem in parts.
Trophic levels and food webs demonstrate
understanding of energy transfer. Data
displayed and referred to.
Detailed information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem. Clear
understanding of trophic levels and energy
transfers in food webs. Data displayed and
referred to in detail throughout discussion.
Detailed information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem in parts.
Trophic levels and food webs demonstrate
understanding of energy transfer. Data
displayed and referred to.
Detailed information about the area, method
and relationships in the ecosystem. Clear
understanding of trophic levels and energy
transfers in food webs. Data displayed and
referred to in detail throughout discussion.
Detailed information of the area, food web
and trophic levels well constructed and/or
understood, detailed discussion of human
and feral animal impact on penguins, and
inputs/outputs well displayed. Fair quality
overall.
Well-detailed information of the area, food
web and trophic levels very well constructed
and/or understood, well-detailed discussion
of human and feral animal impact on
penguins, and inputs/outputs very well
displayed.. High quality overall.
Fair discussion of the similarities and
differences in the three ecosystems, the
overall health of the ecosystems, the main
threats into the future and how these threats
can be managed and/or mitigated?
Good presentation. 1000-1500 words or
2000-2200 words. Bibliography contains 57 references and at least one book/printed
reference.
Well-detailed discussion of the similarities
and differences in the three ecosystems, the
overall health of the ecosystems, the main
threats into the future and how these threats
can be managed and/or mitigated?
Excellent presentation. 1500-2000 words.
Bibliography contains more than 8
references and at least two book/printed
references.
____________%, Letter grade ________