Posted on: 28/09/2025
Posted on: June 17th 2025
Biology Trip to Brockhill Country Park
“For one of the required practicals in A Level Biology, Year 12 biologists went on a trip to Brockhill Country Park on 16 and 17 June, where we carried out two field investigations. For the first investigation, we used transect lines and quadrats to measure the percentage coverage of six chosen plant species over a distance of 30 metres from the treeline, using our results to plot a graph to show how the distribution of these species changed due to the altered conditions across the field. In the second investigation, we used kick sampling to catch and count the number of freshwater shrimp at different depths of the stream to understand if water depths influenced the population density of aquatic invertebrates.
After the trip, we were able to process our results, and using what we have learned in previous topics, we carried out a statistical test to see if our data showed a significant difference in population density due to specific abiotic (non-living) factors. We were able to apply our classroom knowledge to a real-world setting, giving us an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the real world applications of Biology. Between dodging a million nettles and debating over the exact shade of green a leaf should be, we completed a successful investigation and we ended the day out with a much deeper respect for field scientists…and waterproof shoes!
