At Year 12 camp at Tongariro National Park earlier this year, Level 2 Biology students spent a day in the ngahere/forest around Ōwhango.  The focus was on preparing for Assessment Bio 2.6 (AS91158): Investigate a pattern in an ecological community.

At the end of last term they went to Arataki Visitors Centre in the Waitākere ranges to gather more data to be assessed.  Students spent the day in the forest discovering the biodiversity within the Podocarp/Broadleaf Forest at Arataki.

With the help of the qualified educators there and the park rangers, the students could see for themselves how species are adapted to different abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, light intensity) and biotic factors (commensalism, mutualism, competition and predation) which determine their place and role within the forest.

They collected data on the abiotic conditions and biotic relationships within each strata of the forest and collaborated to build a forest profile for use back in the classroom.