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Living LakesStage 4 Science

Fieldworkat Penrith Lakes

Name : _________________

Interesting Facts

SIZE: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

WATER: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

USES: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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Station 1 - Water 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

Water Test Instrument Water 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 (oC) 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 6.5 - 8.5 8.6 - 9.0 6.0 - 6.4 <6 or >9.0

8 6 2 0 8 6 4 0

Turbidity (clarity): __________ ntu Conductivity (salts): __________ ppm

<10 ntu 10 - 20 ntu 20 - 50 ntu >50 ntu <250 ppm 251-650 ppm 651-1000 ppm >1000 ppm

8 4 2 0 8 6 4 0

Temperature: __________ ºC Appearance

Summer 20 - 30 ºC Summer >30 ºC Clear Cloudy/some colour

Muddy/murky Oily/scummy and/or smelly

Autumn/Spring

15 - 25 ºC Autumn/Spring

<15 or >25 ºC 8 6 2 0

Winter 10 - 20 ºC Winter >20 ºC

8 4 Overall Score Final Detention Basin: __________

Overall Rating Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Final Detention Basin 42+ 37 - 41 32 - 36 25 - 31 20 - 24 <20

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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

Little Black Cormorant q

Australian Grebe q

Eurasian Coot q

Pacific Black Duck q Dusky Moorhen q

Australian Wood Duck q

Black Swan q Great Egret q

White-faced Heron q

Purple Swamphen q

Royal Spoonbill q

Black winged Stilt q

Waterbirds observed today Circle points for birds seen today

Bird Species 1. Australian Grebe 42. Australian Wood Duck 23. Black Swan 54. Blackwinged Stilt 55. Dusky Moorhen 36..Eurasian Coot 37. Great Egret 58. Little Black Cormorant 49. Little Pied Cormorant 410 Pacific Black Duck 311.Pelican 512 Purple Swamphen 413. Royal Spoonbill 514.White-faced Heron 515. Other:_______________ 5

Total point score today

Habitat total bird score?

0-10 Poor

11-18 Fair

19 - 25 Good

>25 Excellent

SWIMMERSDIVERS

WADERSAquatic Flora Observation

Plant Type Plant name P

Emergent Common Rush

Tall Spikerush

Cumbungi (Bullrush)

River Clubrush

Floating and Water Primrose

Floating Attached Slender Knotweed

Water Lily

Water Couch

Duckweed

Salvinia (introduced)

Submerged Ribbonweed

Hydrilla

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Wrap up - Putting it all together A simple food web for Penrith Lakes showing some key species.

Decomposers

Producers

Lower Order Consumers (Primary)

Middle Order Consumers (Secondary)

Higher Order Consumers (Tertiary)

TROPHIC LEVEL

Little Pied Cormorant - ___________ consumer. Adaptations include a ___________

beak for catching fish and ___________ feet to aid swimming. It is a ___________.

Australian Bass - ___________ consumer. Adaptations include strong swim ________

enabling them to cross rapids. They mainly feed at __________It is a ___________.

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 _______________.

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.

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 Water Boatman Mosquito Fish European Carp Hydrilla Cumbungi

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Water Pollution Index - using an invertebrate survey Water 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.

Damselfly Nymph

Backswimmer

Caddisfly Larvae

Beetle Larvae

Dragonfly Nymph

Giant Water Bug

Freshwater Shrimp

Leech

Mosquito Larvae

Mayfly Nymph

Mosquito Fish

Water Beetle

Tadpole

Water Boatman

Water Mite

Water Scorpion

Water Spider

Worm

Water Treader

Progressive point score for water quality:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Poor Fair Good

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Very Good Excellent Wow

Pond Snail

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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