Educational sheets – English text 1 DLETO - A SOURCE OF THE REKA RIVER Dleto, one of the sources of the Reka River, is located in the South West of Slovenia, at the foot of Mount Snežnik near Ilirska Bistrica. It is impossible to determine a single source of the river, as several minor ones converge into one stream, some even from the Croatian side of the border. The unspoilt nature and the clean water attract local people who often picnic there. The Reka River then flows above ground for some 35 kilometres, as far as Škocjan Caves, where it disappears underground. Place: Dleto - a source of the Reka River Date:_________________________________ Description of the sampling / observation point:_________________________________________ Observers:_________________________________________________________________ ____ Weather:_________________________, Air temp. _________________, Water temp. _________ Estimate the amount of precipitation over the past week in the observed area: __________________________________________________________________________ ____ Water level at the source: _________________________________________________________ Biodiversity Research 1. Take a mud sample from the water. Put the sample into the white container you had brought. Wait for the water to settle and "comb" through the surface with a glass stick. Observe carefully. Make a drawing of the animals you can spot. Identify and name three most frequent ones using the pictorial key. _______________________________________________________________________ ____ 2. Go to the river bank with a classmate. Using four branches and a string, mark a square with sides five steps long. Observe and identify plants within the square. Name them using the pictorial key. Complete the table below. Plant (name) Frequency (number) 3. Draw a bar chart of the plants’ frequency. 4. Temporarily mark or name with codes or letters, the plants you were unable to identify using the pictorial key. 5. What can you conclude from your findings? Educational sheets – English text 2 Sustainable development 1. Consider what path is this water taking and make a drawing of the water cycle? 2. Which human activities can cause a threat to water quantity and quality? Describe the activities and give examples from your area. 3. Which sources of drinking water do you know? Give some examples from Slovenia and other countries. 4. Make a drawing of an environmentally friendly house taking into account the wise use of energy resources and water. THE MALA BUKOVICA WELL Mala Bukovica is a small village near Ilirska Bistrica, only a stone’s throw from the Reka River. At the village there is a very interesting well, around which steps and a wall with an iron door have been built. The well used to be an inexhaustible source of drinking water for the local residents who, during dry periods, left their buckets in it overnight so that they were filled by the morning. Unfortunately, the well was abandoned after tap water had been installed at the village. Recently however, the villagers have renovated the well thus contributing towards the conservation of wetlands. Place: The Mala Bukovica Well Date:_________________________________ Description of the sampling / observation point:_________________________________________ Observers:_________________________________________________________________ ____ Weather:_____________, Air temp.___________, Water temp.____________________________ Estimate the amount of precipitation over the past week in the observed area: __________________________________________________________________________ ____ Water level in the well:____________________________________________________________ Biodiversity Research 1. When you reach the well, wait awhile and look around. Make a drawing of the surrounding area. 2. How many different species of plants have you spotted by the well? Choose one and make a drawing of it. 3. How many different species of animals have you spotted by the well? Name them. 4. Choose one of the animals and write down three of its most recognisable features. Educational sheets – English text 3 5. Is it significant that such a small area is inhabited by so many different creatures? Elaborate your answer. 6. Do you know of any other places in Slovenia or abroad which are inhabited by a large number of plant and animal species living in similar circumstances? Write down some of them. 7. What are your conclusions on the basis of your findings and observations? Sustainable Development 1. Inquire among older villagers about the history of the well, the pond and the troughs. Write down their answers. 2. Why was the well abandoned? 3. What prompted the villagers to restore and revive it? 4. Present your view on the conservation of the village well, troughs and fishpond. 5. Do you consider it important that the villagers and other visitors are aware of how fragile the natural balance in the vulnerable water resources is? 6. Water covers a larger part of Earth’s surface than land. Write down at least two reasons why, in spite of this, some people do not have sufficient drinking water. The Nada Žagar park is located in the centre of the town of Ilirska Bistrica, not far from the Bistrica river which is a major tributary to the Reka river. Within the park, there is an artificial fishpond which hosts a variety of animals, such as small fish, water striders and snails. Plants, such as reeds, water lilies and water lentils also thrive there. Place: Nada Žagar Park – fishpond (Ilirska Bistrica) Date:_________________________________ Description of the sampling / observation point:_________________________________________ Observers:_________________________________________________________________ ____ Weather:_____________, Air temp.___________, Water temp.____________________________ Estimate the amount of precipitation over the past week in the observed area: _________________________________________________________________________ Water level in the fishpond:_____________________________________________________ Biodiversity Research Tasks for field observations: 1. Delineate one square metre area in the wetland and count all the plant species within it. 2. Observe and determine the number of different animal species in the wetland as well as predominant species. Educational sheets – English text 4 3. On the basis of the above findings try to write your definition of the term ‘biodiversity’. 4. Do you know any other area where similar species can be found? a) in your home area b) in Slovenia c) elsewhere in the world Sustainable Development 1. After performing a chemical analysis, try to justify the results by observing the predominant species and human influences. Dissolved oxygen O2 mg/l:______________________________________________________ Temperature in oC:____________________________________________________________ 2. What threatens the wetland in the town? 3. On the basis of the chemical analysis of the water and the population of animal species, propose some measures for the improvement of the water quality. _______________________________________________________________________ 4. In your view, would a different water quality have any effect on the number of individual animal species? 5. Make a drawing of the wetland you have observed. 6. On the basis of your findings try to write your definition of the term “biodiversity”. THE SINKHOLE BY THE ŠKOCJAN CAVES – VREME The Reka river is remarkably torrential in character. Its average flow is almost 8 m3/s, but may reach as much 300 m3/s during extreme flooding. In front of Gornje Vreme, the river reaches the contact between the impermeable flysch and the permeable limestone, as a result of which some of its water sinks immediately. In 1982, the river’s bed at this contact collapsed, creating a huge abyss into which the water began sinking at great speed. Similar phenomena also occurred in the past, and the local residents filled these “holes” with various materials, thus achieving a slower sinking of the river and, consequently, a faster flow rate. Place: Sinkhole by the Škocjan Caves - Vreme Date:_________________________________ Description of the sampling / observation point:_________________________________________ Observers:_________________________________________________________________ ____ Weather:_____________, Air temp.___________, Water temp.____________________________ Estimate the amount of precipitation over the past week in the observed area: __________________________________________________________________________ Educational sheets – English text 5 The level of the Reka river at the Vreme sinkhole:______________________________________ Biodiversity Research 1. Running waters transport large quantities of various material. a) What kind of material is most frequently deposited by running waters? Go to the river and check it yourself! b) What can be the consequences of the material accumulating inside or by the river bed? 2. Trees often grow on the riverbanks a) They have a protective role. Explain what they protect and how? Observe! b) Which tree species occur most frequently on the riverbanks in your home area? Are these different from the species which do not grow near the water? c) Find a sinkhole and observe where the water flow. Write down your findings! d) What is the land use on the river banks? Compare the different land uses and estimate the number of plant species on the banks! Land use Estimated number Most frequent Recognised plant species on the riverbank of plant species species