🌲 Part 1: Forest Ecosystem Components

1. Circle all the biotic factors (living things) you might find in Marlborough forests:

Beech trees

Soil

Native birds (tui, bellbird)

Sunlight

Insects and beetles

Water streams

2. What is the correct order of a forest tree's life cycle?

Seed → mature tree → seedling → death → decomposition

Seed → seedling → mature tree → death → decomposition

Seedling → seed → mature tree → decomposition → death

Mature tree → seed → death → seedling → decomposition

3. Fill in the blanks:

_____________ factors are non-living parts of an ecosystem, such as _____________ and _____________. These interact with biotic factors to maintain ecosystem balance.

4. Explain how one biotic and one abiotic factor might interact in a Marlborough forest:

📊 Part 2: Ecological Sampling Methods

5. Why do scientists use sampling instead of counting every single organism in a forest?

It's impossible and too time-consuming to count everything

Sampling gives more accurate results

Animals hide when scientists approach

Forests are too small to need full counts

6. Match the sampling method to its description:

Random sampling

Systematic sampling

Using a regular pattern (like a grid) to select sample locations

Using chance (dice, coins) to select sample locations

7. You're designing a study to count native plants in a 100m × 100m forest area. Describe your sampling plan:

a) Which sampling method would you choose? ___________________

b) How many sample plots would you use? ___________________

c) What size would each sample plot be? ___________________

8. Why is it important to study forest ecosystems as taonga (precious resources) in New Zealand?

🎯 Part 3: Apply Your Knowledge

9. Design a simple food web for Marlborough forest. Draw and label at least 5 organisms showing who eats whom:

10. If you found that 80% of young beech seedlings in your sample plots were healthy, but only 40% of seedlings near walking tracks were healthy, what might this tell you about human impact on forest ecosystems?