This is an important topic within the Biosphere Unit which we will be studying in the Higher course later in the year. The photos should give you a flavour of what is involved in this type of fieldwork. .... Firstly, you persuade the guys to carry all the gear!!
Then you set up transects using ranging poles and measuring tapes and record the changes in slope by using a clinometer. This lets you draw an accurate profile of the dune system.
Then you lay out quadrats systematically along the transect and record some abiotic factors like soil moisture and pH.......
... before recording the % abundance of individual species
Always assuming you can identify them, that is!
Back at school the data will be used to construct accurate cross sections of the dunes and kite diagrams will be drawn to show how the abundance of different species changes with distance from the high water mark.
