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Earth and Environmental Science 11–12 · Year 11

Surveying an introduced species with quadrats and a transect (fieldwork)

Module 4: Human Impacts

PracticalMedium risk

School laboratory, not for home

In a school laboratory, with a teacher supervising, under the school's risk assessment. Not for home.

The idea

The abundance and spread of a weed such as lantana can be measured, not guessed, by sampling along a line with quadrats and recording cover and frequency.

Safety card

Medium riskA teacher supervises

Setting: In a school laboratory, with a teacher supervising, under the school's risk assessment. Not for home.

Hazards

  • snakes, ticks and spiders
  • uneven ground
  • thorny or toxic plants
  • sun and heat

Controls

  • long trousers and boots
  • gloves
  • sunscreen and water
  • buddy system and phone

Note

Fieldwork: complete the school's excursion approval and a RiskAssess field risk assessment under NSW Department of Education procedures; any test reagents carried into the field fall under the Chemical Safety in Schools (CSIS) package, Section 1.

What you need

  • 1 m × 1 m quadrat frames, 50 m tape, compass, field sheets, camera
  • NSW WeedWise profile for the target species (identification and control methods)
  • a site with a visible edge between bush and disturbed ground (track, creek bank, fence line)

How to do it

  1. Lay the tape from the disturbed edge into the bush and place a quadrat every 5 m (10 quadrats).
  2. In each, estimate percentage cover of the introduced species and of native ground cover, and count individuals.
  3. Record light, litter depth and disturbance signs at each quadrat.
  4. Calculate frequency (quadrats containing the species / total) and mean cover; plot cover against distance from the edge.
  5. Report which human impacts favour the species and which control method WeedWise lists for it.

What you should see

Cover of the introduced species is highest near the disturbed edge and falls with distance into intact bush, while native ground cover shows the reverse; frequency is reported as a fraction, for example 4 of 10 quadrats is 40 %. The plot and the disturbance notes together support a claim about what favours the invader at that site.

What changes

What you change
distance from the disturbed edge
What you measure
percentage cover and count of the introduced species
What you keep the same
  • quadrat size
  • same observers and cover scale
  • same day
  • transect direction

Common misconceptions

Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.

  • Weeds spread only by seed.
  • Any plant that grows well is good for the ecosystem.

Curriculum references

The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.

  • Earth and Environmental Science Stage 6 Syllabus (2017), NESA; current, replaced by the 11–12 Syllabus (2025) from 2028EES11-11EES11/12-1EES11/12-2EES11/12-3
  • Earth and Environmental Science 11–12 Syllabus (2025), NESA; to be implemented from 2028, not yet taughtEES-11-03
  • Australian Curriculum v9No Australian Curriculum v9 code is listed.

Sources

The pages the author read to write this activity.

  1. www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/curriculum/science/earth-and-environmental-science-stage-6-2017
  2. practicalbiology.org/environment/fieldwork-techniques/biodiversity-in-your-backyard.html
  3. weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au

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