TITLE: Ecological Sampling Of A Fresh Water Habitat; An Ecology Study Of A Pond And Its Immediate

Surroundings At The Wild Fowl Trust.

AIM:

1.) To investigate a pond ecosystem and its immediate surroundings at the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl
Trust

2.) To relate the biotic and abiotic factors that affects a pond ecosystem and the surrounding hillside

APPARATUS/MATERIALS: 50m tape measure, o.5m2 quadrats, flag markers, slides of four species of
grass,3 buckets,3 nets ,sieve, identification cards

DIAGRAM:

DIAGRAM 1 SHOWING THE POND DIP METHOD FOR SAMPLING THE POND
DIAGRAM 2 SHOWING THE LINE TRANSECT SAMPLING AREA/SYSTEMATIC METHOD

DIAGRAM 3 SHOWING SKETCH OF THE ENTIRE STUDY SITE AND SAMPLING AREAS
METHOD:

A .Pond dip sampling:

1.) The surface of the water was carefully examined for animals that cannot be caught in the net.
2.) Using an appropriate mesh aquatic net students reached out as afar and possible and placed the
net just under the surface of the water,
3.) The net was swept towards the edge of the pond and it was lifted out and the contents were
emptied into clean water in the bucket. This was repeated two more times
4.) The pond identification cards were used to identify and record each organism collected
5.) Steps 1 to 4 were repeated for the middle and bottom layers of the pond ,using the appropriate
bucket and nets
6.) Four food chains were constructed and used to a draw a food web to show the feeding
relationships in the pond

(B) Line transect (systematic sampling)

7.) A 50mmeasuring tape (line transect) was ran from the top of a slope to the bottom where the pond
is located

8.) A flag was placed at 10m interval. Then o.5m2 quadrat at each interval in alternate positions

9.) The estimated percentage of different plant species in each quadrat was carefully observed and
recorded.

(C) Quadrat Sampling (random sampling)

10.) Quadrats were randomly thrown on the study area and the number of each species of plants seen
were notes

11.) Step 10 was repeated three more times

 RESULTS:

A. RESULTS OF THE POND DIP SAMPLING

TABLE 1 SHOWING ORGAISMS AT DIFFERENT WATER DEPTHS

DEPTH OF POND NUMBEER OF ORGANISMS OBSERVED FOOD SOURCE

SURFACE

MIDDLE

BOTTOM

TABLE 2 SHOWING SOME ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE POND

ABIOTIC FACTOR INFORMATION RECORDED

TURBIDITY

pH OF WATER

TEMPERATURE
DISCUSSION:

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