Biology Design Internal Assesment, the Extent of the Effect of Temperature on the Abundance of Royal Barnacles in Low Energy Rocky Shores of North Stradbroke Islands

Design IA

Research question

To what extent does the temperature (determined by the seasonal changes) affect the abundance of the species of barnacles, Royal Barnacle (Austromegabalanus nigrescens) in the low energy rocky shores of Polka Point, North Stradbroke island?

Variables

The IV of this Design IA is the temperature of the rocky habitat in which Royal Barnacle lives in within a quadrat (while using quadrat sampling method). The seasonal change will be to change or differentiate the temperature of the low energy rocky shores a

Variable Table

Table1: Independent, dependent, controlled and monitored variables; importance and control method

Variable | Explanation |

Independent Variable | The temperature at a given spot. The temperature will be determined by the seasonal changes (summer, spring, autumn, winter) throughout the year. |

Dependent Variable | The abundance or distribution of barnacles which will be measured using the sampling method, quadrat sampling |

Controlled Variable | What is being kept constant? | Importance? | Control method |

| The area being sampled | If the area that is being sampled is not consistent, this could cause unreliable and inaccurate data, For example, if a trial, or sampling was carried out at polka point in the low energy rocky shores, carrying out the second sampling at point outlook in the high energy rocky shores would indefinetly cause inconsistent and inaccurate data | To make sure the area that is being sampled is kept consistent, all trials and samples will be held specifically the low energy rocky shores of Polka point, in North Stradbroke island. Also the quadrat sampling will be carried out 30m along the transect line (so 30m from the shore). |

| Quadrat | The quadrat that is used for quadrat sampling is what is used to control the size of the area that is being sampled. If this quadrat is not the same size, this would cause inaccurate data as the sample area would vary all the time...