Living Lakes. Stage 4 Science Fieldwork at Penrith Lakes. Name : Interesting Facts. Page 1 SIZE: WATER: USES:

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1 Living Lakes Stage 4 Science Fieldwork at Penrith Lakes Name : Interesting Facts SIZE: WATER: USES: Page 1

2 Station 1 - Testing Importance of results Phosphate levels (nutrients/plant food) - High phosphate levels can lead to overgrowth of plants, decreased oxygen levels and increased algal blooms. Turbidity (water clarity) - High turbidity ( muddy water) increases water temperature and reduces sunlight penetration, which reduces the ability of submerged plants to grow and produce oxygen. ph - the waters acidity or alkalinity level. Small changes in ph can endanger many types of plants and animals. Conductivity - level of total dissolved solids in the water(mainly salt). High salt levels make conditions uncomfortable for freshwater animals and plants. It can also have an impact on ph levels. E.g. higher Test Instrument Test Instrument Phosphate Test tablet kit (ppm) ph Universal indicator paper (a number) Turbidity Turbidity Tube (ntu) Conductivity Total Dissolved Solids Scan (ppm) Temperature Thermometer ( o C) Appearance Observation (use your eyes) Final Detention Basin/Rowing Lake - use your results to circle a point score Phosphate (nutrients): ppm ph: 0-1 ppm >1-2 ppm >2-3 ppm >3-4 ppm <6 or > Turbidity (clarity): ntu Conductivity (salts): ppm <10 ntu ntu ntu >50 ntu <250 ppm ppm ppm >1000 ppm Temperature: ºC Appearance Summer ºC Summer >30 ºC Clear Cloudy/some colour Muddy/murky Oily/scummy and/or smelly Autumn/ Spring ºC Autumn/ Spring <15 or >25 ºC Winter ºC Winter >20 ºC 8 4 Overall Score Final Detention Basin: Overall Rating Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor Very Poor Final Detention Basin <20 Page 2

3 Station 2 - Bird and Flora Observation Walk 1. On your walk - Look at the bird pictures. Once you and the teacher have ID the bird, tick the box. 2. Using column 5, fill in the bird numbers seen today. The teacher will guide you. Use this to work out a habitat/food supply point score. 3. In the Flora table, tick the aquatic plants observed. Pelican q Little Pied Cormorant q Eurasian Coot q Australian Wood Duck q DIVERS SWIMMERS Little Black Cormorant q Australian Grebe q Pacific Black Duck q Dusky Moorhen q Great Egret q Black Swan q White-faced Heron q WADERS Purple Swamphen q Royal Spoonbill q Aquatic Flora Observation Plant Type Plant name Emergent Common Rush Black winged Stilt q Tall Spikerush P birds observed today Bird Species Circle points for birds seen today 1. Australian Grebe 4 2. Australian Wood Duck 2 3. Black Swan 5 4. Blackwinged Stilt 5 5. Dusky Moorhen 3 6..Eurasian Coot 3 7. Great Egret 5 8. Little Black Cormorant 4 9. Little Pied Cormorant 4 10 Pacific Black Duck 3 11.Pelican 5 12 Purple Swamphen Royal Spoonbill 5 14.White-faced Heron Other: 5 Total point score today Cumbungi (Bullrush) River Clubrush Floating and Primrose Floating Attached Slender Knotweed Lily Couch Duckweed Salvinia (introduced) Submerged Ribbonweed Hydrilla Habitat total bird score? 0-10 Poor Fair Good >25 Excellent Page 3

4 TROPHIC LEVEL Wrap up - Putting it all together A simple food web for Penrith Lakes showing some key species. Higher Order Consumers (Tertiary) Middle Order Consumers (Secondary) Lower Order Consumers (Primary) Decomposers Producers Ribbonweed - A. It provides a for many aquatic animals including. It takes out, reduces erosion, increases shade reducing water temperature which lowers the risk of blooms. Freshwater Shrimp - consumer. Mainly eats. Adaptations include a body, eyes on a to increase peripheral vision and long to aid food detection in the dark. It is a. Australian Bass - consumer. Adaptations include strong swim enabling them to cross rapids. They mainly feed at It is a. Little Pied Cormorant - consumer. Adaptations include a beak for catching fish and feet to aid swimming. It is a. Your turn to research: Find some facts on the following flora and fauna at Penrith Lakes. Google their names. Purple Swamphen Pacific Black Duck Dragonfly Nymph Boatman Mosquito Fish European Carp Hydrilla Cumbungi Page 4

5 Pollution Index - using an invertebrate survey bugs are a good way of assessing the health of a stream, lake or dam. The following bugs are given a point score according to their sensitivity to pollution. The higher the points, the more sensitive the bug. Low scores indicate bugs that can tolerate poor water quality. Backswimmer Caddisfly Larvae Damselfly Nymph Beetle Larvae Dragonfly Nymph Freshwater Shrimp Leech Giant Bug Mosquito Fish Mayfly Nymph Mosquito Larvae Pond Snail Tadpole Beetle Boatman Mite Scorpion Spider Treader Worm Progressive point score for water quality: Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent Wow Page 5 NOTE : This represents only a guide to water quality in order to compare sites equal time and care is needed at each site.

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