Answer:
Interdependence is a key concept in ecology. Whilst this can be taught theoretically, some practical fieldwork greatly enhances pupils’ understanding. Almost certainly the fieldwork would entail looking at plant abundance and distribution and, of course, some work with quadrats!
A quadrat is a simple device for marking out a small area. For young children at primary school the quadrat is often a convenient way of focusing a pupil’s attention on a particular small area. At secondary level, pupils should understand how quadrats can be used to sample a larger area. By recording information from a number of quadrats placed within a larger study area, they can obtain a representative sample of the whole area, which may be too big to describe in full.
This article describes how quadrats can be used to help pupils at lower secondary level estimate the relative abundance of plant species. All the information given here refers to frame quadrats. (Point quadrats can be tedious and difficult for pupils to use and are probably best avoided at this level.