The success of wild flowers in grassy areas can be measured in two ways – the number of different types of wild flower plants in an area (diversity) or how well they grow (quantity). In this activity you are going to investigate the success of wild flowers in long grass or mown grass.
Planning and predicting
1 Before you start, think about these ideas.
- Long healthy grass competes with the wild flower plants, so fewer wild plants will grow and they are less likely to flower.
- Mown grass is cut so often that the wild plants are cut down and will not flower.
Which of these ideas do you agree with?
2 Choose two suitable areas for your investigation.
3 Select your apparatus and equipment. A 1 m2 quadrat is essential.
4 Decide how many times you need to throw your quadrat to sample each area.
5 Decide what you are going to count in each quadrat. You may want to count the number of wild flowers, the number of wild flower species or the number of grass plants.
6 Decide how you will record your results.
7 Use the Resource sheet to help you identify the wild flowers. You may need to look carefully at the leaves if the plant is not in flower.
Obtaining evidence
8 Ask your teacher to approve your plan, then carry out your investigation.
9 Present your results in a suitable table.
Considering the evidence
Compare your results with your prediction.
Write a conclusion based on your results. Decide which is the best way to manage grassland for wild flowers.
Evaluating
Was your sample large enough to support your conclusion?
What problems did you have with your investigation?
Were the two areas of grass similar enough to compare?
Are there any other key factors you should have taken into account in your planning?
© Harcourt Education Ltd 2004 Catalyst 3
This worksheet may have been altered from the original on the CD-ROM.