Ecology Practical Activities

 Ecology is best studied outdoors. Students identify a habitat within or near the school compound, e.g. a

flower bed.

 The quadrat method is used.

 Observation and recording of the various animals as well as their feeding habits is done.

 Birds that feed on the plants or arthropods in the area studied are noted through observation of habitat at

various times of the day.

 Food chains are constructed e.g. green plants ~ caterpillar ~ lizard and many others involving all

organisms in the area.

 The numbers of animals in 1 m2 is counted directly or estimated e.g. small arthropods like black ants.

 The number of plants is easily counted and recorded and ratio of consumers to producers calculated.

 It will be noted that in terms of numbers where invertebrates are involved, there are very many

consumers of one plant.

 Several other quadrats are established and studied and averages calculated.

Adaptions to Habitat

Hydrophytes

 Specimen of hydrophytes e.g. water lily is observed.

 Students should note the poorly developed root systems and broad leaves.

 Stomata distribution on leaf surface is studied through microscopy or by immersing a leaf in hot water

and counting number of bubbles evolved.

Mesophytes

 Ordinary plants e.g bean hibiscus and zebrina can be studied.

 Size of leaves is noted and stomata distribution studied.

Xerophytes

 Specimen include Euphorbia, cactus and sisal which are easily available.

 The root system e.g. in sisal is noted as shallow but extensive.

 It will be noted that sisal has fleshy leaves and stem while cactus and Euphorbia have fleshy stem but

leaves are reduced to small hair-like structures.

Comparison of Root nodules from fertile and poor soils

Root nodules

 These are swellings on roots of leguminous plants.

 Soil fertility determines number of root nodules per plant.

 Bean plants are best used in this study.

 One plot can be manured while the other is not.

 Similar seeds are planted in the two plots.

 The plants are uprooted when fully mature (vegetatively) i.e. any time after flowering and before drying.

 The number of nodules per plant is counted.

 An average for each plot is calculated.

 It is noted that the beans from fertile soil have more and large nodules than those grown in poor soils.

Estimation of Population using Sampling Methods

 The number of organisms both producers and the various consumers is recorded in each area studied e.g.

using a quadrat.

 The total area of the habitat studied is measured.

 The average number of organisms per quadrat (1 m2) is calculated after establishing as many quadrats as

are necessary to cover the area adequately.

 Total population of organisms is calculated from the area.

 Abiotic environment is studied within the area sampled.

 Air temperature soil surface temperature are taken and recorded.

 This is best done at different times of day, i.e., morning afternoon and evening.

 Any variations are noted.

 pH of the soil is measured using pH distilled water to make a solution.

 Litmus papers can be used to indicate if soil is acidic or alkaline, but pH paper or meter gives more

precise pH values.

 Humidity is measured using anhydrous blue cobalt chloride paper which gives a mere indication of level

of humidity.

 A windsock is used to give an indication of direction of wind.

 As all the abiotic factors are recorded observations are made to find the relationships between behaviour

of organism and the environmental factors for example:

 The temperature affects the behaviour of animals.

 The direction of wind will affect growth of plants.

 The level of humidity determines the type, number and distribution of organisms in an area.