Fieldwork Day: Succession Specification: AQA Level: AS

Learning Objectives: • To understand how vegetation in an changes over time leading to a climatic climax • Consider which factors are causing this change in vegetation Geographical fieldwork investigation skills • Develop an understanding of setting up an investigation with aims and testing hypotheses • Consider different data collection techniques and sampling strategies which could be used • Understand different ways to present and analyse data

Learning Outcomes: All students will be able to: • Observe the changes in vegetation within a successional environment • Collect data on the vegetation, soil and micro-climate within this environment • Outline the fieldwork aims and the hypotheses being tested • Use at least two different techniques to present data including kite diagrams and pick out trends shown using these techniques • Carry out one form of statistical analysis to test on original hypothesis Most students will be able to: • Justify the fieldwork techniques used during the day and outline why some techniques and sampling strategies were used rather than others • Explain what factors are causing changes in vegetation over time in this environment • Pick out anomalies in the data collected and suggest reasons for them • Use GIS and other ICT to help support the investigation process Some students will be able to: • suggest ways the investigation and data collection methods could be improved • suggest specific factors within this unique environment lead to results may be different in other similar environments

Introductory Lesson: 45mins Maximum Resources: STARTER PowerPoint to Traffic light the key terms on the front of their work sheet use as a guide INTRODUCTION (locational) • Set the scene for Harlech, Introduce key questions Cover sheet for MAIN ACTIVITIES (subject intro) creation of (a) Determine sites for data collection (justification of sampling strategy and introduction of sampling Hypotheses techniques) (b) Go through main concepts: what do we expect to happen; (c) creation of hypotheses (d) Carry out site specific risk assessment from PowerPoint

PLENARY: Students come up with one hypothesis to be tested through the day’s fieldwork or to make a list of words they don’t yet know and want to be sure about by the end of the day

Fieldwork Day Outline: STARTER: introduction to area using the information board (students could list all the different land uses in the area of the present and past between the castle and the beach) INTRODUCTION: Outline objectives of fieldwork, introduction and demonstration of equipment to be used (on beach on high drift line). MAIN ACTIVITY: Split into two parts: 1) compete vegetation interrupted belt transect of 8 sites across the sand dunes to show how vegetation changes using point frame quadrats and plant identification boards. At each site give students a quick introduction to the new species and adaptations of the plants. Students can fill in plant adaptation hand out. 2) Collect soil samples and abiotic data on way back across the dunes. (Could take a pH probe with group. Data to be collected includes: soil temperature, air temperature, humidity , wind speed,

PLENARY: Q&A session in the field to review appropriate learning Follow up on Return To Centre (Afternoon): Suggested 1 hour. Spreadsheet for INTRODUCTION : sand dunes taboo or dominoes or ‘Just a Minute’ on one fieldwork technique or a variable in data collation the dunes e.g. vegetation etc MAIN ACTIVITY: methodology of data collection techniques (can use printed statements to help them). Fill out Methodology the Methodology tables. Do one as an example if the students have not done this on another day. scaffolding sheet Soils lab analysis of soil pH and conductivity, soil moisture. PLENARY: TABOO (or miming) to reinforce Sand Dunes vocabulary Method statements

Jigsaw definitions of different seral stages to be put into order Evening Follow Up: 1 hour Maximum (With possible extensions) Paper based STARTER: scaffolds of main Students to draw annotated memory map profile of the dunes. changes Appropriate MAIN ACTIVITY resources Teach Spearman’s Rank Correlation Test. Spearman’s rank correlation test on different variables across the transect. Each group to make small presentation including: graph, statistical technique, explanations and descriptions of trends, reliability of the findings and data. Each group has a different hypothesis to test. Eg distance inland v plant diversity, soil moisture, organic content, temperature, wind speed, organic content v species diversity, temperature v soil moisture content, temperature v species diversity.

PLENARY 1: Each student to write down a number of trends or findings from the day Exercise using graph cards and deciding which would be appropriate to use and why.

PLENARY 2: Re-traffic light key terms and go through any students are still unsure about.

Alternative Activities for Wet Weather: Reduction in the number of sites measured, Collect all data on the way to the Scrub. I.e. Environmental and Vegetation data at the same time. Mystery kit activity, hand out equipment and students have to identify what it is used for. (before going out) More discussion on plant adaptations and GIS of sand dunes Human impact using Google Earth and websites to see impact of sea level rise and global warming

Extension Activities: Spearman’s Rank Correlation differentiation

Useful Websites: Key words and Terms: http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Habitats/dunes1.html general information Succession about the structure and functioning of sand dune systems. Primary and Secondary Succession http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/pub_search.asp Ainsdale Sand Abiotic Dunes National Nature Reserve; Environmental Impact Assessment of options for Biotic management of seaward areas. (AD4). Useful document with some management strategies http://www.georesources.co.uk/csdintro.htm This is a virtual fieldwork unit is Colonisation based on two classic areas of coastal sand dunes in North Wales Seral stage http://www.sandsoftime.hope.ac.uk/index.htm This site provides detailed Habitat information on the sand dunes of the Sefton coast in North West England Community http://www.ukagriculture.com/frame_set.cfm?page_var=woodland%20ecosystems Ecosystem %20and%20habitats%20in%20the%20uk Woodland classification Diversity http://www.wildaboutwoods.org.uk/ The Woodland Trust has some interesting resources to check out All the following give information about Morfa Harlech, may be necessary to follow links http://jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUcode=UK0030049 www.ccw.gov.uk/places/index.cfm? www.eyri-npa.co.uk www.heneb.co.uk/arduwycharacter/ardudwy/ardudwy30.html