Environmental Science
A2
Module 6
Practical
component
“This module provides candidates with an opportunity to carry
out an investigation of their own choosing which is marked by their teachers
and moderated by the AQA.”
In order to be successful at this module, you must work
steadily through the year, stick to this timetable, and follow your teacher’s
advice when you have your work checked.
July 1stth – 12th 2005 Submission of plan and
approval by Environmental Science teachers (SMO, LSU, PBY)
(Thanks
to Field Studies Council for package) Here
you can look at how to; 1.
Choose the correct test. 2.
How to read tables. There
are the following tests available; a)
Mean and standard deviation. b)
Chi squared. c)
Mann Whitney U. d)
Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient and regression analysis. e)
Spearman rank. f)
T test.
July – August Start
collection of data (both primary and secondary)
September Repeat sampling
By October half term Submit
draft plan and some data and discuss analysis
First week Teacher
makes comments and suggestions
November
December – January Repeat sampling
Before February half term
Submit
rough draft
End of February Teacher
makes comments and suggestions
End of MARCH
2006 DEADLINE FOR HANDING IN
COURSEWORK (Don’t ask for an extension!)
The important
thing is to collect some data; once you have started, you will
find that ideas will
come to you and problems will be solved.
The following criteria will help you to gain most marks for your
coursework.
1. Your investigation should be local because you will need a pilot
study and repeat results.
2. Your investigation should try to solve an environmental question,
not just repeat standardised procedures (although you will obviously have to use
these).
3. Your investigation should be scientific and include a statistical
test, rather than an extended essay or a social science topic, e.g. using
questionnaires.
4. Your investigation should have an environmental purpose that
means that it must tie in with something on the Specification (syllabus).
MY ADVICE!!
The keys to a good project
are to make sure that you:
1. Lots of students like to do freshwater pollution studies, but they do
not do enough sampling and the rivers may not be very
polluted, so may not have any significant findings, (which may be disappointing
but does not necessarily reduce the marks that you can get for the project).
2. The effect of trampling (by cows or people) on soil structure,
properties and species diversity (that kind of topic often suits the
Geographers as they can use the data for both projects)
3. The effect of heavy metals or acid concs or fertiliser or polluted
river water on the growth of seeds/ grass (this can be done in the lab. and it is possible to obtain heavy metal tolerant grass
seed)
4. The effect of air (traffic) pollution on the growth and diversity of
lichens (always a popular one; poking around 10 different rural and urban
churchyards, gravestones do yield a wealth of data and there are lots of
controls to consider)
5. The effect of air pollution on tar spot fungus on sycamore leaves
(needs to be done in Summer/Autumn)
6. Species diversity in old/young woodland/hedges
7. Seed planting density and yield (another lab.based one)
8. The effect of air pollution on the number of stomata in holly and ivy
leaves (growing by the road)
9. The voltage generated by different angles of light falling on a photo
voltaic cell (one for the physics geeks amongst you!)
10. A comparison of fuels in terms of heat
released and particulate matter given off (this was inspired by
those drivers who burn chip shop fat in their diesel engines (lab based)
11. A comparison of the numbers and sizes of slugs in an 'organic' and
'non-organic' garden (10 large jars plus counting and measuring the slugs!)
Examples
of techniques which could be used in your investigation
1.
Rate
of photosynthesis
2.
Soil
analysis
3.
Identification
of species
4.
Population
counts
5.
%
cover
6.
Oxygen
concentration and BOD
7.
Ammonia,
nitrate and phosphate concentrations
8.
Infiltration
rate
9.
Transects
10. Weighing samples, measuring
temperature & voltage
Other suggestions
for investigation from the AQA
1.
Effect of calcium ion content
of water on the size of pond snail shells.
2.
Effect of air pollution on the
distribution of tar spot fungus in sycamore trees.
3.
Rate of decomposition of leaf
discs in different conditions.
4.
Seed germination rates in different environmental conditions
(relates to climate change!)
5.
Bioremediation (the
branch of biotechnology that uses biological process to overcome environmental
problems) of oil spills.
6.
The effect of using slug pellets on the population and size
of slugs in a garden.
7.
An investigation into the
biological control of pests in a glasshouse.
8.
An investigation into the
factors affecting water quality in a stream (between 2 points).
9.
An investigation into the
status, distribution, positive and negative effects of urban trees.
10. Assessing the success of quarry reclamation/minespoil amelioration.
11.
Comparing energy efficiencies
of different house designs.
12. Comparison of hedges and fences as field boundaries.
13. Environmental
Impact Assessment of a proposed bypass/housing estate/reservoir/sewage plant, etc.
14. Evaluating the merits of physical, chemical and biological
water quality indices.
15. Investigating the ecology of a spoil heap or derelict site
or tip.
16. Investigating the breeding success rates of Barn owls in an
area.
17. Investigating the effects of air pollution on vegetation.
18. Investigating the effects of pollution from a limestone
quarry on nearby vegetation.
19. Investigating the local use of peat or chemicals through
garden centre sales.
20.Investigation
variation in habitat biodiversity through time (i.e. age of plots) in a
coniferous plantation.
21. Limiting bracken invasion on the North Yorkshire Moors.
22.Limiting
the effects of arable farming on an adjacent Nature Reserve.
23.Monitoring
road deaths of local fauna.
24.Nitrate pollution of local
streams.
25.Organic
farming and its effects on crop yields and soils.
26.The
conservation importance of small freshwater ponds.
27.The
contribution of gardens in a particular region to wildlife conservation.
28.The ecological impact of debris
dams on a local stream.
29.The
effect of light intensity on ground flora in a wood.
30.The
effects of hedgerow maintenance on wildlife.
31. The environmental impact of tourists on a ‘honeypot’ site.
32.Urban air pollution through air
analysis/ or lichen analysis of trees/brickwork.
33.Wildlife
conservation potential of arable headlands.
34.The
environmental impact of gravel extraction.
35.The
effect of microclimate on tree form.
36.The ecology of riffles and
pools in relation to dissolved oxygen content.
37.The
effects of management techniques on the biodiversity of a heath.
38.Light intensity, parabolic
reflectors and photovoltaic cells.
39.The
environmental impact of selected options for a town by-pass.
40.The
success of Local Agenda 21 projects.
41. High
voltage electricity supply – environmental and economic considerations.
42.A quantitative
comparison of the wildlife in coppiced and uncoppiced
woods.
43.The
effects of heavy metals on the growth of different strains of grass.
44.The
effect of differing environmental conditions, (e.g. soil, watering regime,
sowing density, salinity) on the growth of a crop plant.
45.Analysis
of the energy and material inputs and outputs of an agricultural or
horticultural system.
46.Survey of selected species of
flora and fauna related to different soil types.
More lab based studies to follow!!
Plus I have a file of other project ideas if this
doesn’t stimulate you into action!
Length and
Presentation of Report
3000-4000 words in addition to tables,
diagrams, graphs etc. (That is about 10 typed sides of A4, using font size 12,
or about 20 written sides.)
Apart from your plan (on the purple form) you must
write in standard scientific prose. This means
writing in the past tense, third person singular, passive voice, if you can, and you must justify your procedures (that means
explain why you are carrying out each step).
E.g. “Twenty samples were taken, because taking
twenty would yield more reliable results without being too time
consuming.”
Remember that you are trying to convey to an intelligent reader the
nature if what was undertaken.
A4 paper must be used
and you may word process or write your report.
It is often more accurate to produce graphs by hand and you are
encouraged to include maps, diagrams, photos etc., but they should fit within
an A4 format. There is no need to have
your report bound, as it will have to be posted. Clipped with a paper clip or staple, or in a
thin folder will do.
Contents of
the Report
The Plan
(departmental proforma)
Contents
Abstract
This
should be a very brief, succinct summary
of your method and findings. It should be
written last.
Introduction / Background
This
section should be a description of the background to the study, indicate how
the topic was chosen and include a brief review of any previous or published on
the subject. The aims of the experiment,
the hypothesis/hypotheses and null hypothesis should be stated clearly.
Method
This
section should provide a full description of the method and materials used to
carry out the investigation so that it could be repeated accurately by another
investigator. It should also include
justification of the method and materials used.
It is not necessary to describe, photograph or draw common laboratory
equipment. You should admit details of
procedures, which did not work, especially if it helps to explain how
techniques/procedures evolved. Trial
runs, controls and replicate tests could also be described.
Results
(Recording/Data Handling)
This
section should summarise any data collected, numerical or otherwise, in an
appropriate form which is clearly labelled and easy to understand. You should include tables, graphs, charts and
(a) statistical test(s) necessary to analyse and interpret the results. To achieve full marks you will have to do at
least one of the following tests, explain why you have chosen
that test and explain the significance of the test.
Mann-Whitney
U Test
Spearman
Rank Correlation
Χ2
Test
Simpson’s
Diversity Index
Student’s
t-test
Other
suitable test, e.g. line of regression
Data
included in the results should be original data, which you have collected. Any data, which was not collected by you, for
example, from a colleague or a reference source, which you use to strengthen an
argument or to increase the statistical significance, must be disclosed in both
the Results and Acknowledgement sections.
Conclusions
(Interpretation)
This
section should include the interpretation of the results of the investigation
and should relate back to the original aim or hypothesis.
Each
conclusion should be stated separately, together with evidence and
limitations. All trends shown by the
results should be identified, but care should be taken with generalisations.
Evaluation
This
should be a review of the whole investigation and should identify any
difficulties you encountered, which limited the accuracy of you results and,
with hindsight, could have been avoided.
You should not include your own failings, e.g. lack of results.
Suggestions
should be made for ways to improve or extend the work in the light of
experience.
Acknowledgements
This
should be a declaration of all help received in any aspect of
your work.
References
This
should include a full reference to all papers, texts and websites, which you
have used. If you have quoted any of
them in your report, in the background or results sections, you should put a
reference figure, using sub-script, by the text in your report and by the
reference title.
Appendix/Appendices
This
should include the raw data, which you collected (no matter how scruffy it
looks), and any detail, which is too copious or marginal to include in the main
body of the report.
GOOD LUCK!