Sections of a Field Investigation Report

A. IntroductionThis section includes information on:
  1. The name and location/s of your ecosystem.
  2. The abiotic factors common to your ecosystem. Include information about substrate type, climate, temperature and rainfall.
  3. The biotic factors common to your ecosystem. List the common name of organisms likely to be found. Be sure to include both plants and animals.
B. Data CollectionThis section includes:

A vertical profile of your ecosystem, constructed by carrying out a transect across your ecosystem.  (Side View)
  1. What does this ecosystem look like?
  2. What is the shape of the land in this area?

Biotic factors:
  • A list of organisms located by ponding
  • The number of each organism found
  • Each organism’s tolerance to pollution, identified using the table provided.

Abiotic factors:
  • Turbidity,
  • Dissolved Oxygen (DO),
  • Temperature,
  • Electrical Conductivity,
  • Ortho Phosphorous,
  • pH levels,
  • Nitrates
C. Relationships between organisms
Investigate two examples of relationships between organisms in your ecosystem.

Examples include parasite/host, predator/prey, mutualism, and competition.
  1. Name the two organisms you have identified as having a relationship in this ecosystem
  2. Name the relationship
  3. Define the relationship
  4. Explain how this relationship you have identified fits the definition

D. Detailed organism study
In this section, you are to study one organism that can be found in your ecosystem and complete the following:
  1. What is your organism’s common name? Classify your organism using the binomial naming system.
  2. Describe your organism’s habitat, discussing both the biotic and abiotic factors that would affect its survival.
  3. Discuss the adaptations that assist your organism to survive in its environment.
  4. Develop three food chains that include your organism and the combine these into a food web.
  5. Explain why your organism is well suited to the environment in which it lives.
  6. Explain how this organism is suited or vulnerable in this ecosystem at this time
 
E. Techniques for Monitoring Ecosystems
  1. Choose a tool or technique that you have used to study your ecosystem, or that you have learned about in class. Some examples are quadrat sampling, transect profiles or ponding.
  2. Explain how the tool or technique is used to monitor an ecosystem.
  3. What sort of information does it provide and what does this information tell us about the ecosystem?
  4. Use evidence to justify which technique is the best way to measure the healthiness of the wetland ecosystem.

F. Changes to Ecosystems over time
Explain the impact that human activity has had on this ecosystem.

  1. What human impacts have been identified in this ecosystem on the day it was visited?
  2. Describe the effect of these human impacts on the Ecosystem and how this ecosystem has changed over time
  3. Describe how these human impacts can be reduced in the future
  4. What you can conclude about the health of this water body, using evidence from your investigation

G. Bibliography
Include a list of all resources used


Example of a Field Investigation Report