Ecology practical: measuring abundance and random sampling
This ecology practical exercise uses random sampling to measure the abundance of various different species on an area of grassland. The resource gives learners the opportunity to explore two different measures of abundance:
- Density: the number of individual plants per quadrat or per unit area
- Frequency: the proportion of quadrats each species occurs in
The resources are intended to help students develop skills and plant identification techniques before going out into the field, rather than to replace fieldwork.
© Science and Plants for Schools. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Preparation
Download the resources and teacher guidance below for detailed instructions.
Location
- Indoor
Curriculum links
- Biology
Curriculum links
Ecosystems
- methods of identifying species and measuring distribution, frequency and abundance of species within a habitat
Experimental skills and strategies
- carrying out experiments appropriately, having due regard to the correct manipulation of apparatus, the accuracy of measurements and health and safety considerations
- recognising when to apply a knowledge of sampling techniques to ensure any samples collected are representative
- making and recording observations and measurements using a range of apparatus and methods