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Nudgee Beach Field Report Booklet...

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UQ College – Biology – BIOL1031E Nudgee Beach Boondall Wetlands Environmental Centre Field Trip Report

Surname:

First Name:

Teacher:

Total Marks:

Possible Points Mangrove Study Mudflat Discovery Weighting

Due:

Week 25

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-

60 30 30 10% of Total Assessments

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Contents Introduction

Page 3

Activity 1 - Mangrove Study

Page 5

Activity 2 - Mudflat Discovery

Page 12

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Introduction Within a classroom situation it is difficult to appreciate the many factors that affect the distribution and abundance of organisms in their physical environment. Therefore, exposure to a variety of habitats is important to evaluate the relationships between populations of organisms in their different communities and also the influence of the abiotic environment on these communities. Boondall Wetlands – a brief history Boondall Wetlands lies at the edge of Moreton Bay and includes more than 1100 hectares of tidal flats, mangroves, salt marshes, melaleuca wetlands, casuarina forests, grasslands, open forests, woodlands and estuarine environments. Indigenous Australians have lived at Boondall Wetlands for a long time and continue to have links with this land. The wetlands contained campsites and ceremonial grounds where food, fibre, medicines and other resources were gathered. The Nurri Millen art totems in the wetlands celebrate this culture. In 1863, the Catholic Church acquired 1214 hectares of ‘Nudgee lands’. They cut timber, grew small crops and grazed cattle. Nudgee Beach was part of the church lands and the Tabbil-ban dhagun area was a popular seaside camping resort. In 1976, development was planned for the wetlands. Public concern resulted in Brisbane City Council creating Boondall Wetlands Reserve in 1990. The Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre was opened in 1996. The wetlands have been protected and the area has been steadily expanded through subsequent acquisitions using funds from the Bushland Preservation Levy. Boondall Wetlands are part of a chain of coastal wetlands near Moreton Bay that are listed under the Ramsar convention as internationally important wetlands for the international migratory shorebirds. The wetlands have ties with the Yatsu-Higata Tidelands of Japan as part of the East Asian Australasian Shorebird Reserve Network. Boondall Wetlands, Kedron Brook Wetlands and the Northeast Wetlands are Brisbane’s largest wetlands. Council manages the wetlands with assistance from the community to conserve the fragile wetland habitats and provide nature-based recreation opportunities. What is a wetland? Wetlands are among the most dynamic habitats on earth. They are highly productive, complex and fragile ecosystems that are vitally important for the earth. Wetlands occur in many different forms. Coastally they may occur as beaches, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, inter-tidal sand, mud or salt flats, mangrove forests, casuarina wetlands, salt marshes and hyper saline flats. Inland they may be melaleuca wetlands, billabongs, lakes, pools and marshes, ephemeral water bodies, overflows and alpine glacial lakes. Wetlands can be natural or artificial, permanent or temporary. The water in these wetland systems can be static or flowing, fresh, brackish or saline. Each wetland type has a unique ecosystem of plants and animals that depend upon it for food, water and habitat.

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Importance of wetlands It is now widely accepted that wetland ecosystems are valuable and perform many functions. Wetlands are a major part of the water cycle and have been described as the ‘kidneys’ of the landscape because of their ability to cleanse polluted water. Wetlands are important for performing the following functions. • Flood control • Replenishing groundwater • Stabilising the shoreline • Retaining sediment and nutrients • Mitigating climate change • Purifying water • Cultural value, recreation and tourism • Protecting biodiversity Threats to wetlands Worldwide, wetlands are under threat from human activities. Most threats relate to increasing human population pressure and increased demand for resources and land, particularly in coastal areas. It has been estimated that 50 per cent of Australia’s original wetlands have been cleared since European arrival. In developed coastal areas where human demand is greatest, this loss may be greater. Many remaining wetlands have become badly degraded. Pollution and waste pose as major threats to the health of wetlands. Various rubbish items and water-borne pollutants wash in from drains and waterways and illegal dumping of waste in the wetlands have major negative impacts on wetlands. Exotic weeds and feral animals also kill and out-compete native plants and animals and upset the healthy, natural balance of the wetlands. Frequent fires also devastate wetland areas that rarely burn naturally, providing favourable growing conditions for many weeds. Unsustainable recreational activities and exploitation of wetland resources (such as over-fishing) also threaten the future of our wetlands. Sources Wetland: values and functions, Pamphlet series, Ramsar, www.ramsar.org Wetlands: let’s get wise, Pamphlet, National Wetlands Program, Environment Australia Wetland Vegetation (2001) Greening Australia, www.qld.greeningaustralia.org.au Wetlands: More than just wetland – Moreton Bay, Department of Environment.

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ACTIVITY 1: MANGROVE STUDY Lesson Objectives:  To gain an understanding of the important ecological functions of Mangroves and their unique adaptations to their environment.  To gain skills in the observation and identification of mangrove and animal species at Nudgee Beach.  To understand the economic and ecological importance of mangrove communities and the importance of this wetland for migratory and residential water birds.  To build awareness of the human impacts that threaten the mangrove communities and the actions we can take to help preserve these areas. PART A: CHARACTERISTICS OF MANGROVE SPECIES There are 7 main species of mangroves in Queensland. The dichotomous key below can be used to identify these species. 1.

a) Leaves alternate b) Leaves opposite

…………. go to 2 ………… go to 4

2.

a) Sap milky; pair secreting glands at junction of blade & stalk of leaf - Exocoecaria agallocha (Blind your eye Mangrove) SaHC b) Sap not milky

…………. go to 3

3.

a) Leaf broad toward the tip; a gland on underside near the leaf apex; salt crystals absent from the leaf surface - Lumnitzera racemos (Black Mangrove) SaHc b) Leaf broadest about the middle; no gland on the underside; salt crystals usually present on the leaf surface - Aegiceras corniculatum (River Mangrove) SS

4.

a) Conspicuous stilt roots; leaves with numerous specks on under surface; (bud cover has 4 lobes) - Rhizophora stylosa (Red Mangrove) SE b) Plants lacking stilt roots …………. go to 5

5.

a) Vertically erect, cylindrical aerial roots spreading away from stem & projecting from the mud; leaves grey on the underside. - Avicennia marina (Grey Mangrove) SS b) Plants with knee like aerial roots projecting from the mud. …………. go to 6

6.

a) Buttress roots at base marked with lenticels; (bud with cover of 4-6 lobes) - Ceriops tagal (Yellow Mangrove) SE b) Knee roots emerge as root loops from the underground roots; leaves clumped at branch ends; no specks on leaf under surface; (bud covered with 10 or more - Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (Orange Mangrove) SE

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Questions Q1. 

Q2. 

Q3. 

Are the entire mangrove species listed in the key present in this community? (1 mark) No, the entire mangroves species listed in the key were not present in this community.

If not, which ones are not present? (2 marks) All species including the blind-your-eye mangrove, river mangrove, red mangrove, grey mangrove, yellow mangrove and orange mangrove were present, except for the black mangrove as this species is rare.

Which species appears to “dominate”? (2 marks) It appears that the river mangrove is the dominating species in this community.

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Q4. SKETCH (5 marks) Find one example of each mangrove species described below. Sketch and label diagrams of each species, showing the root type, leaf arrangements, flowers and fruit if present. 1. Avicennia marina – Grey Mangrove LEAVES

ROOTS

FLOWERS/FRUIT

1. Rhizophora stylosa – Red Mangrove LEAVES

ROOTS

FLOWERS/FRUIT

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Q5. Mangrove Food Webs (5 marks) The vast majority of mangroves in Australia are evergreens. Leaves are lost from the plants, but are replaced by new leaves and the number of leaves on the plant remains fairly constant. Fallen leaves together with twigs, flowers, fruit and bark are partially broken down by bacteria and fungi and become an important part of inshore marine food chains. Sketch a possible food web that would include this mangrove debris and the following organisms: leaf debris, small crustaceans, large fish, birds, small fish, mangrove crab, whelk, algae. Use arrows to show the flow of nutrients and energy:

Tertiary Consumers

2nd Order Consumers

1st Order Consumers

Producers

Birds

Mangrove crab

Whelk

Small crustaceans

Small fish

Algae

Leaf debris

Decomposers

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Large fish

Bacteria and fungi

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PART B: CHARACTERISTICS OF MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS. a) The Soil Mangrove soils are usually quite distinctive. They are subject to the daily movement of the tide. The organic content of the soil mainly originates from decomposition of plant debris produced by the mangroves themselves and decomposed by bacteria and fungi. Below the surface, some bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide (rotten egg gas) and this gives mangrove soils their pungent odour. Q6.

Describe the mangrove soils at Nudgee Beach. How do they compare with soils above the high-water mark? (3 marks) 

Mangrove soils o Sof o Low oxygen levels – anaerobic soil o Varying salinity, tends to be high in salt o Compared to soils above the high-water mark, they tend to be more water logged

b) Root System Part of the characteristic appearance of mangroves is due to the unusual development of the aerial root systems. These serve the plants in nutrition, water absorption, gas exchange, and support. In some species they may take the form of prop or stilt roots which are sent out from the main trunk or the lower branches (pneumatophores). In others, a system of lateral roots sends up “knees” above the surface. Still others produce an extensive system of lateral roots from which emerge conical aerial roots upward through the soil surface. Q7.

What is the probable function of the “pneumatophores” mentioned above and why are they so important to mangroves? (3 marks) 

Due to the condition of the soil, the mangroves need pneumatophores (breathing roots), which are above ground roots with small holes in them and are filled with a sponge-like tissue. These roots offer structural support but their main function is to allow oxygen to be transferred to the roots below the ground, as they are surrounded by anerobic soils (low oxygen soils).

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c) Living in Salt Water The most outstanding feature of mangroves is their ability to grow in salt water. Mangroves have a number of ways of coping with the high salt of their environment. In general, they tolerate relatively higher internal salt concentrations in their sap than do most land plants. Mangroves also remove salt by storing it in older leaves before they fall. However, mangroves may be divided into two broadly different classes depending on whether they secrete salt or exclude salt. Q8.

Which of the mangrove species identified earlier are “salt secretors” and which are “salt excluders”? Give reasons for your decisions. (3 marks) 





Salt secretors have glands in their leaves which leave salt deposits on the leaves. River mangroves and grey mangroves can be identified as salt secretors as deposits of salt crystals can be found on the surface of the leaves. On the other hand, salt excluders prevent salt from entering the plant by filtering it out at the root level. Red mangroves, yellow mangroves and orange mangroves filter out salt at the root level, and so these species are identified as salt excluders. Additionally, in some species, salt is concentrated within the bark and old leaves and is removed once they have fallen from the mangrove. This occurs in blind-your-eye mangroves and black mangroves.

d) The Leaves Mangroves grow in wet soil but the saline environment with its intense light, high temperatures, and wind makes fresh water quite difficult to retain. To overcome this, mangrove leaves display a number of structural features to help prevent water loss. Q9.

What characteristics of the leaves are obvious in the species identified at Nudgee Beach? Clearly state BOTH the characteristics and the species involved. (3marks) 

All mangrove species have the following characteristics on leaves to reduce water loss: o Thick waxy cuticles which is the skin on the leaf o Dense hairs o Sunken stomata as this is where evaporation occurs and so stomata is found under the leaf surface where there is protection from drying climates o Succulent leaves with fleshy tissue inside to store water

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e) Reproduction Many mangroves are viviparous, that is the seedlings are produced from the fruit while still attached to the parent tree. Q10. Vivipary in mangroves is said to be an “adaptation to the environment”. Explain. (3 marks) 



Some mangrove species are viviparous which means seeds remain attached to the parent tree until they have germinated and have grown into long, cylinder-like shapes. Once matured, it is dropped into the wet soil where it then finds suitable soil to grow roots, until then it remains dormant. This is an adaptation for the dispersal and establishment for a species in a wet, saline habitat as this allows seeds to germinate in the fruit before they make contact with a salty environment which will kill the seedling. This therefore increases the potential for survival.

Activity 2 – Mudflat Discovery continues over the page

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ACTIVITY 2 - MUDFLAT STUDY Lesson Objectives:  To encourage exploration and an appreciation of intertidal mudflats and the diversity of organisms that live there.  To examine the unique adaptations and behaviours of marine life common to Nudgee Mudflats.  To develop an understanding of the values of intertidal flats and the effects human impacts have upon them. What is classification? Classification, or taxonomy, is the process of identifying, naming and categorizing living things based on their physical and biological characteristics. Names are based on Latin words which describe physical characteristics. It is thought there are more than 31 million species of micro-organisms, animals and plants living on Earth today. Classification of living things helps scientists and students organize them and conduct research. It also helps to explain the interrelationships among diverse groups of organisms. (Kings Play Chess On Fat Guys Stomachs) Kingdom; Phylum; Class; Order; Family; Genus; Species How do we classify animals? Organisms are classified based on shared physical characteristics. Which then shows us how they can be related to each other. Physical characteristics can either be external or internal. Learning about physical characteristics and features used in classification: Sketch each animal and label its anatomy. Use diagrams supplied to help with labelling. (Glossary available to explain terms) Identify: type of symmetry, means of movement, point of respiration, point of ingestion, point of excretion, defence / protective measures

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Working/Sketch paper: (5 marks)

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Dichotomous Key to Common Animal Phyla:

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Complete Classification Chart: For each type of animal in the tank, complete the classification chart then use the profile cards provided to visually identify each one to genus & species. (5 marks) Checklist: Sea Star, Sea Urchin, Sea Cucumber, Hermit Crab, Decorator Crab, Polychaete Worm, Mollusk, Sponge

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PART A: Table (10 marks) 1. Complete the Table below, identifying as many mud flat organisms as possible and adaptations they possess. 2. For feeding habits code each with a letter indicating whether it is a producer (P), herbivore (H), omnivore (O), decomposer (D), carnivore (C), or scavenger (S). 3. Other abbreviations: Muscular foot (MF), Hold Fast (HF), and no attachment (NA)

Type of Organism

Sea star *

Attachment Structures

Locomotory Mechanism

Kingdom/ Phylum

Means of Protection

Animalia Echinodermata

Body made up of thick interlocking plates (armor)

O S

Distinct arms

Water vascular system

Use of acquired shell to shield sof body

O S

Jointed appendages

2nd and 3rd pair of legs

Animalia Echinodermata

Expel sticky, toxic Cuvierian tubules

S

No distinct arms

Tentacle-like tube feet

Animalia Porifera

Shed spicules and produce chemical toxins

C S

No symmetry

N/A Attached to a surface

Feeding Habits

Sea urchin

Hermit crab *

Animalia Arthropoda

Polychaete worm

Sea cucumber *

Mollusk

Decorator Crab

Sponge *

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RESEARCH (10 marks) Research an organism that lives in the Mudflats of Nudgee Beach. Find out information on this organism and fill in this table. Summarise your findings, in dot point form, on this organism under the headings following: Organism Name:  Soldier Crab (Mictyris longicarpus) Abundance:  Reach to Perth as well as the Eastern coast of Australia, from Northern Queensland to the Southern coast of Victoria  More abundant in depressions than humps in high shore levels Habitat Requirements:  Live where mixture of silt and sand is coarse and free from mangrove roots  Intertidal mangroves, mudflats, sheltered beaches, estuaries Relationship to humans:  N/A Human Impacts:  No fatal impacts  Will respond to human presence when perceived as a threat by:  Burrowing  Freezing with stiff limbs  Crouching as if playing dead  Running with raised chelipeds Protection/conservation:  The IUCN Red List of ...