Exemplar Material

Unit 6 (6BI06)

December 2010

GCE

GCE Biology 6BI06/1a/1b

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Contents
General Points / Introduction (by Principal Examiner) ........................................ 1 Exemplars 1 to 15 (by Principal Examiner) ................................................... 2-32

Unit6BI06IndividualInvestigationfurtherexemplification.
Thisdocumenthasbeencompiledinthelightofareviewofinvestigationssubmittedforthefirst awardofthisunitinJune2010.Itshouldbereadinconjunctionwiththeexaminersreportfor6BI06 June2010.Thecommentshereapplytoboththeexternallyexaminedandinternallyassessed options. Thisdocumentcontainsadditionalcommentsoneachcriterionfollowedbyextractsofcandidates workwithexaminersassessments.

GeneralPoints
ThisunitseekstotestskillswhichhavebeenacquiredthroughouttheAlevelcourse.Itisexpected thattheseskillswillbedevelopedthroughuseofthecorepracticalsandarecloselylinkedtothe requirementsofHowScienceWorkscriteria.Examinersandmoderatorsthereforeplaced particularemphasisonseekingevidenceoftheseskillsincandidatesreports. Itwasdisappointingtoseethatevidenceforanumberoftheseskillswasfrequentlyabsentfrom reports.Themostcommonomissionswere; Assessmentofpracticalskills(b)(ii)Identifiesandexplainspossiblesystematicorrandom errorsinresults. Analyseandinterpretdatatoprovideevidence,recognisingcorrelationsandcausal relationships(usingdescriptivestatisticssuchasstandarddeviationanddiscussingthe problemsofcorrelationandcausationasillustratedinUnit1.3.18)

Research&Rationale
R(a)Whilstthisrequiressomeexplanationofthebasicreasonswhythismightbearelevant questiontoinvestigate,itisimportantthattherearesomesoundbiologicalprincipleswhichactually explainthebasisofthehypothesistobetested.Thesourcesusedtoresearchtheseprinciplesneed tobeclearlyindicatedinthebodyofthetext. R(b)NOTEtobeawardedmorethan6markscandidatesneedtoshowthattheresearched informationhasbeenusedtoinformtheplanningorexecutionoflaboratoryorfieldworkANDto informtheinterpretationofresults.Asurprisingnumberprovidedverylittleevidenceofthisin attemptingtocommentontheirdata.

Ex.1Theeffectoflightintensityonstomataldensityonlaurel leaves.
Rationale: Stomata are responsible for the exchange of gases, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen and water vapour, between the plant and its environment. Carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged during photosynthesisandwatervapourislostduringtranspiration.Astomaisaporeintheepidermisof the plant which opens and closes in response to the surrounding conditions. The two cells which control the opening of the pore are called guard cells. Research has shown that guard cells are ensuring regulation of stomata apertures and the gas exchange between the leaf and its environment Zeiger et al (1987). The guard cells open when potassium ion pumps actively begin pumping potassium ions into the guard cells from the epidermal cells therefore making the water potentialmorenegative.Waterthenentersthecellbyosmosisandtheguardcellsswell.Onesideof the guard cells is has a thicker cellulose cell wall and will not stretch, so when the cell is turgid it causestheporetoopenbetweenthem.Stomatausuallyopenwhentheyareeitherexposedtolight, have low concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air, when temperatures are moderate or when thereissufficientwateravailable. Duringtranspirationtheairspacesaroundtheplanttissuesarefilledwithwatervapourmolecules making the concentration of water molecules higher than the concentration of water molecules in the air surrounding the plant. This maintains a concentration gradient ensuring that water vapour movesoutoftheopenstomata.Asthewatermoleculesmoveoutoftheplantmorewaterispulled upfromtherootsbycohesion.Whentheleafswaterpotentialdropstheguardcellsclosetoprevent further water loss. However by closing the stomata photosynthesis is compromised as no carbon dioxidecanentertheplant. Lightasafactorcaneffecttranspirationinthefollowingways:Ahigherlightintensityusuallymeans a higher temperature, a higher temperature increases transpiration as the air around the plant containslesswatervapoursothedifferenceinconcentrationsisgreater.Thismeansplantstranspire upto3timesmorethanitcanatatemperaturewhichis10degreeslower.However,anextremely highlightintensitycausesahightemperaturewhichwillcausetheplanttohavelessstomawhich reduceswaterlossthroughevaporation.Havinganincreasedrateoftranspirationwouldmeanmore stomata would be needed in order to accommodate for the increased amount of water vapour needing to escape. This adaption of stomata is common in many species of plants which need to survive in hotter conditions and cope with the water loss problem. They do this by having fewer stomata,orbyhavingthestomataonlyopenatnightwhenitiscooler.Alloftheseadaptationshelp toreduceevaporationandtranspirationofwaterwhengasexchangeisoccurring.Thisdemonstrates thatplantscanadapttheirstomataandthereforesupportsthehypothesis.

 Ex.1Comments ThisisaratherweakexampleforA2.Themainproblemisthatthecandidatedoesnotaccurately focus on the hypothesis. The main part of this concentrates on the mechanism of stomatal movement and then makes some basic errors of assuming light intensity is equivalent to temperature, which is subsequently not measured. What is needed is some research into the possible explanation of how different light intensities might have an effect on density and how densitymightbelinkedtoleafareaetc. Overall this is limited and a weak R(b)36. The exact mark would depend upon how well this informationhadbeenusedtoexplainthedata.ThemarkforR(a)wouldbesimilarsinceitwouldbe expectedthatthismightbeplacedinanecologicalcontextwithreferencetoniche,competitonetc..

 Ex.2WhichmicrohabitatisbestsuitedtoBeadletseaanemones?
RESEARCHANDRATIONALE ThisstudywillaimtofindasignificantassociationbetweenBeadletanemonesandthespecific microhabitatinwhichtheyprefertolive.Morespecifically,itisdesignedtoexaminetheextentto whichthenumberofBeadletanemonespresentinrockpoolsonthemiddleshorevariesunderthree distinctconditions. TherearefourprincipalfactorsthatplayamajorpartindeterminingtheprevalenceofBeadlet anemonesonthemiddleshore.Theseare:competition,food,desiccationandpredators. Rationale Ecologicalstudiessuchasthisaddtoourunderstandingofinteractionsbetweenlivingthingsin ecosystems.Thistypeofknowledgeisbecomingincreasinglyimportantastherearemany discussionsaboutexactlywhatmighthappentonaturalhabitatswhensomechangesaremade.This mightbenaturaldisasterssuchasstormsandfloodsortheeffectsofhumanactivities.Many predictionsarebasedoncomplicatedmodelswhichcanonlybemademoreaccuratebyadding smallerpiecesofinformationfromstudiessuchasthis.RecenteventssuchastheGulfofMexicooil spillshowhowimportantitistounderstandthepossibleeffectsonshoreorganisms. Competition.InBritain,theonlyotheranemonecommonlyfoundontheseashoreistheSnake lockanemone,Anemoniaviridis.Eachofthesespecieshasastickymuscularbasaldisc,bothfor attachmenttoasubstrateandformovement.Thismeanstheycangriprocksothattheyarenot movedbythetides.ButSnakelocksaremorecommonlyfoundonthelowerratherthanthe middleshore,whereasBeadletsareknowntoliveonboth. Beadletsarealsoincompetitionwithseaweed.LikeBeadletanemones,seaweedneedsa substratetoattachitselftoifitisnottobemovedbythetides.LikeBeadletanemonestoo, seaweedneedswatertoavoiddesiccation.ButBeadletsaremorecommonlyfoundinthe shallowerpartsofrockpools,whereasseaweedismorecommoninthedeeperparts. Food.WhenBeadletanemonesfeedupto192stingingtentaclesemerge,arrangedin6circles aroundthemouth(1).Thesetentaclesareusedtofeedmainlyonshrimpsandothersmall speciesthatlivehighupshore.Theyhaveagastrovascularcavitywhichworkslikeastomach, butwithonlyoneopeningtotheoutsideworkingasboththemouthandtheanuswhichis referredtoasanincompletegut.Theycanonlyfeedandreleasewasteproductswhenunder water. Desiccation.TheBeadletanemoneisoftenfoundoutofwater.WhenexposedtoairtheBeadlet recallsitstentacles,therebyreducingitssurfacearea.Itthenappearsasabrightredblobofjelly andcansurviveassuchforhoursatatime(1).Thedangeritfacesinthisconditionisthatof desiccation.Thisistheprocessofextremedryingand,ifitcontinuesbeyondacertainpoint, eventuallyresultsindeath.AsHorton(1982)indicates,asthedegreeofexposuretothe atmosphereincreases,theabundanceofBeadletanemonesdecreases(2).

Predators:AccordingtoAndyHorton(1982)themainpredatorofBeadletanemonesisthegrey seaslug,Aeolidiapapillosa,whichfeedsexclusivelyonBeadlets(3).Thesluglivesonthebottom andsidesofrockpools.However,itisunabletoliveoutofwaterduetoitsrelianceonseawater asotherwiseitwilldiefromdesiccation.HencethereisanimportantadvantageforBeadletsin beingabletosurviveforlimitedperiodsoutofwater. TheBeadlethasotherdefencemechanismsavailable.Itcan,forexample,useitstentaclesto deterpotentialpredatorsaswellascaptureitsprey.Itcanalsowithdrawthemmakingitharder forpotentialpredatorstograb.Inadditionitisabletoreduceitssizeandshapesothatit appearsasaslipperyredblobwhichoffersmuchreducedpurchase.Therearenoknown predatorsintheUKthataredeterredbythesemechanisms,butthatmaysimplybebecausethe Beadletanemonesdefencemechanismshaveprovedsoeffective. AnotherfactorthatmayaffectBeadletdistributionishowtheymove.Theycanmoveintwoways: 1. Bycreepingaroundontheirbasaldiscs.Thismovementissoslowandtimelapsephotography isrequiredtoseeit(3). 2. Theycanalsoinflate,disconnectfromtherocktheyareattachedtoandusethetidesand currentstotakethemtoanewlocation.However,thisisbelievedtoonlyhappenwhenthe conditionsbecomeextremelyunfavourablefortheanemone(3). ThisabilitymeansthatBeadletscanmoveclosertowateriftheyarestartingtodesiccate.Italso allowsthemtomovetoamorefavourablesurroundingwhenthetideisin. Summary:TheseobservationssuggestthatBeadletanemonesaremorelikelytoinhabitthemiddle shore.Beadletanemoneshaveadaptedsothattheyareabletosurviveforhoursatatimeoutofthe waterwithoutdesiccating.Itwouldappearthatthereisanevolutionaryadvantageinbeingableto dothis,becauseoutofthewatertheyhaveanimportantdefenceagainstattackfromtheirmain predator.Atthesametimetheyarevulnerabletodesiccation.ThissuggeststhatBeadletanemones flourishinaspecificecologicalniche. Ex.2Comments IncontrasttoEx.1,thisexampleisconciseandaccuratelyfocusedontheactualhypothesis.Itplaces theinvestigationintoaclearecologicalcontextandexplainsitspossiblerelevanceaswellasgiving sufficientinformationfromsomeacademicsourcestoexplainthebiologicalprinciples.Italso providesinformationforplanningbysuggestingothervariablessuchasalgalcoverthatmightbe worthwhilemonitoring.Inthiscasethesedetailswereusedwelltoexplainthedata.Henceoverall thisiscomfortablyintheR(a)(b)79range.Alittlemoredetailwouldjustifythetopofthisrange.

Planning
P(a)Itisusefultoidentifythestepsoftheactionplanclearly.Thisismostoftendonebyuseof logicalsubheadings.Thinkingaboutthemostimportimportantvariablescanoftenyieldgoodideas forgenuinetrialinvestigations. P(b)Thereareseveralwaysofapproachingriskassessmentsbutitmustbeanassessmentnota simplelistofprecautions. P(c)was,byfar,themostdiscriminatingsectionofthiscriterion.Manyweresimplysuperficial justificationsofapredeterminedrecipe.Higherscoringcandidatessoughttocheckcarefully exactlywhattheyweretomeasureandtotestanyassumptionsthatmightbemade.Infieldwork somedetailedsiteobservationmightanswervitalquestionsaboutsamplingtechnique.Isitlikelyto introduceothervariablessuchasarockpoolorapatchofbrambles?Whatmightbedonetoavoid this? IMPORTANTNOTEExaminersandmoderatorsassumedthatthesignedrecordsheetfor assessmentofpracticalskillsmeantthatcandidateshadalreadybeengivendetailedprotocolsforall corepracticalsandhaddiscussedtheminsomedepth.Thereforetheycouldonlysupportvery modestmarksforplanninginvestigationswhichwereessentiallythesameunlesstherewasclear evidenceofthecandidatesindividualplanningskillinusingthetechniqueinamoreinnovativeway. Forexample,merelysubstitutingdifferentcompoundsintoabasictestforantibacterialactivity wouldprovidelittleevidenceofindividualskill.

Ex.3Investigatingtheeffectofmineraldeficienciesontherateand overallheightofoatseedlings
Method 1) Placethe57inchflowerpotsonatrayandlabeleachwiththenameofthemineral deficiency 2) Add20gofvermiculitesoiltoeachpotanddifferentculturesolution(roughly20sprays)to each.Mixtogetherevenlyusingafork. 3) Placethevermiculitesoilwithculturesolutiontothetopofthepotusingaspade 4) Usingindexfinger,mark5holesinthesoil,deepenoughtocoveryournail 5) Place5oatseedlingsintheholes 6) Lightlycovertheoatseedswithvermiculitesoilandculturesolution. 7) Repeatsteps26,byremovingadifferentmineraleachtimefromthesolution. 8) Placeall5potsinthesameplace,ideallybyawindowwithgoodsourceofsunlight 9) Waterseedlingsandaddnutrientsverylightlyinpotseverytwodaysandrecordtheheights Resultsfrompilotstudy Day1 Seed Nitrate deficiency Phosphate Potassium Calcium Magnesium heightofseedling deficiency height deficiency height deficiency height deficiency height of (mm) ofseedling(mm) ofseedling(mm) ofseedling(mm) seedling(mm) 1 2 3 4 5 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.00 0.00 10.50 0.00 20.00 24.00 25.50 0.00 32.50 10.50 0.00 40.50 0.00 45.00 10.00 50.00 25.00 0.00

Day3 Seed Nitrate deficiency heightof seedling(mm) 1 2 3 4 5 Day5 Seed Nitratedeficiency heightofseedling (mm) Phosphate deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) Potassium deficiency heightof seedling(mm) 0.00 27.50 25.00 31.50 0.00 Calcium Magnesium deficiencyheight deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) ofseedling(mm) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Phosphate deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) Potassium deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) Calcium deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) Magnesium deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm)

0.00 0.00 11.00 0.00 12.50

0.00 25.00 24.50 28.50 0.00

35.50 15.50 0.00 44.00 0.00

50.00 13.00 54.50 31.00 0.00

1 2 3 4 5

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 13.50 0.00 13.00

38.50 19.50 0.00 45.50 0.00

55.00 18.50 57.50 33.00 0.00

Day7 Seed Nitratedeficiency heightofseedling (mm) Phosphate deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) Potassium deficiency heightof seedling(mm) 0.00 30.50 29.00 32.00 0.00 Calcium Magnesium deficiencyheight deficiencyheight ofseedling(mm) ofseedling(mm)

1 2 3 4 5

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 14.50 0.00 15.00

41.50 22.50 0.00 47.50 0.00

59.50 21.50 59.50 36.50 0.00

StatisticalTest ThestatisticaltestthatwillbeusedtoevaluatemyresultswillbetheMannWhitneyUtest Modificationsofpilotstudy Theinvestigationwillbeovertwoweeksratherthanone,sotheprogressoftheoatseedlingscanbe recordedoveralongerperiodoftime,givingmemoredatatoworkwith.Thereforethevolumesof solutionswillneedtobedoubledformyfinalinvestigation.Onlyafewseedlingsgrewinmypilot study,thereforeIwilluseatleast20oatseedlingsforeverypotinordertogetadecentnumberof readings,whichwillallowgreatercomparisonstobemade.Havingamuchlargeramountof readingswillalsoallowmetomakestatisticalanalysise.g.MannWhitneyUtestwhichneedsat least7measurements.Acontrolwithall5nutrientswillalsobeincludedinordertoseetheeffectof havingallthenutrientsontheoverallheightofoatseedlings. FinalExperiment Variables Independent:mineraldeficiencyinculturesolution Dependent:Heightoftheoatseedlings Controlledvariables:mustbecarefullymonitoredandkeptconstant,otherwisetheresultswouldbe unreliable.Theseusingthesamepotsizeforeachofmymineralnutrientdeficiencies,withsame sizeddrainageholes.Ifthepotsizeswerenotequaltheneachpotmayreceivedifferentamountsof sunlight;someseedsinasmallerpotmayhavetobedistributedclosertogetherwhichcouldaffect theirgrowthduetocompetition.Samesizeddrainageholesensureequalamountsofwaterand nutrientscanbedrainedout.Iwouldkeeptheamountofvermiculitesoiladdedtoeachpotequal.A balance(2.d.p)wouldweighoutexactlythesamemassofsoil.Equalamountsofthedifferent nutrientmineralswouldbeusedtomakeitafairtest.Tocontroltheamountofnutrientsineachpot, Iwillspray5timesineachpot.Thesamequantityof20oatseedlingswiththesameshape,sizeand weightwouldbeneeded,soIwillhandpickthembecauselargersizedseedswouldabsorbmore

nutrientsthusexperiencemoregrowth.Theseedlingsshouldbedistributedwiththesamepatternin everypotandatthesamedepthinsoil,otherwisesomeseedlingsmayhavetocompetewithsunlight andnutrients,distortingtheresults.Thesamevolumeofwaterandmineralnutrientswouldbe addedevenlyacrossthesoil,byrotatingmyarmaroundeachpotinanidenticalmanner.Thepots shouldbeplacedinthesamelocationtoreceivethesameamountofsunlight.Ifeachseedlingdidnt getthesameintensityofsunlightthenthiscouldaffecttheirgrowthrates.Abioticfactorsshouldalso bekeptconstantsuchasthesolarenergyinputandroomtemperature.Withthevermiculitesoil, EdaphicfactorssuchassoilpH,soiltextureandtemperatureshouldalsobekeptconstant(14).In ordertoensureacidityofthesoilisthesameIwilluselitmuspapertotesteachpot.Keepingall thesefactorsthesamewillensureanyresultsIproduceareduetotheindependentvariablealone, enablingmyresultstobebothvalidandreliable. Ex.3Comments Thisisaweakplanoverall. P(a)Thelargemajorityofthisisbasedonasimpleapproachtoacorepractical.Thereislittle evidencethatthecandidatehasarealunderstandingofwhatisbeinginvestigated.Thereis commentonvariablesbuttheircontrolisextremelyweakspray5times!Thevitalvariableofheight isignored.Exactlywhatheight?Howisthismeasuredreliablygiventhismethod?Isheightauseful measureofgrowthinthisinstance?Howdoweknowthevermiculiteisionfree? Thismightjustmeet36butisveryweak P(b)thereisasensibleriskassessment. P(c)Itispossibletogivesomecreditforatrial,butnotagreatdeal,asthisistypicallysimply carryingoutthesameprotocolanddoesnotleadtoverymeaningfulchanges.Whyshouldthe nitratedeficientseedsnotgrow?Seedscontainmanyionsandthereforethereasonfortheirfailure togerminateatallneedsinvestigating.Againthereisnothingaboutexactlywhatheightmeans exactly.12ofthe25samplesfailtogrow.Thetablerecordsaheightof50mmforsomeafterday1 whichseemshighlydubious.Thechangesmadeareverysuperficialanddonotalwayslogically followfromthedatasupplied. Againthiswouldbeaveryweak36. OverallitwouldbedifficulttosupportmorethanP=3

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Ex.4 - The effect of aspect on moss distribution on tree trunks

Plan Dependant variable: moss distribution Independent variable: aspect The following are variables that may affect the dependent variable specified above:

Time of day Light levels Position of tree (where rain gathers) Soil richness (moisture and nutrients) Trees age

The location will stay constant throughout. This will be at Slapton Woodland Nature Reserve, and within the same area if possible. The process of collecting data will be as follows:

1. Using a tape measure, mark 40cm above ground level on a tree trunk. 40cm should be high enough to avoid roots getting in the way and low enough to avoid branches. It is important I keep this constant, as moss is known to be low on the trunk. 2. Measure the circumference of the tree trunk from the 40cm mark and record it. This will ensure all variables have been taken into account. If tree circumference seems to have a dramatic affect, this can be tested and then changed to make the experiment more reliable. 3. Using a compass, find the northern and southern points of the tree trunk and mark the points with blue-tac, again 40cm above ground level. Place a 10x10cm2 gridded quadrate at the north point of the tree, directly above the tape measure (marking 40cm above ground level) and stick it there with the blue-tac already placed. Count the squares of the quadrate covered in moss and record findings. Include squares with any moss in at all, so that the method of data collection is kept constant. A 10x10 gridded quadrate should give enough detail and accuracy, which is why it was chosen. Repeat this process for the southern side of the tree. 4. Repeat steps 14 for 30 trees if there is time; 20 trees is an acceptable number if not. 5. Use the statistical test to measure findings (in this case the T-test). It will be used to test my null hypothesis to a 5% significance level.

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Risk assessment Woodland areas are not without safety risks. These risks can be avoided or minimized if the appropriate precautions are taken. Risk Tripping on tree trunks/vegetation/rocks Steps taken to avoid/minimize the risk Always take clear thought out walking routes and stick to paths where possible Be aware of landmarks and always be in shouting distance of others Always be aware of the stability of the trees above, if they look weak avoid them Warm clothes/thermal clothing Wear clothing that covers all lower body skin

Getting lost in the woodlands

Falling branches/trees

Hypothermia Nettles/thorns

Hazards identified

Worst case outcome minor injury (1)

Probability

injury (2)

major injury (3) /

crippling injury (4)

fatality (5)

very rarely (1)

rarely (2) /

infrequently (3)

sometimes (4)

often (5)

risk rating* 6

Tripping on tree trunks/ vegetation/ rocks Getting lost in the woodlands Slipping on slippery rocks and steps Falling branches/ trees Hypothermia Nettles/ thorns

/ /

/ /

5 3

Risk assessment table

* risk rating = (probability) x (worst case outcome)

As the highest risk is only 6 out of a possible 25, the experiment is determined safe enough to continue.

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Preliminary Results (1)

tree number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 moss south (cm) 50 80 10 20 0 3 100 71 0 28 moss north (cm) 30 90 40 95 5 100 96 84 4 88 tree circumference (cm) 240 136 120 132 133 111 137 142 129 161

After collecting data from 10 trees as a preliminary test, I noticed that there was often ivy and other vegetation getting in the way of the quadrate I used to measure the moss. This meant I had to use estimations when determining the percentage of moss in each quadrate. I also noticed that on some trees there was in fact just as much, or sometimes more light on the north side. Preliminary results (2) In my second set of preliminary results, I improved on my investigation method by measuring canopy cover. I used a 20x20cm2 gridded quadrate to estimate canopy cover on both the north and south sides of the trees I collected data from. I placed the quadrate directly above the tree on each side and estimated what percentage was covered by canopy. To try to stop vines and grass getting in the way of my view of the moss, I decided to stop measuring moss 40cm above ground level and started measuring it at 70cm above ground level.

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tree number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

moss south (cm) 34 61 21 2 0 32 60 82 13 6

moss north (cm) 2 13 0 30 0 36 6 37 0 2

tree circumference (cm) 180 112 216 147 167 141 265 102 283 62

canopy cover south(%) 60 40 10 30 90 70 35 60 80 85

canopy cover north (%) 75 60 90 45 90 60 30 40 50 65

Measuring 70cm above ground level helped me measure moss more accurately. However, I then noticed that on larger trees the vines and ivy grew further up the tree, making it still difficult to see the moss. The larger trees were also a problem as measuring the circumference of the tree was less accurate because the vines were often in the way of the tape measure. The trunks also had large ridges and groves (unlike the flat surfaces of smaller trees) which moss would fill. In essence, there was a higher density of moss, but it only fit into a few squares. On the smaller trees it was hard to measure accurately because the face of the quadrate didnt lie flat on the tree, so I had to estimate the number of squares filled at each side. I also noticed that canopy cover was a very inaccurate way of measuring light, as the tree was often slanted, meaning it was shaded even when the canopy was largely open. Preliminary results (3) To make my data collection more accurate and amend the problems I faced in my second set of preliminary results, I decided to only collect data from trees between 110cm and 140cm in circumference. The smoother surfaces of these trees made it a lot easier to measure quantities of moss accurately. To make my measurement of light and shade more accurate, I used both light meter and estimation of canopy cover. I placed the light meter where the moss was being measured on each side of the tree and recorded the results.

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tree number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

moss south (cm) 87 0 6 21 50 80 0 6 77 0

moss north (cm) 96 55 40 13 36 82 2 21 32 35

tree circumference (cm) 118 110 125 113 136 114 138 114 135 139

canopy cover south (%) 70 80 80 75 40 75 80 60 60 40

canopy cover north (%) 50 40 60 70 90 60 70 50 55 75

light south (lux) 125.3 32.4 87.5 148.8 45.2 12.3 15.8 189.8 148.2 15.3

light north (lux) 95.8 45.6 58.2 173.6 14.2 84.3 178.8 124.7 185.6 134.4

In this set of preliminary results, I felt that the methods by which the data was collected controlled as many variables as possible. Therefore, this is the method that will be used in the collection of data for my investigation. Summary of change in method Restriction on tree circumference of trees being measured (110140cm only) Use of a light meter on both sides of the tree Estimations of canopy cover on both sides of the tree Measuring 70cm above ground level (rather than 40cm)

EX.4Comments Thiscontainsmanyoftheelementsthatwewouldliketoseeinagenuinetrial.IncontrasttoEX.3it concentratesonthemostimportantvariablestobemeasured,lightandcoverofmoss.The candidatestartswithabasicecologicalprocedurebutthenusesthetrialtocheckhowtocollect reliabledata.Manycandidatesmeasurelightintensityinthefieldbutfewshowanunderstandingof howunreliablethiscanbeortestdifferentmethodstomakethisasaccurateaspossible. P(a)Thereissomeconsiderationofimportantvariablesbutnotall.Thereportshowsaclear,logical sequencefrominitialtechniquethroughseveralstagestosomesensibleamendmentstothe method. ItwouldmeetP(a)79butnotstronglysincewecouldexpectsomesiteobservationstoensurethat assumptionsaboutsoilorgradientetcwerevalidandmoreimportantlywereallyneedsome considerationoftreespeciestomakethisahigh79ormaximum1011.However,thisisclearand conciseandoverallkepttothesuggestedwordlimit.

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P(b)Thistypeofriskassessmentiscommonlysuggestedbyfieldcentresandisasensibleapproach whichcouldsupportagoodP(b)79andwouldnotbelimitingifothersectionsindicatedthehighest range. P(c)Thereisplentyofevidencehereofawellthoughtouttrialwhichhasbeenusedtomake sensiblemodificationswithreasoningsupportedbythedata.ThisisagoodP(c)79 OverallitwouldbeharshnottoawardP8andthiswouldcertainlybeP9withalittlemoreevidence ofconsiderationofothervariables.

Observing
O(a)ForthehighestmarksitwasexpectedthattableswoulduseSIunitswherepossibleandthat significantfigureswouldbeconsistentandjustifiedbythemethodologyemployed.Similarly, manipulateddatasuchasmeansshouldnotbequotedtoamuchhigherdegreeofaccuracythan thatoftheoriginaldata. O(b)AsurprisingnumberofcandidatesignoredtherequirementthatAnyanomalousresultsare notedfor36marks.Itisnotintendedthatcandidatesfindanomalieswherenoneexistbutitwas commonfortheretobenocommentatallwheretherewereobviouslargevariations.Inextreme casesthislimitsobservingmarkstoamaximumof2.

EX.5Investigatingspeciesdiversityunderdifferenttreecanopies
Tree Oak1 Oak2 Oak3 Oak4 Oak5 Oak6 Sycamore1 Sycamore2 Sycamore3 Sycamore4 Sycamore5 Sycamore6 ShannonWeinerDiversityIndex 1.458 0.876 1.016 1.094 1.436 1.004 0.598 0.815 0.624 0.822 1.190 0.705

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 EX.5Comments O(a)Althoughthiscouldbeconsideredlimiteddatawithonly6samples,therawdatafromwhich theseindiceswerecalculatedwerewelltabulatedinaseparateappendixandwereatleastasmuch ascouldreasonablybeexpectedforthistypeofinvestigation.HencethiswouldqualifyforO(a)78 O(b)Unfortunatelythiscandidatemadenofurthercommentintheirreportaboutpossible anomalies.InthisexampleitisclearthatSycamore5shouldatleastprovokesomecomment.Itis higherthan4oftheoakindicesandistheonlysycamoretohaveahigherfigurethananyofthe oaks.Ideallythismighthavebeenpickedupatthedatacollectionstagebutananalysisoftheraw datawouldrevealpossiblereasonsforthisresultandwouldbeacceptedforahighmark. AnyanomalousresultsarenotedisarequirementforO(b)36andthishasnotbeenmet.Hence thiswouldbeawardedO2overall. Examinersandmoderatorswillgivethebenefitofdoubttotablesofdatawherethereareno anomaliesandhencenocommentbutitisstronglyrecommendedthatallcandidatesmakesome commentforO(b).Iftherearenoobviousanomaliesthenaverybriefexplanationofthereasoning forthiscouldbegiven.

Ex.6Investigatingthedistributionofblackflylarvaeindifferentwater velocities
Tableofmainexperimentresults SampleNumber Velocity(revs/ Blackfly Temperature(C) LightIntensity min) Abundance (Luxx103) 1 116 18 13.6 2.83 2 40 0 13.5 9.49 3 194 4 13.7 0.57 4 28 2 13.6 58.6 5 46 9 13.6 27.4 6 116 21 13.6 3.04 7 64 6 13.5 26.8 8 8 3 13.7 28.1 9 218 7 13.5 2.83 10 156 12 13.5 67.4 11 112 7 13.6 10.4 12 168 14 13.5 34.7 13 56 3 13.5 27.1 14 232 0 13.5 64.1 15 21 1 13.7 2.93 Fromobservingtheseresults,therearegenerallylargernumbersofBlackflylarvaeinareasof highervelocitywater,withtheexceptionofSample14,whichhasthehighestflowratebutshowed nolarvaeaftertakingakicksample.Thiscouldbebecausetheorganismscanonlysurviveataflow ratethatisslowerthan232revs/min,butunlikelyasnopriorresearchhasindicatedthis.More likelythatamethodicalerroroccurred,suchasaninadequatekicksampleorfailuretospotlarvae whencounting.Tocheckthisanomaly,thesameareacouldberesampledafteratimetoallow 17

organismstoreturntothedisturbedplaceandtomakesurefurtheranomalieswerenotcreated, themethodofcountingbecomemorethroughafterthis.Evenwheneliminatingthisanomaly, however,thereareawideenoughrangeofvaluestovalidateconclusionsmade.Allsamples recordedhadtemperatureswithinarangeof0.3C,soitissafetoassumethatthevariableof temperaturehashadlittleeffectonresults. Ex.6Comments O(a)AllcriteriaaremettoconsiderO(a)78 O(b)Theanomalyhasbeencorrectlyidentifiedandthereissomeinvestigation.Foramaximum O(b)78howeverwewouldexpectthatthisanomalywouldhavebeeneasilyrecognisedatthedata collectionstageandfurthersiteobservationscarriedouttofindpossiblereasonsandafurther sampletaken. ThisisagoodexampleandwouldmeritatleastO6orpossiblyO7

Interpretingandevaluation
I(a)Mostcandidatesgaveaclearindicationoftheirstatisticalcalculationandconclusionbut sometimesignoredimportanttrendsintheirgraphsanddata.Manyneededtoshowthatthey understoodthatastatisticaltestmerelydemonstratesasignificantdifference,correlationor associationbetweentwodatasetsbutdoesnotproveanythingabouttheunderlyingbiological principles. I(b)Thiswasoftenverybrief.Themainrequirementhereisthatthereisevidenceoftheuseof researchedbiologicalknowledgeandunderstandingtointerpretthedatacollected,notsimply assertsomegeneralprincipleorrepeattheintroduction. I(c)Thiswasaveryweakarea.Itisstronglyrecommendedthatcandidatesaregivenclearadviceand trainingaboutobjectiveevaluation.Thefollowingmightbeconsidered; Whatisthevariabilityinthedata?(errorsbars,standarddeviationetc) Arethereanyobvioussourcesofrandomorsystematicerrors?Isthereanyevidenceof these? Ifasignificantcorrelationisindicated,whataretheproblemsinsuggestingacausallink? Overallwhatdoesthissuggestaboutthereliabilityofthedata?Rememberitispossibleto drawaperfectlyvalidconclusionfromdatabutthismaywellbeunreliableifthedesignof theinvestigationoraccuracyofdatacollectionisflawed. Itwouldbeexpectedthatcandidatesatthislevelwouldhavesufficientunderstandingof HSWcriteriatoensuretheyusecautiouslanguagewhendiscussingconclusions.Datamay supporttheideathat...butisunlikelytoproveanything.

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Ex.7Investigatingtheeffectoftemperatureonthegrowthofalgae
Conclusion
Theresultsinbothcoloniesandtheaveragebetweenthemquiteclearlyshowthat25Cis thefavouredtemperatureand35Cisanintolerabletemperature.Theothertemperatures showmorevariation.Growthishighestat25Candstopsat35C,whereasincolonytwo the20Csamplewashighlysuccessfulwhilethe30Csamplesufferedgreatly.15Cwasalso successful,thoughinnocaseshigherthan20or25Cbytheendofweek4.Dataonthe15C samplesisunreliablehowever(seeevaluation). Thetrendsfromtheaveragecountsshowthecoloniesin20and25Cincreasingrapidly, 15Crisingslowly,30Cdroppingslowlyand35Cdroppingrapidly. FromtheseresultsIcanconcludethattemperaturedoeshaveaneffectonChlorellaand thatforthebestgrowth,temperaturesshouldbebetween20and25C.Thisisslightlylower thanmyprediction. Theseresultsaremostlikelytohavebeenduetoallcellslimitedtolerancetotemperatures outsideanoptimumrange.Toowarmandtheenzymesinacelldenaturecausingthecells tostopfunctioninganddevelopingnewproteinsandlipids.Activetransportandthe synthesisofenergyprovidingATP(adenosinetriphosphate)wouldallshutdownasaresult ofdenaturedproteins.Toocoolandthereactionstakingplaceinsidethecellswouldslow downasagreaterproportionofparticlesdonotcollidewithsufficientenergyforactivation enthalpiestobeovercomeandbondstobebroken.Thisagainwouldresultinvitalreactions shuttingdown.25Cappearstobetheoptimumtemperaturebetweenthetwoextremesin whichallproteinsandreactionsareworkingcorrectly. AsIwascomparingfrequenciesIusedtothechisquaredtesttojudgereliability.Thiswas calculatedfromtheaveragebetweenbothcoloniesexcluding15Ccolonyone(see evaluation).Chisquaredwascalculatedasfollows.Withtheobservedreading(O)beingthe datacollectedforeachcolonyonday28andtheexpectedreading(E)beingtheaverage readingIwouldbelikelytogetiftemperaturehadnoeffectonthegrowthrates.

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Temperature(C)

Observed reading(O) 22.00 34.57 44.50 9.22 0.22 110.29

Expected reading(E) 22.06 22.06 22.06 22.06 22.06

OE

(OE)2

(OE)2/E

15 20 25 30 35 Total

0.06 12.51 22.44 12.84 22.06

0.0036 156.50 503.55 164.87 486.64

0.00016 7.09 22.83 7.47 22.06 59.45

OnceIhavemyChisquaredvalue59.45IthenreferredtoasimpleChisquaredtable[9] havingcalculatedhowmanydegreesoffreedom(n(thetotalnumberofdatapieces)1)to be4andcheckedwithwhatlevelofcertaintythattheresultswerenotdowntochance. Pvalue 0.01 0.005 0.0025 0.001 0.0005 18.47 20.00

d.f. 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.025 0.02 4

5.39 5.59 6.74 7.78 9.49 11.14 11.67 13.23 14.86 16.42

WithaChisquaredvalueofover20,Icansaywithover99.9995%certaintythattheresults werenotdowntochance.Iwillnowrejectmynullhypothesisandconcludethat temperaturedoesindeedhaveaneffectonthegrowthofChlorella.

Evaluation
Inbothcoloniestherewasageneralincreaseincelldensityfor25Candadecreasefor 35C.Incolonyone,thesamplesof20Cand30Cappeartodipbeforerisingagainwhile onlygrowing/decayingexponentiallyincolonytwo. ValidityofresultsThereislikelytohavebeensomedegreeofinaccuracyinmyresultsdue tofailuretocontrolsomeofthevariablelistedonpage4.Mostnotably,despiteusing sterilisedequipment,theinvasionofthe15C,colonyoneflaskbyaninvaderknownas parameciumwhichfeedsonChlorellaprobablyresultedinthemuchdecreasedcellcount comparedtothe15Csampleincolonytwo.

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Parameciumisasinglecelledprotozoon.Itconsumesitspreyinvesicles beforedigestingitwithenzymesfromthecytoplasmsimilartophagocytosis.[7] Theparameciuminfection,alongwiththeinabilitytokeeptemperatureconstantwould havegreatlyreducedthereliabilityofthe15Ccolonydataalongwithnotactuallybeing placedinawaterbathandthus,wasexcludedfromanyconclusionmaking.Thecell countingitselfwaslikelytohavebeenquiteconsistentasIrepeatedtheprocessmanytimes toensurehighreliability. Anotherpossiblesourceofinaccuracywasmiscountingcellsinthehaemocytometer,when dying;Chlorellacellswouldlosetheircolourbeforebreakingup.Attimesitcouldbedifficult todecidewhetherthecellswerehealthy,dyingordeadwhichleadtoadegreeof guessworkinsomecolonies. Therewereseveralanomalousreadingsinmydatasuchasthe20Csampleonday28of colonyonewhichwasmuchhigherthanexpected,thoughthismayhavesimplybeenthe startoftheexponentialgrowthphase.Days7and21forthe15Csampleofcolonytwo weremuchhigher/lowerrespectivelythanexpectedandthereislittlethatcouldpossibly accountforsuchvariationandthiswouldaddtomyuncertaintywhendrawingconclusions for15C. Timewasagreatlimitationwhencollectingresults.Inordertocollectareasonablyaccurate andreliablesetIwouldhavehadtocountliterallyhundredsoflargechambers.Counting fivecoloniestookabout90minutessoaddingmorecoloniesorrepeatingcountscould extendthistimetoseveralhours.Thiswouldhavebeenveryinconvenientanddifficultto achieve. IfIwastorepeattheexperimentIwouldtakeevengreatercaretoensurethatnoinvading bodieslikeparameciumcanentertheChlorella.Unfortunatelythetopcouldntbeblocked offorCO2couldntenter.Iwouldalsousemorecolonies(3or4)forevengreateraccuracy andcarryontheexperimentforlonger.Theexperimentwouldhavecontinuedanywaybut waslimitedduetotermtimesandschoolclosuresduetoadverseweatherconditions.

Summaryofinvestigation
TemperatureclearlyhashadaneffectonthegrowthratesofChlorellacellsplacedinfive differenttemperatureroundbottomedflaskswith25Cbeingtheoptimumtemperature,a cleardislikefortemperaturesof30Candhigher,anduncertaintyunder20C.Thiscanbe explainedbythetheorythatenzymeswilldenatureinwarmconditionsandnothave enoughenergytofunctionincoolerconditions.

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Fromtheresultsgathered,ifseasurfacetemperaturesdoraisebeyond30Cthenupto80% ofthealgaecouldbedestroyed.Theresultofthiscouldbedevastating.Fortunatelythereis alwaysapossibilitythatthealgaewouldsimplymoveawayfromtheequatorandcontinue soakingupCO2.

Ex.7Comments I(a)Thisisaverymodestattempt.Therearesometrendsandpatternsidentifiedbutmuchofthis sectionissimplydescribingthedata.Alackofplanninghasledtoanattempttoapplyachisquared test.Thisisnotcategoricaldataanditisobviousthatthetestdoesnottellusanythingaboutthe hypothesis.Theactualconclusionfromitispredictablyveryvague.ThiswouldmatchaweakI(a)46. I(b)Theattempttouseresearchedbiologicalknowledgeisalsoquiteweak.Thereisverylittlehere thatextendstoA2levelormakesuseofresearchedinformation.Wemightatleastexpectthe realisationthatChlorellaisatemperatefreshwaterspeciesandmightnotberepresentativeof marinespeciesinwarmerseas.AgainthisisaveryweakI(b)46 I(c)CommentshereregardingpossibleanomalieswouldbecreditedinO(b)anditwouldbe expectedthatsomeactionwouldhavebeentaken.Therearesomeusefulcommentsbutthereisa greatdealwhichdescribesverypoormethodologyorbasicerrorswhichwewouldexpecttobe addressedinplanninge.g.anuncontrolled150C(assumedtoberoomtemperature!).Itisclearthe candidatedoesnotunderstandwhatismeantbyanobjectiveanalysis.Cellcountingisdescribedas consistentanditissuggestedthatIrepeatedtheprocessmanytimestoensurehighreliability whenrepeatingcannotimproveonunreliabledatacollection.Thenextparagraphthensuggests countingwasunreliableandexplainswhy! ThiswouldalsobeI(c)46anditisdifficulttogofurtherthanI4overall

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 Ex.8Investigatingeffectofpostureonvitalcapacity
Conclusion:Mystatisticaltestresultshelpprovethatformalesandfemales,vitalcapacityisaffected byposture.Myresultsandgraphsillustratehow.Myinitialfindingisthatmalesandfemaleshave their vital capacities reduced in bad postures compared to their relative good positions, with bad standing positions reducing vital capacity to a greater extent (4.77% for males and 3.47% for females)thanbadsittingconditions. Myresultspartiallysupportmyhypothesissayingthatagoodstandingposturewillresultinthe highest vital capacity while the lowest vital capacities will be seen in bad seating positions. While males and females saw their good standing positions produce their highest vital capacities, with mean values of 4.4l and 3.45l, males saw the biggest reduction in vital capacity in the bad sitting position, with a reduction of 5.91%, while females saw the biggest reduction in the lying position, withareductionof9.27%.Thisgenderdifferencemaybebecauseofobstructionstothemechanics ofbreathingwhenlyingdownduetofemalesbreasts.Whenlying,thebreastsmaybepushinginto and reducing the amount the thoracic cavity is able to expand during inspiration and therefore restrictingtheactionofthelungs.Thislimitsthepressurereductioninthecavityneededtodrawin airfromtheoutside,reducingtheamountofairinspiredmaximally. Mygraphshelpmeidentifyfurthertrends.TherangebarsinGraph1showthatalthoughthere aredifferencesinmaleandfemalevitalcapacitiesforeachposture,thereisonlyarealdifferencefor thelyingpositionwithitbeingtheonlyconditionwheretherangebarsdonotoverlap.InGraph2,I can see how male and female percentage changes compared to the control are very different. It appears males generally have their vital capacities reduced to a greater extent in all postural positions except the lying position, which has been discussed. This gender difference in the other three postures may be attributed to the fact males generally possess larger lungs. The differing posturalpositionsmayincreasethepressureintheabdominalcavitypossiblyreducingtheextentto whichthelargerdiaphragmisabletoflattentoincreasethepressureinthelungs.Thiswouldreduce themalesmaximalexpiratoryvolume. Evaluation:Aspectsofmyresultssuggestmyresultsarenotasreliable,preciseandaccurateasthe statistical test and graphs imply. Three anomalous results imply reduced levels of accuracy and validityinmyreadings.Thethreeanomalousresultsare;37%vitalcapacityreductionsinthelying positionofmale5;thegoodandbadsittingreadingsbyfemale1whichbothshowedincreasesof 12.1%and8.4%.Iruledthesereadingsasanomalousasalthoughtheywere consistently achieved overthreerepeats,theyallfellwelloutsidethegeneraltrendoftheother12results.Isubsequently excluded them from average vital capacity calculations in order to avoid averages being distorted andreducedinvalidity,reliabilityandaccuracy. Fluctuating values for vital capacities across three repeats suggest random errors in my results. Althoughthesefluctuationsareverysmallandsuggestrelativelyhighprecisionlevels,therandom errorscouldpointtoveryslightinconstanciesinhowindividualsareseatedcausingfluctuationsin readings. To overcome this, walls would be utilised for the good standing positions to completely standardise the position, reducing variation. In sitting positions, I could use two different types of chairs, one advocating good posture, while another is adjusted, causing the person to sit in a bad posture.

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Systematic errors appear to be present in that the 3rd result of the three repeats frequently appearstobethelowestofthethree,withthiseffectbeingmorenoticeableforfemales.Thistrend suggestsacumulativeeffectofhavingthreereadingstaken.Itsuggestshavingtoconsistentlyinspire andexpiremaximallymayhaveafatiguingeffectwhereonthe3rdreadings,theindividualfeelsless able to do their potential. This suggests a limitation in my methodology and were I to repeat the experiment,Imayhavetoincorporateabreakinbetweeneachroundofreadings.Thisbreakwould needtoremainconstanthowevertopreventthelengthofbreaksimpactingresults. My average vital capacity readings of 4.4l for males and 3.45l for females are not far off the values4.6land3.6lquotedinmyscientificresearch.Differencesbetween maleandfemalevalues arealsoaround1litreinboth,suggestingmyresultsmaypossesshighlevelsofaccuracy,reliability and validity in their matching with recognised values. Readings between males and females could however, be attributed to differing attitudes while carrying out readings. While males appeared competitive in trying to achieve high vital capacities, females were hesitant about initially putting the tube in their mouths and then trying their hardest, appearing selfconscious about how they were perceived. This suggests that my subsequent female results may be lower than average reducing my validity when crosscomparing males and females due to differing levels of perceived commitment. Result accuracy is reduced as results are shifted away from true vital capacity readings. The implications of my investigation can help alleviate the problems of people with breathing difficulties. By adjusting their posture, my results suggest that it may help maximise their vital capacityandsubsequenttidalvolume.Myevidencethatsittinginabadconditioncanreducevital capacity by 12% for males and females suggests efforts could be made to improve postures of peopleworkinginofficesandstudents.Ifextendingmyinvestigation,Imayinvestigatehowposture affects the vital capacities of people of varying heights, finding out whether height impacts reductionsinvitalcapacities. EX.8Comments I(a)GoodandBadpostureswerewelldefinedintheplanningforthisexemplarandtherewasa welllaidoutttestformalesandfemaleswithaccurateconclusions.Thefirstsectionabovegoeson to support the highest range with an objective analysis of the data as a whole rather than simply relying on assertions from a statistical test. The use of some data manipulation (% differences) to describetrendsandpatternsisgoodpracticefordataresponsequestionsinunittests.Thiswould supportI(a)79) I(b)Therearemanyexampleshereofattemptstomakesoundconclusionswithobjectiveanalysis partially support my hypothesis. The analysis of the evidence from graphs and the actual data is good. It would have been helpful for this candidate to give a little more evidence of researched biologicalknowledgebut,althoughconcise,thereisagoodlinkbetweenthedataandtheorywhich is integrated into the analysis rather than simply repeating information in Research & rationale. ComparedtoothercandidatesitwouldbeharshnottoplacethisinaI(b)79 I(c) There is a very obvious link between conclusions and results here. The strongest point in this section is the way in which the evaluation of the investigation has been linked to actual evidence from the data rather than making general assertions. The comments on anomalies could well be used to support a high mark in O(b) but there is intelligent reference to systematic and random

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errors with examples and identification of an important problem in using human subjects. This wouldmeetI(c)79 Overallthereisagoodlogicalflowtothissectionandsomestrongevidencethatthecandidatehas reallyunderstoodthisaspectoftheHowScienceWorkscriteria.AmarkofI8wouldbeappropriate and maximum 9 would have been supported had there been a little more use of biological knowledge.

Communicating
C(a)Mostreportswerewellorganisedandtheuseofclearsubheadingsmatchedtothecriteriawas abighelptomany.Theinclusionofabriefabstractisrecommendedbutthissectionwasnotthe maindiscriminatorinthiscriterion. C(b)Candidatesneedtothinkmuchmorecarefullyaboutselectingthecorrectgraphtoaidthe interpretationoftheirdatainrelationtotheirhypothesis.Simpleplotsofrawdatadonotoften meetthisrequirement.Itisimporttodistinguishbetweenbarchartsandhistogramsandtoensure axesarecorrectlylabelledwithunits.ManychoosetouseacomputerprogrammesuchasExcelto plottheirgraphbutonlyaminoritycandothiswithscientificaccuracy .

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EX.9
Species Diversity Index

4 3.5 3
Diversity Rating

2.5
R

2
Po

1.5 1 0.5 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ex.9Comment Thisisaverycommonexampleofabasicgraphicalerror.Theuseofsamplenumberasanaxisis almostalwaysscientificallymeaningless.Inthefirstinstancethesearedatafromrandomkick samplesintwodifferentareashencesample1fromoneareacannotbepairedwithsample1from another.Thisisnotpaireddata.Thecandidatealsopresentstheseassomeformofcontinuousaxis withasuggestionofalinegraphratherthanabarchart.BotherrorsdonotmeetC(b)34Datais presentedinwellchosengraphs...andcannotaidinterpretationofdata.

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EX.10
How soil moisture levels affect species abundance
Abundance of Mercurialis perennis Species Abundance (no.) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0-10% 10.0120% 20.0130% 30.0141% 40.0150% 50.0160% 60.0170% 70.180% 80.0190% Abundance of competition plant species

Percentage soil moisture (%)

Ex.10Comment Thisexampleisbetterinthatthereisagoodchoiceofsensiblesizeclassesofmoisturecontentand someveryusefulillustrationoftherelationshipbetweenspeciesabundanceandsoilmoisture.The ideathatthiscanalsobeusefullycomparedwithcompetingspeciesisanexcellentstartingpointfor someinterestingdiscussionofecologicalreasoningbehindwhatmightbethesignificantfactor affectingthedistributionofDogsMercury(Mercurialisperennis).However,havingdecidedtouse sizeclassesitisobviousthatthisshouldbeahistogramnotalinegraph.Thiswouldprecludea maximumbutoverallthisintelligentdisplaycouldjustifyC(b)56

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EX.11

Ex.11Comment Thisgraphiswellchosentoillustratethecorrelationalthoughwewouldacceptasimple scattergram.Itisonlylimitedbysomecarelessmistakes.Formaximumcreditwewouldexpect accuratelabellingofaxesMeanareaof.......andConcentraionofchlorinesolutionaswellas correctspellinginthetitle.HencethiswouldbeC(b)4 C(c)Althoughthereweresomecarelessexceptionsalargemajorityofcandidatescheckedtheir reportsforbasicerrorsofspellingandgrammarandthiswasnotoftenalimitingfactorinthis section. C(d)GiventhattheseskillsweretestedatASlevelitwasdisappointingtoseemanyinaccurateor meaninglessreferencesquotedandsomeverynaiveevaluationofsources. ForC(d)56wewouldexpectthefollowinginformation; BOOKS Author,Initials.,Year.Titleofbook.Edition.(onlyincludethisifnotthefirstedition)Placeof publication(thismustbeatownorcity,notacountry):Publisher.
e.g.McCafferty.W.P.1981,Aquaticentomology:thefishermen'sandecologists'illustratedguidetoinsects andtheirRelatives,London,ScienceBooksInternational,Inc,

JOURNAL Author,Initials.,Year.Titleofarticle.FullTitleofJournal,Volumenumber(Issue/Partnumber), Pagenumbers.

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e.g.Boon.P.J.1978ThepreimpoundmentdistributionofcertainTrichopteralarvaeintheNorth TyneRiverSystem(NorthernEngland),withparticularreferencetothecurrentspeed., hydrobiologia,57.22246. WEBSITE AuthorshiporSource,Year.Titleofwebdocumentorwebpage.[typeofmedium](dateofupdate ifavailable)Availableat:includewebsiteaddress/URL(UniformResourceLocator)[Accessed date]. e.g.DrAliciaWhite,2009,HowtoreadtheheathnewsNHSUK,availableat: http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Howtoreadarticlesabouthealthandhealthcare.aspx (accessed 20/11/10)

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Ex.12
Source9http://www.unc.edu/~farkouh/usefull/chi.html
http://www.natuurlijkerwijs.com/english/suikers.htm http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/Documents/ETOHBIOFx.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCG/is_1_32/ai_n13670706/p g_6/?tag=content;col
Ex.12Comment Thesesareexamplesofsimplycopyingawebsitereferencebuttellusnothingaboutthesourceor natureoftheinformationtheycontain.Wheresomejournalsareaccessedinthiswaythenthe detailsofthejournalandarticle,asindicatedabove,mustbegivenpriorityinreferencing.Overall thesewouldbeaweakC(c)34

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Evaluating sources
For C(d) 5-6 evaluation of sources must be objective and give some evidence for any assertions. This will be credited where there is evidence of this skill in evaluating a small number of important references rather than every one from a long list

EX.13
Is an article written by Renato M.E. Sabbatini, who the site says holds a doctorate in neurophysiology by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of So Paulo at Ribeiro Preto, Brazil, and was a guest scientist and post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Munich, Germany. He is currently chairman of medical informatics and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas, in Campinas, Brazil; associate editor and chairman of the editorial board of "Brain & Mind" Magazine. Therefore he is well regarded in the scientific community, and his work would be peer assessed and reliable. Ex.13Comment Thisisagoodstarttofindthecredentialsoftheauthorwithreferencetothepossibilityofpeer reviewbutneedssomecommentonevidence.Doesthearticlequoteotherworkfromareliable journal?Isthisworkmentionedinanyotherreference?Isitpossibletoquoteonepieceof informationwhichcouldalsobefoundinanotherreliablesource?Anyofthesemightraisethisto thehighestmarkrange.C(d)

Ex.14
EvaluationofSources Amongthesourcesusedinthisinvestigationwasascientificpaper:Thepreimpoundment distributionofcertainTrichopteralarvaeintheNorthTyneRiverSystem(NorthernEngland),withparticular referencetothecurrentspeedP.J.Boon.Ibelievethistoacrediblesourcewithinthewiderscience communityasitisaprofessionalscientificpaperthatwillhavebeenpeerreviewed.Othersourcesused includedtwobooks:Caddislarvae:larvaeoftheBritishTrichopteraByNormanE.HickinandCaddisflies:the underwaterarchitectsByGlennB.Wiggins.ThroughoutmyreadingWigginshasoftenbeencited,hisbook wasalsopublishedinassociationwiththeNationalResearchCouncilCanada(NRC)press.ForthesereasonsI believehisbookisaverycrediblesource.NormanE.Hickinhaswrittenalargenumberofbooksonvarious biologicaltopics,hisbookisextremelydetailedandcorroborateswithotherreadingIhavedone,thereforeI toobelievethatthisbookisaverycrediblesource. Ex.14Comment Herethecandidatehasaclearideaofevaluationbuteachoneisratherbrief.Thefinalsentencesbeginto addressC(d)56buttoawardthehighestmarkswewouldliketoseeatleastoneexampleofcorroborates otherreadingInthiscaseanypieceofdetailedinformationquotedinthefirstsectionofthereportcould easilybequotedbutwhatistheotherreading? ThismightthereforebelimitedasanexampleofpartofC(d)4butcouldeasilybeimprovedforatleastone sourcetojustifythe56range.

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Ex.15
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar99/922685827.Gb.r.html(31/10/09) Thisisamedicalstudentsresponsetoanenquiryandsobeingfromastudentmaynotbeentirely factualasithasnotbeenpeerreviewedhoweveritisnotfromacommercialcompanysocanbeseen asrelativelyreliable. Ex.15Comment Thisisobviouslymuchweakerexample.ItiscontradictoryanddoesnotdemonstrateA2levelHSW awarenessandwouldbeamaximumC(d)3

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