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Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Telephone02 9542 1951

Emailroyalnatpk-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Biology

Module 3 (adapations) and module 4 (population dynamics)

A fieldwork excursion is a great way to inspire students for a depth study. This excursion contributes 5 hours to a depth study. When you book we will send you digital resources to help support pre and post learning and a depth study back in the classroom.

A visit to the Royal National Park can support a range of depth studies, such as:

  • How will climate change impact the mangrove/rock platform ecosystem?
  • Can the Royal National Park sustain a koala population?
  • Should they reintroduce the spotted quoll to the Royal National Park?
  • What is the impact of plastic waste on marine ecosystems?
  • How has bushfire impacted the heath/woodland ecosystem?

Key syllabus outcomes:

A student:

  • communicates scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology for a specific audience or purpose BIO11-7
  • describes biological diversity by explaining the relationships between a range of organisms in terms of specialisation for selected habitats and evolution of species BIO11-10
  • analyses ecosystem dynamics and the interrelationships of organisms within the ecosystem BIO11-11

Inquiry questions:

  • How do adaptations increase the organism's ability to survive?
  • What effect can one species have on the other species in a community?
  • How can human activity impact on an ecosystem?

Learning activities may include:

  • Observe the structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations of plants and animals
  • Observe animals as relevant to the ecosystem, e.g. bird watching, dipnetting for macroinvertebrates, invertebrate search, capture and release of crabs or rock platform species
  • Use scientific equipment to measure a range of abiotic factors relevant to the ecosystem, such as: temperature, humidity, salinity, soil pH, water pH, sunlight intensity, wind speed and direction
  • Observe examples of the impact of biotic factors, including predation, competition and symbiotic relationships
  • Complete food chains to summarise observed feeding interdependencies
  • Use random quadrats to estimate the population of one plant and one animal species
  • Complete a transect to determine distribution of species across the ecosystem
  • Observe and summarise impacts of human activity on the ecosystem

Excursion sites:

We run biology excursions in a range of ecosystems and locations; some sites are accessible by public transport. Locations include: