FIELDWORK
Briefing
IDEAS OF INVESTIGATION
BEST FOR You
ORGANICS COMPANY
ECOLOGY,
ECOSYSTEM
&
BIODIVERSITY
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
PLANNING ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
1. The effect of human disturbance on biotic and abiotic factors
2. The effect of eutrophication on aquatic invertebrates
3. The effect of acid rain on plant growth
4. The effect of air pollution on biotic components of ecosystem
5. How habitat disturbance affect biodiversity
6. How change of abiotic factors due to human activities impact biotic factors
7. The introduction of exotic/non-native species and the effect of biodiversity
8. The effect of atmospheric, land or water pollution on biodiversity
9. Habitat size affect the number of species present and their relative abundance
[Link] water system due to human activities (waste disposal, agriculture run-off)
[Link] of water management and access to water.
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM - example
ABIOTIC FACTORS EQUIPMENT INVENTORY
WIND SPEED ANEMOMETER
TEMPERATURE THERMOMETER
LIGHT LUX METER
TURBIDITY SECCHI DISC
pH (WATER) PH METER
DISSOLVE OXYGEN DIISOLVE OXYGEN METER
SOIL MOISTURE SOILS MOISTURE PROBE / EXPERIMENT
FLOW VELOCITY FLOW METER / EXPERIMENT
SOIL PH SOIL PH PROBE
SOIL ORGANIC CONTENT -
SEDIMENT PARTICLE SIZE -
SOIL (WATER HOLDING CAPACITY) BEST FOR You
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ESTIMATING SOIL MOISTURE & SOIL ORGANIC CONTENT (EXPERIMENT)
• Locate the sample sites
• Collect soil samples from 5 cm below the surface.
• Put the soil sample in airtight food bag and label.
• Weight samples before and after heating in an oven
• Loss of mass showing the percentage of water loss
• Place the dry soil into a crucible.
• Heat using Bunsen burner.
• Weight the soil after burning
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue? BEST FOR You
O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
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MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ANALYSING SEDIMENT PARTICLES (EXPERIMENT)
• Collect water sample
• Pour water sample through filter paper to remove solid organic sediments.
• Record the mass of the filtered sediment.
• If aquatic invertebrates are also collected (correlate with richness and diversity to see
human impacts can be linked to survivorship of animals.
• Place a sediment into the crucible and heat strongly using Bunsen burner (analysing
organic content)
• Weight the sediment after burning
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue? BEST FOR You 6
O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ANALYSING THE SURFACE WATER RUN OFF (EXPERIMENT)
• Choose a steep location and distance.
• Pour an amount of water from the top
• Measure time taken for the water reach the distance
• Calculate distance / time
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue?
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ANALYSING THE STREAM FLOW RATE (EXPERIMENT)
• Choose a distance along the river, upstream to downstream.
• Put a floating object on the surface of water.
• Start the stopwatch
• Measure the time taken for the floating object reach the distance
• Calculate distance / time.
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue?
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
MEASURING SOIL PH (EXPERIMENT)
• Take a soil sample from known depth of soil
• Place about 1-2 cm of soil in the bottom of test tube.
• Add 1-2 cm of barium sulphate (cause clay to settle – leaving a clear solution).
• Fill the test tube with distilled water and shake.
• Add a few drop of universal indicator to the clear solution.
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue?
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
METHODS FOR ESTIMATING ABUNDANCE OF ORGANISMS
METHODS SAMPLING SYSTEM
LINCOLN INDEX
QUADRAT PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY
• SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING
PERCENTAGE COVER
• RANDOM SAMPLING
POPULATION DENSITY
DIVERSITY INDEX • STRATIFIED RANDOM
PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING
INDICATOR SPECIES
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
DIVERSITY INDEX
• Locate habitat area using quadrat.
• Identify and name different terrestrial animals or plants using key.
• Tabulate the number of species (richness) and its abundance (evenness)
• Calculate Diversity Index
• Compare different sites
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue?
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
INDICATOR SPECIES
Lichen are especially susceptible airborne pollutants dissolve in rainwater. The effects of
pollution on the extent of their growth may also be a valuable indicator.
• Locate a quadrat (transparent plastic sheet) on a tree bark 1m from the ground level.
• Draw / sketch the coverage area of lichens on the plastic sheet.
• Calculate the coverage area of lichen on the plastic sheets by put the plastic sheet on a
graph paper
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue? BEST FOR You 12
O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
METHODS FOR ESTIMATING THE BIOMASS OF TROPHIC LEVELS
(PRODUCTIVITY)
METHODS DETAILS
GPP
PRIMARY
PRODUCTIVITY NPP
SECONDARY GSP
PRODUCTIVITY NSP
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
METHODS FOR ESTIMATING THE BIOMASS OF TROPHIC LEVELS (PRODUCTIVITY)
Experiment to calculate gross primary productivity and net primary productivity in an aquatic plant
• Collect water samples contain aquatic plant
• Put the plant in light and dark conditions
• Measure dissolve oxygen at initial
• Measure dissolve oxygen after one hour.
• NPP= the increase in dissolve oxygen in plant in the light
• Loss of dissolve oxygen is Respiration (R)
• GPP = NPP + R
• Think about:
1. Constant variable
2. Reliability of method and result
3. Environment issue?
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ESTIMATING TREE CARBON STORES IN CONTRASTING ECOSYSTEM
Investigation on the extent to which an altered landscape affect carbon sequestration
• Tree selection
1. Tree trunk must be greater than 25 cm or
2. Circumference must be greater that 157cm).
3. *Smaller trees should not be measured.*
• Measure circumference of the tree
(approximately 1.5m above the ground/chess height)
• Using tape and clinometer (tools or apps), measure height of the tree.
• Walk away from the base of the tree until the top of the tree is visible.
• Use clinometer to measure the angle of elevation.
• Use tape to measure distance tree trunk to clinometer
• Record the height of person taking clinometer reading
• Calculate height of the tree
• Calculate volume of tree the trunk (assume that tree trunk is a cone)
• Calculate the biomass of the tree trunk = volume x nominal specific gravity
(nominal specific gravity , broadleaves tree = 0.53)
• Calculate carbon content of trunk= (biomass BEST FOR You
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ESTIMATING TREE CARBON STORES IN CONTRASTING ECOSYSTEM (TANGENT
METHOD)
Investigation on the extent to which an altered landscape affect carbon
sequestration
• Tree selection
1. Tree trunk must be greater than 25 cm or
2. Circumference must be greater that 157cm).
3. *Smaller trees should not be measured.*
• Measure circumference of the tree
(approximately 1.5m above the ground/chess height)
• Measuring horizontal distance to the tree and angles from horizontal
to the top and base of the tree while standing at a distance of an
estimation of the tree's height (Larjavaara and Muller-Landau, 2013).
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE SYSTEM
ESTIMATING TREE CARBON STORES IN CONTRASTING ECOSYSTEM (TANGENT
METHOD)
• The estimation of the height of the tree can be measured by the pencil
1. The pen is held up in the outstretched arm
2. Walk further away from the tree until the tree height fits within the
length of the pen
3. Turn the pencil sideways as if the tree has fallen over. The distance
from the pen to the base of the tree is approximately the height of
the tree.
4. Record the height of person taking the reading
• Calculate height of the tree
• Calculate volume of tree the trunk (assume that tree trunk is a cone)
• Calculate the biomass of the tree trunk = volume x nominal specific
gravity
(nominal specific gravity , broadleaves tree = 0.53)
• Calculate carbon content of trunk= (biomass of trunk/2)
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
MEASURING CHANGES ALONG THE ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENT
WHEN TWO ECOSYSTEM MEET OR WHERE AN ECOSYSTEM END
METHODS
TRANSECT – measure changes CONTINOUS TRANSECT (sample taken at point)
along the gradient, to ensure all the
gradient are measured LINE TRANSECT (all organism touching the tape are recorded)
BELT TRANSECT (collect sample in a band, eg 0.5 m to 1.0 m)
QUADRAT- to sample at regular FRAME QUADRAT
intervals along the transect
GRID QUADRAT (frames divided into 100 small squares)
POINT QUADRAT (sample vegetation grow in layer)
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
THANK YOU
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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
