V EGETATION IS CLASSIFIED AS :
Tree: A woody plant more than 5 metres tall, usually with a single stem
Shrub: A short woody plant often with more than one stem
Herb: A small non-woody flowering plant.
Grass:
Lichen/Mosses:

Vegetation abundanceand distribution
1) Mark out a quadrat
2) Observe each species of plant present
3) Count the number of each spieces growing within the quadrat.
4) Complete a field sketch of the quadrat.
Location ____________________________ Size of quadrat (10m)
Plant name Symbol Number in quadrat
(Bird’s eye view)
Location __________________________

1) Measure out a transect 50 metres long by 2 metres wide.
2) Observe, measure and collect data found along the transect line.
Trees and features
(m) along
transect
Estimate height of plants
Observations of fauna or signs e.g. scats, diggings, tracks,
scratchings, burrows, nests, bones

1) Use your transect to draw a cross-section.
2) Show plant height, species, logs, hollows and burrows .
Height
(m)

0 Distance (m) 50
The riparian zone is the area along the bank of a river or lake. It extends for about 20 metres from the water.
It is an important buffer zone, protecting the water from eroded soil being washed in and many pollutants. It is also an important habitat area for many birds and animals offering shelter and food.
1) Mark a transect 20 metres along the bank and assess the area in it and the adjacent water for the following features:
Riparian
Vegetation
Native trees
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Undisturbed native woodland 10
Mainly undisturbed native woodland.
Some reduced cover. 8
Mixed native and introduced. 50% cleared.
6
Few trees, introduced grasses 4
Score Native Trees
Water plants
(growing in water)
Variety of aquatic plants on bank and in water. Covers over of 30% water surface. 10
Variety of aquatic plants.
Cover 30-10% water. 8
Some aquatic plants.
Cover less than 10% of water. 6
Score Water Plants
Snags and overhanging trees
Many snags and trees overhanging bank. 10
Some snags and overhanging trees.
8
Snags and overhanging trees infrequent. 6
Score Snags
Willows No willows plants. 10
Occasional willows.
8
Some willows along banks. 6
No aquatic plants. 4
No snags or overhanging trees. 4
Many willows overhanging water. 4
Score Willows
Interpretation of Results: add up your total score and check table below.
Assessment Excellent Good Fair
Features Excellent habitat, site almost natural, high biodiversity of
Good habitat, site almost natural.
34-28
Moderate habitat, major alterations from natural state. 27-20
Poor
Degraded, reduced habitat value, low biodiversity of

species. 40-35 species. < 19
1) Collect 10 leaves (random sample)
2) Calculate the percentage of each leaf eaten by herbivores.
3) Record in table.
4) Record the average percentage
Average herbivory for river red gums is 15%. Above 30% is defoliation and the plant will die if it continues.
5) Explain your results.
6) Complete a food chain in this ecosystem. Look for insects, spiders, birds and animals first.
7) Complete a diagram of a possible food web for this ecosystem

1) Write down all the birds and animals that you see or hear.
2) Write down any evidence of animals that you notice- tracks, scats, nests
Animals
Insects

1) Describe the distribution and abundance of a single plant species
(not a tree).
2) Mark out quadrats 1 m x 1 m every 5 metres along a transect line.
3) Record the number of your select species in each quadrat.
Plant Species:____________________________________
Quadrat : number of plants
1 2 3 4 5
4)
Explain the distribution of your plant.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________

‘What is in the River red gum forest?’
1) Sit in a quite group
2) Hand out worksheet, pencils and clip boards
3) Touch your ears, nose, eyes, mouth, fingers in quick rotation and kids have to keep up with you.
4) Discuss that these are our senses
5) Discuss all animals have senses
6) Draw facial features on the circle
7) Show them using symbols how to complete a sound map. Use a symbol to mark each sound you hear
8) Give them up to a minute to do their own in silence.
9) They can do variations of natural and human made sound
Warning: Not a good activity on windy days

Equipment
Paper, crayons and clipboard
1) Pick a couple of leaves and tell the students you will do a magic picture.
2) They all watch as you do a rubbing, explaining how to hold the crayon and leaf.
3) Make a leaf man picture and call “Larry Leaf”
4) Collect no more than 3 leaves and work in pairs to help hold their leaves.
5) Each student does a rubbing to make a leaf man or better a bush animal, examples; butterfly, bird, frog, lizard, wombat, koala

Name:______________

1) In pairs give the students a sheet with different shapes
2) They collect items from the environment to match each shape.

Name:______________

Equipment :Use coloured discs that you can buy or cut up, colour samples from a house paint chart. Even use coloured pencils!
1) Students pick a disc or two from the bag.
2) Then collect something natural to match the colour of the disc.
3) Sit down and check and compare results.
4) Have a discussion about biodiversity
 An alternative to a colour lucky dip is to use terms like- bent, curved, broken, old, fresh, smelly, etc
Leaves have unique ways of defending themselves
1) Everyone collects a Eucalyptus leaf
2) Sit down and crush up the leaf and smell it
3) Explain that the smell is eucalyptus oil and is a defence against insect attack. The idea is that if it tastes bad, then caterpillars won’t eat it. Like you and your vegetables!
4) Tell the spitfire story: Spitfires store the eucalyptus oil and use it as their defence when attacked by predators…. Poor gum tree!!
1) Everyone collects a leaf
2) Stand in circle and get to know your leaf, colour, shape, chewed bits, etc then everyone put their leaf in pile on the ground in the middle of the circle
3) Turn around and don’t look as you mix up the leave
4) Count to 10, find your leaf. BUT, don’t bang heads or cry if you can’t find your leaf!

Equipment
 Blindfolds or cut up some lengths of cloth
 Long Rope
1) Run a rope along an area of bush from tree to tree so students can hold it
2) Check the path for safety
3) Sit at the start
4) Explain the method, always hold rope and feel with hands, go slowly
5) Send 1 student at a time blindfolded along the rope. Once one is along the track some way, send off the next one
6) They are to sit at the end and wait for others to finish.
Activity 8: Leaf Shapes
1) Explain that leaves come in different sizes, shapes, colours
2) Use pairs or groups of three students.
3) Collect an example of each leaf shape (Different shapes- ie; pinnate, bipinnate, oval, lanceolate, symmetrical, slim, broad, chewed, dead, serrated, blue, grey, multi-coloured)
4) Have a quick time limit on this one so it is a challenge, fast and furious.