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INTRODUCTORY TEXT TO THE LESSON The aim of the lesson was to observe the marine life on the rocky shoreline at an area of Dublin Bay.
Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment. Students encounter ecology at JUnior Certificate and Leavign Certificate Biology level. They are expected to know a number of definitions:
- An ecosystem is a group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit.
- The biosphere is that part of the planet in which living organisms can be found.
- A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives.
- A population is all the members of the same species living in the habitat.
- A community is all the different populations of species living in the habitat.
This school investigated the community living on a rocky marine shoreline. During the study, they were able to see the effects of the tidal nature of the habitat - thus comparing terrestrial and aquatic effects.
Environmental Factors (Terrestrial)
- Abiotic factors: non-living factors, e.g. aspect:.
- Biotic factors: living factors, e.g. available food: more food will enable more organisms to survive
- Climatic factors: effects of weather, e.g. rough versus calm seas
- Edaphic factors: effects of sand versus soil on plant growth.
This lesson looks at the intertidal zone and differentiates the low, tide zone, mid-tide zone, high tide zone and splash zone. It shows that the greatest diversity of species is in the low-tide zone.
