kuankoon

After going to Labrador Nature Reserve, I think I know better about coastal studies. Actually, fieldtrip learning is more fun. At Labrador, I see the things that I learn form the notes. With 3D images, it is less boring compared to 2D which is 'liveless'. What i learn in geography actually relate to mother earth. I also know how to calculate wave periods. I saw the swash with white foams. The trip started from the top of Labrador and along the stairs i saw the tree layers. I recap about natural vegetation. On the beach with rocks I see the cliff and wave cut platform. I also saw seawalls. There are many things to explore at Labrador and the view of the surrounding is nice. Hope that there is more fieldtrips next time so everyone can have more fun and play when learning.

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Dear all,

Please ensure that you credit the sources from which you've extracted photographs/ pictures etc (e.g. website address), excluding those which you've taken using your own cameras.

Groups 2 & 3, appreciate that you've completed your work. Do, however, make the necessary amendments by providing the relevant information. Thanks!

Group1 - Location1 : Natural Vegetation

GEOGRAPHY
LABRADOR PARK FIELDTRIP 2006

The Labrador Park Fieldtrip is our second trip of the year. The main purpose of having this trip is to step out of the classroom and take a look on the features of rainforest, coast studies, as well as weatherings. The main focus of our group is on the Natural Vegetation. The main intention of having this field trip was to allowed us to see how does a real Tropical Rainforest looks like , rather than viewing it blankly in the textbooks or notes .

Introduction of the Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest are found mainly around the area of the Equator, where it experience equatorial climate all year round. Tropical rainforest are abundant in parts of Central and South America, Central Africa and parts of Southeast Asia eg. Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and so on.

Tropical rainforests around the world are quite diverse, but share several defining characteristics including climate, precipitation, canopy structure, complex symbiotic relationships, and different kinds of species. The tropical rainforest is able to grow under optimal growing conditions like abundant precipitation and year round warmth. There is no annual rhythm to the forest; rather each species has evolved its own flowering and fruiting seasons. Sunlight is a major limiting factor. A variety of way to be seen in order to reach light and to adapt to the low intensity of light beneath the canopy.


Structure of the Tropical Rainforest

The Tropical Rainforest is made up of five various distinct layers. They are the Emergent, Canopy, Understorey, Shrub and Ground Layers

The Emergent layer - Widely spaced trees 40 to 50 meters tall and with umbrella-shaped canopies extend above the general canopy of the forest. They are often large with straight trunks, supported by a system of shallow, wide speading buttress roots.

The Canopy layer- A closed canopy of 30 meters trees. Light is readily available at the top of this layer, but greatly reduced below it. Therefore, the closed canopy grows so close that its crowns appear to interlock, forming a continuous canopy. This actually helps to shuts off most of the sunlight from the forest floor.

The Understorey layer – Small slender trees which grow to a height of between 10 to 30 meters. There is little air movement in this zone and consequently humidity is constantly high.

The Shrub layer - Less than 3 percent of the light intercepted at the top of the forest canopy passes to this layer. Arrested growth is characteristic of young trees capable of a rapid surge of growth when a gap in canopy above them opens.

The Ground layer - Sparse plant growth. Less than 1 percent of the light that strikes the top of the forest penetrates to the forest floor. In such darkness few green plants grow. Only plants like ferns mosses, fungi, which does not need many sunlight will grow in that layer. Moisture is also reduced by the canopy above: one third of the precipitation is intercepted before it reaches the ground.

Other than seeing the distinct layer of the Tropical Rainforest, we also are able to see the various Typical of Rainforest plants, found in both Canopy and Understorey layer. They are the Epiphytes, Lianas and Climbers.

Epiphytes - The so-called air plants grow on branches high in the trees, using the limbs merely for support and extracting moisture from the air and trapping the constant leaf-fall and wind-blown dust. Bromeliads (pineapple family) are especially abundant in the neotropics; the orchid family is widely distributed in all three formations of the tropical rainforest. As demonstration of the relative aridity of exposed branches in the high canopy, epiphytic cacti also occur in the Americas.

Lianas - Woody vines grow rapidly up the tree trunks when there is a temporary gap in the canopy and flower and fruit in the tree tops of the understorey and canopy layers.

Climbers - Green-stemmed plants such as philodendron that remain in the understory. Many climbers, including the ancestors of the domesticated yams (Africa) and sweet potatoes (South America), store nutrients in roots and tubers.

Characteristics of the Tropical Rainforest

The Tropical Rainforest has different characteristics to adapt to the changes of the Equatorial Climate. The following below shows the different kinds of the characteristics that enable the Forest to continue to grow.

Buttresses roots are roots which have broad, woody flanges at the base of the trunk. Believed to help support the tree other than that buttresses channel stem flow and it’s dissolved nutrients to the roots.

Broad leaves are common among trees of the Emergent layer. Young individuals of trees destined for the canopy and understorey layers may also have large trees. When the reach the canopy new leaves will be smaller. The large leaf surface helps intercept light in the sun-dappled lower strata of the forest.

Downward Dripping tips leaves are facilitate drainage of precipitation off the leaf to promote transpiration. They occur in the lower layers and among the saplings of species of the emergent layer.

Comparing Tropical Rainforest to the other Forests

In drier, temperate deciduous forests a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the tree's trunk. Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests, most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may also make it difficult for other plants to grow.

Why Is There A Need To Conserve The Tropical Rainforest?

Tropical Rainforest is known as one of the world’s richest ecosystems, therefore it also provide many resources like woods to burn fires, papers, furniture- making, ropes and are also used in construction industries. Other than woods, the Tropical Rainforest include resins, which provide natural dyes. Plants which contains spices, also local fruits like berry and mangoes. There are also medically valuable plant species.

Nowadays, rainforest have been seriously depleted by the increasing land being used for commercial, recreational and industrial uses .Tropical rainforest trees and plants also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, stems, leaves, and branches. Imagine , if the rainforest were to become extinct due to human actions , there will be lesser plants to recycle the air , thus , we will have to breathe in most of the carbon dioxide ! Scary isn't it ?

Therefore , conserving Tropical rainforest is certainly important and neccessary ! Whenever you want to waste any natural resources , stop and think of the dreadful consequences

Soil Conversation

There are many different kinds of soil conversation to prevent soil erosion, such as putting net, placing the tiles to prevent soil erosion . At the Labrador Park, we are able to observe several kinds of soil conversation, which were shown above. The kinds of conservation were man-made . However , these are not the best resolution as they may actually cost a bomb if the government wanted to build a lot of it. Therefore , these kind of man-made conservation are only affordable to the developed countries like Singapore. For developing countries like India, they will have to plant a lot more trees, as the roots help to stabilize and hold the soil together on slopes to prevent erosion. Futhermore , it's much more cheaper planting more trees ,instead of constructing the man-made soil conservation.

Why Is There A Need Of Having Soil Conservation?

There is a need to have soil conversation in the Tropical Rainforest is to prevent soil erosion. Especially in the Countries which experience hot and wet climate all year round. Countries like India, which may experience flooding due to prevailing monsoon. Therefore by having soil conversation, it helps to prevent loss of soil fertility (nutrient cycle and soil leaching), preventing increasing in water pollution and flooding, increase in greenhouse effect and loss of plant and animal species.

Nature slowly wears away land, but human activities such as construction increase the rate of erosion 200, even 2,000 times that amount. When we remove vegetation or other objects that hold soil in place, we expose it to the action of wind and water and increase its chances of eroding.

With all the contributiing factors, the enitire Tropical Rainforest’s habitat will gradually be destroyed , if the worst come to worst, it may lead to greenhouse effects and changes in Global Climate , which may result in global warming . Infertile of soil can also lead to extinction of trees .

Sources:Secondary 3 Geography Textbook

Pictures taken by Group Members at Labrador Park
www.yahoo.com
www.stagsleapwinery.com/art/2002_fall/Geology.pdf

Done by :

Chng Pei Sze

Chua Mei Qi

Goh Pan Hui

Ho Yenn Ting

Ann Lee

Chan Li Zhong

Chia Kuan Koon

Eric Ng

Eddie Koh

of sec3B'06

Group2 -Location2 :Coastal Studies

Introduction

On November 17, 2006, we went to Labrador Nature Reserve. The objective was to enhance our learning about Coastal Studies. At there, we see the features that were coastal-related. Not only that, we also recapped what we have learnt for the topic on Natural Vegetation and Weathering.


Coast Profile


Coast is the area between the land and sea.

Shore is the area between the lowest and the highest water level.

Backshore lies between the high water level and the highest water level.

Foreshore lies between the lowest water level and the high water level.

Offshore is never exposed.


Waves

It is the surface of the water which rises and falls when wind blows across the sea.



At Labrador Nature Reserve, we measured the wave period of the wave that breaks at the Promenade and the beach.


Parts of a Wave



Crest is the highest part of wave.

Trough is the lowest part of wave.

Wave height is the vertical distance between crest and trough.

Wave length is the distance between two consecutive crest / trough.

Swash VS. Backwash

White foam that rushes up the shore is the swash, whereas the water that flows back towards the sea is the backwash.

Constructive Waves VS. Destructive Waves

Constructive Waves

- Swash is stronger then Backwash.
- Builds up coasts by deposition.

Destructive Waves


- Backwash is stronger then Swash.
- Erode coast.


Erosional Features



(a) Headland and Bays

Headland is the part of the land that projects out to the sea.(steep rock surface)

Bay is the wide inward curve of land along coast and which compasses part of sea.

Both headland and bay are formed by continual erosion of different resistance rocks. The more resistant rocks erode to form headland, while the less resistant rocks becomes the bay overtime.


(b)Cliffs and Wave-cut platform

Cliff is a steep coastal rock surface.

Wave-cut platform is a gently sloping coastal land surface.




Below is a picture of a cliff at Labrador Nature Reserve.



At the bottom left, part of the cliff has been eroded by the waves.

Now, take a closer look…



When waves attack steep slope at the coast, erosion causes a notch to be produced. It enlarges to become a cave and further erosion of cave result in the overhanging part collapsing, thus the cliff is formed. Continuous erosion of the cliff would result in the cliff retreating inland and a wave-cut platform is formed at the foot of the cliff.




Depositional Features

(a) Beaches

It is an accumulation of eroded materials on the shore when the wave energy is low.


Rocky beach at Labrador Nature Reserve >>>





It is well developed in sheltered coasts, which is a bay between two headlands. Wave refraction causes energy to be dissipated in the bay, resulting in a beach.


Others

At Labrador Nature Reserve, we have also seen some other aspects of geography like weathering at the dragon teeth gate. We have seen the effects of oxidation on the rocks and the lines of weaknesses between them. Biological weathering also applies there too.

Example of weathering>>>



Also, Labrador Nature Reserve is a tourist attraction and a recreational place. People can be seen at there fishing, jogging, or strolling.


Conclusion

Overall, we have benefited from this assignment. Apart from textbook knowledge, we have observed the coastal shape and learnt how to calculate the wave period. This has helped us to broaden our knowledge on coastal studies. Through experiential learning, we have sure to have shown more interest on geography.
Lastly, we also would want to Thank our geography teacher, Miss Chee, for bringing us to Labrador Nature Reserve for the fieldtrip.


Credits

Snaps are self-taken and diagrams taken from Secondary 3 Interactive Geography Textbook.


Project is done by Group 2.


Group members: Bao Ting, Ivy, Mildred, Nicholas, Xiu Hui, Janet, Yi Rong, Jackie & Rico of 3B’06





PS: All information presented above is mostly according to what is seen during the fieldtrip to Labrador Nature Reserve.

Johans

This trip to the Labrador Nature Reserve was really an eye opener to me,it was not the first time i had visited the reserve but the trip on 17th November really helped me to understand, firstly more about the reserve itself and its history.Secondly,i was exposed to topics that i have learnt in the classroom such as Natural Vegetation, Coastal Studies and Weathering.Lastly,it was also an oppotunity for me to revise on the past chapters that i have learnt so far.

From the reserve,i got to see the different distinct layers of a topical rainforest which i have never taken note of during my past visits.The forest floor was really dense and soil conservation is practised in the area.Roots of trees,properties of leaves and such can be observed from the reserve.

At the jetty,we got to see the wave cut platform as it was low tide at that time and also the coastline.We also had the oppotunity to calculate the wave period by using a stopwatch and observed that waves spill and form white foams.On the beach,we spotted the notch which was expose only during low tide due to erosion of the coast by waves.

At the Promenade,we were able to see how the coast was protected by waves.Sea-walls were spotted at the reserve and serve as a protection against waves.We were also told about swash and backwash.

The last location was the Dragon Teeth Gate,we identified the type of rock that we found there was granite.We were also told that the rock would eventually break down due to oxidation.Lines of weakness in the rock was also spotted that weaken the rock.

Finally,i have learnt to be more aware of our surroundings as geography is all around us,even places like Labrador Park which we usually go there for recreational activities.Therefore to sum up,i would like to say this trip was great learning exprience for me and a beneficial one too.

Nicholas

I used to think that Labrador park is just like any other park you can find anywhere in Singapore. Initially, Labrador park whenever i heard of its name, the impression that will come to me that it is just a war memorial.However, this time i went my impression of it changed, I came to know that it was also a nature reserve.I have gained a clearer picture of what the topics we have learned.

The first area was the aerial tower.The forested area below the aerial tower was similar to the tropical rain forest we learn earlier in the year when we touched on natural vegetation.It is very fascinating to know that there is such a feature in such a urban city like Singapore.I appreciate the efforts of the way environmentalists do to try to prevent the rate of soil erosion.

After climbing down the aerial tower we proceeded to the jetty.It is actually not a beach but a wave-cut platform, although they are look similar.the difference between the both is that wave-cut platform cannot be seen during the high tide while the beach can.There was a cliff over at that area.From the cliff we could see a notch forming at the base of the cliff.The waves that were coming in were all spilling in onto the beach surface.The activity we done there was that we calculated the wave period.That was rather interesting and unique experience as we had never tried before actually counting wave periods.

We then went on to the Promenade.We saw one of the method of coastal protection which was the seawalls.I believe that the walls were built there as the waves heading toward the shore were much more stronger compared to the area where the jetty was.The seawalls will slow down the rate of erosion as when there are stronger waves there will be a larger backwash will lead to a faster rate of erosion.

Finally our last stop was the Dragon Teeth Gate.At the area here we witnessed weathering taking place.The rock there, due to weathering overtime, had turned reddish-brown in colour.So it was obvious that the chemical weathering of oxidation was taking place on the rock.I also could infer from the colour that the rock contained certain traces of iron as oxidation could only occur when there is iron present in the rock.

This trip was one of the few geography field trips that our pure geography class had in the year.It was acting like a reminder to what topics we have learned in the year.I feel that it was more into helping us to recap with the topics that we might not have such a clear understanding upon.And from this experience we have learned not only about the classes we have but also getting to know the environment of little tiny dot country of ours' a little better.

Mildred

Before going to the park, we had learnt about the tropical rainforest in class already, and have seen pictures of it. But it was when we went there that we actually get to see the forest and experience the feeling of being in a rainforest. Though it was hot, but it was a truly enriching trip.
As we walk down the Aerial Tower, we saw many things about the rainforest. We saw the forest floor, which was quite similar from what we learnt. We also saw the leaves, barks. There,we also saw the soil protection.It help to protect the soil from erosion. We also saw the distinct layers of the forest.


We saw a cliff and a wave-cut platform on the bench. There were large rocks too. We saw the oncoming spilling waves that were gentle. All this was what we learnt in class. Also, we learnt to calculate the wave period.
As we walk down the promenade, we saw the coastal protection -seawalls. The waves was stronger there. It was enjoyable walking there as it was very windy. We saw the mark that marks the deep waters too. There were large boulders there too.


At the Dragon Teeth Gate, we saw rocks that was weathered. One of it was going through oxidation.
When we left the place, i had learnt a great deal about coastal studies and weathering.