Field trip

Peninsular Botanic Garden (Thung Khai)
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Bird Activity outline:
Birds are one of the most well-known vertebrate groups that play important roles in both science and culture. Birds are very diverse. They can be found on every continent. The adaptations help them to live in almost every environment on earth from the cold Antarctic regions to the hot cities. This activity will help the students to understand why the birds are special in science, and how to observe and survey birds using scientific methods.
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Tropical Forests Activity outline:
Study plant characters and adaptations in tropical evergreen and heath forests along the nature trail of Peninsular Botanical Garden. The tropical evergreen forest is situated on black and fertile loam with dense trees in different heights. The heath forest is situated on sandy soil with shrubs. Its soil has low fertility and we can find insect-eating plants which are an adaptation of plants for nutrient such as sun dews and pitcher plants. Students will also do a simple experiment to compare plant nitrogen in both areas using diphenylamine reagent on sliced leaf stalks.
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Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya Trang Campus
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Mangrove Activity outline:
What (fauna) are in my mangrove? and how important are they?
Mangrove is considered a one kind of remarked ecosystem which contains vast community of well-adapted plants especially salt tolerant tree species which grow within transitional zones of coastal habitats. It is rich in biodiversity and a suitable home for variety of fuana, such as birds, monkeys, frogs, fishes, crabs, shrimps, planktons, and insects. Life lives abundantly in this habitat because of the richness of microhabitats (mudflats, saltmarshes, and brackish swamps), food resources (e.g., mosquito larvae, butterfly caterpillars, zooplanktons, floral nectar), including a diversity of vegetation. They provide ideal foraging and breeding sites, as well as shelters for these wide array of animals.
For forthcoming activities, all deligates will be able to observe and enjoy the diversity of resident and non-resident animals along the mangrove trail in Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Trang Campus. Delegates will also have a chance to do a basic scientific experiment by assessing the number of vertebrates and invertebrates in this particular environment using various kinds of animal traps (e.g., butterfly trap, yellow pan trap, and Malaise trap) along with considerable method for bird survey, such as point-count technique.
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Sandy beach ecosystem Activity outline:
Sand bubbler crabs are the dominance group of crab commonly found in sandy beach especially in the intertidal zone. They are filter feeder that feed on detritus, meiofaunas and benthic microalgae in sediment. By their feeding behavior, sand pellets or pseudofeces are discarded and arranged around their burrows in the unique pattern. The aim of this study is to investigate the species composition, distribution and density of crabs at Radchamongkol Beach by using the patterns of sand pellets and characteristics of the burrow as identification guideline. Students will work in groups and brainstorm to design how to carried out sampling using equipment provided to answer the research question. Then, student will give the presentation of the results and discuss their finding.
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Beach Activity outline:
The beach is the interface between ocean and land; it is a dynamic boundary between a solid part and a liquid part of the Earth, with processes affecting both sides. The Radchamongkol Beach is the boundary between the Andaman Sea and land of Southern Thailand; it is a sandy beach, where various processes can be observed compared to a rocky beach. At the beach different forces act upon, which finally result in the beach occurrence, which shapes its overall environment.
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Climate change Activity outline:
The beach is the interface between ocean and land; it is a dynamic boundary between a solid part and a liquid part of the Earth with processes affecting both sides. The Radchamongkol Beach is the boundary between the Andaman Sea and the land of Southern Thailand; it is a sandy beach. The sea level is a dynamic parameter, which depends on various forces and processes. Climate change will have an effect on the sea level, changing it through various processes, including melting of land ice and warming of the upper parts of the ocean.
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Limestone Activity outline:
At the Rajamangala Beach, which is the boundary between the Andaman Sea and Southern Thailand, limestone hills can be found. Limestone is a carbonate rock, which is formed in the ocean from the precipitation of calcium; with the CO2 coming from the atmosphere. The precipitation depends on the pH value of the ocean which is currently changing in its upper part due to a higher concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere (climate change). Then through geological (compaction) and tectonic processes the limestone became rocks and came above the sea level where they are found today. The limestone at the beach is then exposed to the atmosphere, rain, ocean current and waves. All these processes shaped and still shape the limestone hills, mainly through weathering.
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