| WRL reference | M04 D04 | |
| Module | M04 Ecosystems – Tropical Rainforests | |
| Data Set | D04 Abundance of bat feeding guilds in the Iwokrama Forest, Guyana | |
| Research objectives | 1. Which feeding guilds are represented by the greatest numbers of bats in the Iwokrama Forest?
2. How does the abundance of bat feeding guilds vary between sites across the Iwokrama Forest? |
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| Keywords | Adaptation; Behaviour; Biodiversity; Competition: Data handling; Ecosystem; Field techniques; Human impact; niche; Rainforest; Sampling; variation. | |
| Potential Curriculum links | AP Biology | 4.A.6, 4.B.3 |
| AP Env Sci | 11 Living World A-E | |
| IB Biology | C.1, C.2 | |
| IB Ess | 2.1.3, 4.1.5 | |
| AQA | 3.4.6, 3.4.7, 3.7.4, MS, AT, PS, practical 12 | |
| edexcel | A – 4.3, 5.1, B – 10.1, 10.3 Maths A | |
| OCR | A – 4.2.1, 6.3.1, 6.3.2 – M, PAG, HSW | |
| SQA | HOAL 1(b) (c) (d) (e) | |
| CCEA | 4.4.7, 4.4.8 | |
| WJEC | C1-5, C2 -1, App B, Pract.req. | |
| Summary | Iwokrama Forest is located in Guyana and composed of lowland rainforest not far from the equator. The forest has a very high biodiversity with one of the greatest number of bat species recorded in South American rainforest ecosystems. This data set looks at how the varying ‘feeding guilds’ of bats are distributed within the research area and relates this to local habitat type. It also considers the role that bats play in helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem. The raw data is sorted using Excel and then transferred into a summary table and graphs drawn to support the TWO research questions. It is a relatively simple task but a good introduction into data handling and sorting. It is also a good introduction into the biology and importance of bats in the rainforest. Difficulty: 5/10 |
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