Depth of treatment:
Identification of a number of habitats from the selected ecosystem.
Practical Activities
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Identify any 5 fauna and any 5 flora using simple keys.
Identify a variety of habitats with the selected ecosystem
Depth of treatment:
Identification and application of collection apparatus available for an ecological study.
Practical Activities

Identify and use various apparatus required for collection methods in an ecological study.

 ECOSYSTEM: Non-living environment + organisms + sun light energy all interacting – a dynamic system
 HABITAT: Place where an organism lives
 Hedgerow
 Woodland
 Rocky Seashore
 Grassland
 Soil
 Old Wall
(in a Woodland
Ecosystem )
: o On leaves o In bark o Under old logs o Burrows in ground o On old logs

Get all the objects/organisms you want to identify together
Divide them into 2 groups – using visible characteristics and record your dividing parameters e.g.
1. Made with metal ------
Made of paper/card – go to 2 go to 5
Note that this number can only be inserted after the first half of items have been identified
Then divide each group into subgroups again and again and eventually reaching the individual object/organism.
2. Can hold water ---
Cannot hold water –
3. Disc shaped ------
Long and narrow ----
4. Cylinder-like shape –
Two levers ------box go to 3 coin go to 4 biro scissors
5. Can hold water ----
Sits flat on the table -mug flyer

Check the Key – hold any one of the objects in your hand and go through each step – does it work?
1. Made with metal ------
Made of paper/card –
2. Can hold water ---
Cannot hold water –
3. Disc shaped ------
Long and narrow ----
4. Cylinder-like shape –---biro
Two levers ----------
5. Can hold water ----
Sits flat on the table -go to 2 go to 5 box go to 3 coin go to 4 scissors mug flyer
Now (in pairs)– you make a key for the animals on your sheet

Catching animals


Used to extract animals from soil by heating the soil on one side
 The animals are driven out of the soil by heat from a lamp and fall through a wire gauze
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 Used for catching flying insects.
 The net part should be sufficiently long so that the mouth frame seals off the end of the net which contains the catch when the net is laid flat.
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Used to collect insects from tall grass
Make sure that length of netting sufficient to allow closure of net with turn of wrist
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 Organisms that live in leaf litter can be extracted by using a sieve with a mesh size of about 5 mm.
 Use the sieve over a beating tray or a large sheet of paper.
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 This is a white tray, cotton sheet or large sheet of white paper.
 It is placed under a bush or tree branch.
 The tree branch is shaken suddenly and vigorously.
 Insects and other invertebrates fall onto the tray.
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 A piece of wood or stone which is left on the ground.
 After a suitable interval, animals such as slugs, woodlice, centipedes and millipedes will be found underneath.
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Used to collect small mammals e.g. mice, voles, etc.
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Jam jar buried in ground and covered with raised flat stone.
Used to collect ground surface animals insects, nocturnal and diurnal e.g. spiders, centipedes, woodlice, beetles, etc.
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Used for picking up very small animals.
Suck through mouthpiece (end of which is covered with muslin) and the animal is taken into jar through the hose
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