Exploring the Biodiversity of Field of Mars Reserve

Field of Mars Research Task

Introduction

The Field of Mars Reserve is a protected nature reserve situated in East Ryde, New South Wales. The reserve is regularly used to assist students and teachers with fieldwork, environmental education and education for sustainability and also acts as a recreational site for locals and tourists alike, providing walking tracks and parks. Two of the neighboring ecosystems within the reserve are the dry sclerophyll woodland of Sugarloaf Hill and the mangrove wetlands of Buffalo Creek Reserve. Dry sclerophyll forest covers much of the Field of Mars Reserve. The woodland of Sugarloaf Hill is a remnant ecosystem, which effectively refers to a patch of native trees, shrubs and grasses, leftover from the old bushland

To ensure validity, measure abiotic factors including soil temperature, light intensity, soil texture, and soil pH

5. The method for measuring abiotic factors is shown below:

Recording Abiotic Factors:

Abiotic Factor

Method

Unit

Soil pH

1. Using the “saturated paste method”

2. Gather a teaspoon size sample of soil and sprinkle it on the white plastic tray

3. Remove any little bits of rock or stick or other organic leaf matter

4. Add 3-6 drops of indicator liquid and mix into a saturated paste

5. Dust the saturated paste with Barium Sulphate

6. After sixty seconds, the Barium sulphate powder will have developed a colour which can be compared to the colour chart to determine a pH scale

7. Dispose of waste in a waste bottle pH scale

Soil texture

1. Take a small handful of soil

2. Add enough water to make a ball.

3. Feel the ball with your hands to determine if it’s gritty (sand), silky (silt) or plastic/sticky (clay)

4. Roll out the ball and with your thumb gently press the soil out over your foreigner to make a hanging ribbon

5. The longer the ribbon the more clayey the soil is.

6. Once you have determined the feel of the soil (plastic, silty, sandy, or smooth) and made a ribbon, compare the length of the ribbon on the soil texture table to find out your soil

Algae is a single celled organism that produces its own food. Fungi has its own form and structure but cannot produce its own food. Through the symbiotic relationship between the two, both organisms benefit. Fungi gets food from the photosythnesising algae which it otherwise would not be able to produce on its own. Most of the fungi in this relationship are not able to survive without an algal partner as it needs this food for survival. Through the relationship, the algae are able to inhabit the structure of the fungi and by cohabiting with the fungus, the algae can live in many different environments and extend its range