S7_T1_S1_G_Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment
Scenario: New Invasive Species found in your school yard!
Students in Year 7 at your school were conducting transects and quadrats in an area of the
school yard that was not used frequently by students. It had become overgrown and among
the plants was one that produced small, delicate purple flowers similar to ones found in most
community gardens. On closer inspection of the plants, it was found to be something quite
new to the area. This new purple flowered species was identified as Graniosa purpilliae,
commonly called Purple No-good.

Over the next few years, this plant covered more and more of the school yard and community
gardens, out-competing local plant species. Purple No-good grows to about 2m high and has
very dense foliage cover, reducing the light getting to the ground. It has flowers that produce
large numbers of seeds but very little nectar and large, deep root systems that suck up lots of
water. The plant is poisonous to most insects that live in the area.

1. Describe three ways that Purple No-good may have been introduced into this area. (3
marks)

i) _________________________________________________________________________

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ii) ________________________________________________________________________

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iii) ________________________________________________________________________

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2. Predict and explain the effects that Purple No-good might have on the native plants in the
school yard. (3 marks)

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3. Predict and explain the effects that Purple No-good might have on the native animals in the
school yard. (3 marks)

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 S7_T1_S1_G_Summative Assessment

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4. Describe three different ways of controlling the spread of Purple No-good in your local
area. (3 marks)

i) _________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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ii) ________________________________________________________________________

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iii) ________________________________________________________________________

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5. Why is it important to notify the Department of Environmental Protection & Conservation

Vanuatu about the presence of this plant in your local area? (3 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________

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Total: 15 marks
 S7_T1_S1_G_Summative Assessment

Answers

1.
i. seeds could have blown in the wind from plants that were brought in by tourist ships
ii. seeds may have come from commercial nurseries growing exotic plants
iii. seeds could have been carried to the area by animals imported from other islands

2.
- Purple No-good stops native plants from growing by taking the sunlight so it can’t grow
- it takes up the space once used by the native plants
- it out-competes the native plants for water by stopping rain getting to the ground and
sucking up most of the water available with its large root system

3. Native animals depend on native plants for food and shelter. This is a poisonous plant so
animals that would eat native plants can’t eat this plant. Insects that feed on the nectar of
flowers would not survive where this plant is because it doesn’t produce enough to feed them.
The plants may be so dense that native animals can’t shelter there. All these things would
cause the animals to move away from this area.

4. Ways of controlling Purple No-good

- organise groups to remove the plants; if the whole plant can’t be removed easily, then
remove any flowers the plants produce to reduce the production and spread of seeds
- spray the plants with a herbicide that will kill it but not the native plants
- produce notices for the community to let them know this plant is an invasive species to
prevent it being planted in gardens and to tell people to remove it if they have it in their
gardens
- if it is very widespread through the native environment, find a biological control agent
(predator or disease) that will only affect or eat this plant

5. Importance of notifying Department of Environmental Protection & Conservation Vanuatu

about the presence of this plant in your local area
- to know where the invasive species are in Vanuatu
- to help reduce the spread of the invasive species to other areas
- to help local people to recognise that this is a problem plant and not to plant it
- to help with the removal efforts of the community by organising ‘weeding’ days
- to help the Department provide the correct herbicides for spraying