| | | | | | | | 5th YEAR ECOLOGY TRIP TO KILLARNEY 2009
May 6th – 25 fifth year students set off for Killarney with Ms Tattersall and Mr Scully for 2 days to study the flora and fauna of Killarney National Park. After arriving at the hostel in the centre of the Park they immediately rolled up their sleeves and set 15 small mammal traps. They carefully filled the nest boxes with nuts and bedding to keep the mice and voles very happy for the night. The students got a treat this year as Mr Horgan (Alex’s Dad) had offered the facilities of The Castlerosse Hotel for the evening. Some students went for a dip in the pool whilst others watched the match on the hotel TV’s. All enjoyed a lovely meal whilst admiring the view of Killarney Lakes and mountains.
Returning to the Park later the students, under the expert supervision of Alex Newman, put up the tents for the 6 brave campers.
Next morning , bright eyed and bushy tailed , the students started their ecological survey by investigating their traps which yielded 6 bank voles and 4 woodmice. After releasing their small mammal catch back into their habitat they did the rest of their surveys using quadrats,, transects, sweep nets, pooters to seek out the small invertebrates which form vital parts of the food chains in the woodland.
The woodland habitat in Killarney kept up its unbroken record of revealing the members of its communities from primrose to towering pine and from pigmy shrew to pine martin whilst delighting the investigators with its magic and magnificence.
| | | 5th Year Ecology Trip to Killarney National Park | | Recording changes in light intensity using a light meter in transect exercise. Students record changes in vegetation along a 50m line and check results against changes in light intensity (an abiotic factor affecting distribution). |  |
|  | Woodmouse found in small mammal trap. 20 mammal traps are set the first evening with bedding (dry grass) and food (nuts and fruit). Some traps the next morning contained a Woodmouse. The animals are released
back into the woodland unharmed.
The capture/ recapture technique for
population count is discussed. The best way to 'tag' the mammals is by shaving a small piece
of fur on the underbelly. |
| Students lay their transect line across a section
of Woodland going from shade to light.
Physical changes along the metre tape are recorded every metre.
- Light intensity, humidity (using a hygrometer),
and soil depth (edaphic factor). |  |
|  | Students lay a 0.5m quadrat at each metre point along the line. This is then a Belt Transect. Major vegetation falling inside the quadrat is recorded according to percentage hits. |
| A mapping exercise is done beside the lake.
A 50m tape is laid parallel to the lake with 25m sidelines laid perpendicular to the lake every 10 m. Each rectangular section of ground is
mapped for major flora - Oak, Yew, Pine, Bay, Strawberry Tree, Rhododendron, Holly, Moss, Grass, Woodrush. Changes in
base rock are noted. |  |
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