OCR B GCSE Science: fieldwork opportunities
Go down to section: B2a: Ecology in our school grounds | B2b: Grouping organisms | B2d: Compete or die | B2e: Adapt to fit | B2g: Population out of control?
Fieldwork opportunities within the OCR B specification
Specification sections |
Learning objectives |
Possible outdoor investigations |
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Understanding our Environment B2a: Ecology in our School Grounds Compare the communities of two different habitats. This is a Can do task - which is assessed piece of work All investigation skills needed. |
Describe how to use collecting/counting methods: pooters, nets, pit-fall traps and quadrats Describe a method to show that a variety of plants and animals live in a small area such as a 1m quadrat. Use simple keys to identify some plants and animals found in two different habitats. Recall and be able to apply the terms habitat and community. Identify natural (woodland and lake) and artificial (greenhouse and aquarium/ fish farm) ecosystems. Use keys to identify plants and animals such as those found in pond water, lawn or leaf litter. Apply knowledge of organisms to explain why they are often restricted to certain habitats. Recall that some ecosystems, such as many ocean depths, are still unexplored, with possible undiscovered new species. Recall and use the terms ecosystem and population. Explain the limitations of counting and collecting methods: . sample size affects accuracy of estimate; . samples may be unrepresentative of population. Describe and discuss differences between natural and artificial ecosystems (limited to biodiversity and use of weed killers, pesticides and fertilisers). |
Deadwood left in woodland - invertebrate surveys. Species response to environmental factors - transects off path into verge, micro-habitats around gravestones, tree-trunks, cracks in headstones. Comparison study of two different habitats (old / new) Trampling studies - A study across a path along a transect of species composition & plant morphology A comparison of a undisturbed site and trampled site Mowing regime - long/short grass comparisons, sweep netting for invertebrates Bugs on bushes- tree beating/ sweep netting - pyramids of numbers Study specific plants in shade and unshaded (nettles) - leaf area, , internode length, leaf thickness. Contrasting freshwater habitats. - What species live where and why? |
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B2b: Grouping Organisms |
Identify organisms as animals or plants. Identify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates. Identify vertebrates as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds or mammals Recall that organisms of the same species have more features in common than they do with organisms of a different species Recognise that sometimes organisms of the same species may show great variation
Recall that similar species tend to live in similar types of habitats Recall that closely related species may have different features if they live in different types of habitats Recall that similar species are closely related in evolutionary terms . share a relatively recent ancestor Explain why some organisms, such as fungi, are classified as neither animal or plant Explain that similarities and differences between species need to be explained in terms of both evolutionary relationships and ecological relationships |
Trampling studies - A study across a pathway species composition, plant morphology along a transect A comparison of a undisturbed site and trampled site (spots field) Mowing regime - long/short grass comparisons, sweep netting for invertebrates. Study specific plants in shade and unshaded (nettles) - leaf area, , internode length, leaf thickness. Contrasting aquatic habitats - What species live where and why? A lichen transect from a busy road to the centre of a parkland along a footpath/ Compared to pollution - transects / mapping of particulates - using Vaseline slides / sellotape / leaf washing. |
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B2d: Compete or Die |
State that animals compete for food, water, shelter and mates in order to survive and breed Recall that plants compete for light, water and minerals Interpret data on the distribution and population size which shows that animals and plants can be affected by competition for limited resources Recognise organisms as predators or prey . common/well known organisms . when given details of feeding relationships Recognise that some organisms rely on the presence of organisms of a different species . cleaner species e.g. oxpecker and buffalo Explain how competition may influence the distribution and population size of animals or plants, related to the availability of: food, water, shelter, light and minerals Describe how species of organisms compete in order to survive and breed Explain how the size of a predator population will affect the numbers of prey and vice versa Explain how the survival of some organisms may depend on the presence of another species . parasitism where the parasite benefits to the host.s detriment e.g. fleas, tapeworms . mutualism where both species benefit e.g. cleaner species Explain how similar animals in the same habitat will be in close competition (e.g. different species of ladybirds, grey and red squirrel) Explain how similar organisms will compete for the same ecological niche Explain how the populations of predators and their prey regulate one another . cyclic fluctuations in numbers Explain how the interdependence of organisms determine their distribution and abundance Explain why nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the root nodules of leguminous plants are an example of mutualism . bacteria gain sugars . plants gain nitrates |
Shade and unshaded areas- Study specific plants in shade and unshaded (nettles) - leaf area, leaf pigmentation, internode length, leaf thickness. Holly leaf-miner study - Holly leaf-miners show living food chains. They directly can be used to study pyramid of numbers and these numbers can be used to construct pyramids of biomass. Feeding relationships - small invertebrates (pyramids of numbers, predator-prey relationships, role in decomposition) - sweep netting of longer vegetation (nettles, cow parsley, etc.) Freshwater - pyramids of numbers
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B2e: Adapt to Fit |
Recognise that animals and plants that are adapted to their habitats are better able to compete for limited resources.
Explain how animals and plants that are adapted to an environment are better able to compete for limited resources.
Explain how the adaptations of animals and plants determine their distribution and abundance. |
Grazing-induced defence mechanisms - leaf prickliness vs. leaf height in Holly, density of stinging hairs in holly Response to contrasting abiotic factors - e.g. sun/shade responses in plants (nettles) - leaf area, leaf pigmentation (simple chromatography), internode length, leaf thickness Community level responses to tree canopy effects - species composition in sun / shade, ground cover, plant performance - e.g. flowering and seed production. Does plant height increase at edge of a patch of dense canopy? Is this caused by nutrient drip and increasing light levels |
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B2g: Population out of Control? |
Recall that pollution can affect the number and type of organisms that can survive in a particular place Explain that there are indicator species whose presence/absence indicates the level of pollution . water pollution - blood worm, waterlouse, sludgeworm, rat-tailed maggot . air pollution . lichen . details of particular species and pollution levels indicated not required) Interpret data on indicator species |
Investigate particulate pollution (vaseline slides / sellotape / leaf washing). What effect do trees have? Transect away from a main road in both open and wooded areas/ transect from busy street to open areas. Lichens - Line transect from a busy road to the centre of a park counting the abundance of lichens within a quadrat Contrasting freshwater habitats - What species live where and why? |
