Along a sandy coastline, a class carried out a beach-profile investigation before a proposed tourism development. Fig. 1 shows their transect line, placed a...
Question 1 Report
Along a sandy coastline, a class carried out a beach-profile investigation before a proposed tourism development. Fig. 1 shows their transect line, placed at right angles to the shoreline. At each marked point they measured the height of the beach surface and counted plastic items in a 1 m² quadrat. They started at the sea wall and moved towards the water at low tide. The class wants to decide whether the survey design gives representative evidence about litter, and whether the beach could safely support more visitors during the summer season.
(a) Identify the sampling method shown in Fig. 1. [1]
(b) Identify why the transect was placed at right angles to the shoreline. [2]
(c) Identify two items of equipment needed to measure the beach profile accurately. [2]
(d) Identify two improvements that would make the litter results more reliable. [3]
(e) Identify one risk to the students working near the water and identify one control measure. [2]
Answer Details
(a) The method is systematic sampling along a transect: quadrats are placed at regular marked points along the line. [1]
(b) A transect at right angles to the shoreline crosses the full beach gradient, from sea wall to water. This allows comparison between zones at different distances from the sea. [2]
(c) Two suitable items are ranging poles and a clinometer. Ranging poles mark the slope, while a clinometer measures its angle. A tape measure and quadrat are also valid. [2]
(d) To make litter results more reliable:
- use repeat quadrats at each point;
- use more transects at different beach locations;
- use the same-sized quadrat and a clear litter-counting rule.
Repeating at another tide or day with conditions recorded is also valid. Reliability is improved because a larger, consistently measured sample is less affected by chance variation. [3]
(e) A risk is an incoming tide or waves. A matching control is to check tide times and work only during a safe period; staying with a teacher and using a safe route are also appropriate controls. [2]
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