In June, A level Biology students took a trip to Wakehurst, to visit a botanical garden and explore the importance of biodiversity and its conservation. Our day included multiple aspects, including sampling a variety of plant species alongside a guided tour later on in the day. The main part of our trip involved core practical work, where we used a belt transect to sample three plant species using frame quadrats. This gave us the opportunity to learn more about different plants, including Bracken, Ribwort Plantain, and Knapweed, how to identify them and the environment they grow in. Many groups also had the chance to use a point quadrant for the first time which provided a different method of sampling to what we were used to. Through this practical, we learned how to accurately identify species, and we were able to observe how the abundance of each species differs at various distances from our starting point. Each group also decided on an abiotic factor to measure, soil moisture, or light intensity, and discovered its effect on biodiversity. This gave us an insight into the significance of other elements on the abundance of each species which we would then draw a conclusion from during our write ups. After our practical, we had the opportunity for a guided tour around the gardens which contained a large variety of endangered plants from all over the world. We walked by the ‘Asian Heath Garden’, full of a diverse range of shrubs and trees from different regions of Asia. The whole garden consisted of incredibly vibrant and colourful plants, and truly made all of us appreciate the natural beauty around us and the importance of conserving it. This trip was a valuable opportunity which allowed us to apply our knowledge learned in the classroom into a practical aspect, as well as providing a memorable and fun day out for all of us.
Alysha Musah 12CK