In addition to the fieldwork enquiry (Component 3), the options below for WJEC Eduqas GCSE Geography A can be used for developing skills and/or located studies and examples throughout Components 1 & 2.
With regards to the enquiry, we intend that students will get an opportunity to engage with all six elements of the process of enquiry, with an emphasis on understanding and evaluation of the decisions and conclusions that are made. With each change in the methodology and conceptual requirements of the specification, the most suitable fieldwork exercises (and locations) will vary, but there will always be suitable fieldwork for rivers or coast, and urban or rural environments (where possible, covering both aspects). As such, for the first cycle, the transects approach can be applied to our coastal fieldwork through beach profiles or sand dune transects, to the rivers fieldwork through measuring cross sections, as well as to rural or urban fieldwork through quality of life/environment transects at a variety of scales. The spheres of influence concept is easier to employ in the human environment, but may also be used when looking at the impact of management strategies, flooding risk, or visitor numbers in physical geography studies.
Eduqas A |
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Theme |
Possible Locations |
Study Details |
Skills/Data Collected |
| Downstream changes (processes & landforms) | Caerfanell/ Tarell/ Honddu/ Olchon/ Monnow | Traditional river study, typically using three sites to investigate development of river channel characteristics and interaction of processes. Data collected can be used to calculate cross-sectional area, discharge and/or hydraulic radius. | Channel geometry |
| Sediment size & shape | |||
| Velocity | |||
| Gradient | |||
| Extreme weather, flood management | Hereford (Wye)/ Brecon (Usk) | Investigating the response to large-scale storm events, looking at flood management in either the Usk or Wye catchment. On the Usk, time is spent exploring the characteristics of the upper catchment, before visiting the flood defences in Brecon. For the Wye, because of scale, less time is spent on the river, instead focussing on the defence scheme and risk analysis in the town. | River work: Channel competence |
| Channel roughness | |||
| Infiltration (optional) | |||
| Flood defences: Impact assessment | |||
| Cost-benefit analysis | |||
| Flood risk & severity (optional) | |||
| Coasts (& distinctive landscapes): geomorphology, processes, management, sustainabilty | Glamorgan Heritage Coast | Investigating processes, landforms and management on a high energy coastline, around the southernmost point in Wales. Mainly headland & bay, there are cliffs, caves, wave-cut platforms and notches, storm beaches, and opportunities to discuss the influence of geology, types of wave, refraction and long shore drift. Management approaches and their impacts are evaluated. If required this can be combined with a visit to Aberthaw/Breaksea Point to look at hard engineering and sediment accumulation on groynes. | Field sketching |
| Map/plan/aerial photo interpretation | |||
| Cost-benefit analysis | |||
| Impact assessment | |||
| Perception analysis | |||
| Beach profiling (including sediment size) | |||
| Distinctive Landscapes: honey pot management | Waterfalls Country | Waterfalls Country, in the centre of the National Park, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, resulting in challenges for the landowners and managers. This study looks at the success of strategies employed to mitigate visitor impact and maintain the landscape value of the area, including footpath management, waymarking and interpretation. | Landscape description |
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Footpath condition survey | |||
| Perception analysis | |||
| Ecosystems: sand dunes (threats?) | Crymlyn Burrows | Succession on sand dunes, looking at the components of the ecosystem: physical, biotic, climatic and edaphic. Linked to processes and formation, soil development, food webs, and nutrient cycling. Threats to the longevity of the dunes are discussed, and possible evidence sought. | Distribution and abundance of plant species |
| Transects | |||
| Gradient profile | |||
| Abiotic variables including wind speed, and soil moisture | |||
| Ecosystems: management | Kenfig/ Merthyr Mawr | Overstabilisation of the sand has seriously affected the ecosystems at Kenfig Burrows and Merthyr Mawr near Porthcawl. Part of a Special Area of Conservation, the health of these dune systems are considered of international importance, and so the local management organisations have had to step in, quite dramatically, to ensure that the habitats retain their value. This study investigates the issue, looking at the species and landscape features present, evaluating the solutions, and may involve a interview with site management. | Distribution and abundance of plant species |
| Random sampling | |||
| Abiotic variables including wind speed, and soil moisture | |||
| Interviews with stakeholders (optional) | |||
| Ecosystems: temperate woodland, management | Woodland(s) | Several temperate deciduous woodlands exist in the Brecon Beacons, allowing us to investigate their differences and similarities in terms of physical, biotic, climatic and edaphic factors. It is also possible to look at the effect of management strategies, such as exclusion, grazing or coppicing. | Distribution and abundance of plant species |
| Random sampling | |||
| Abiotic variables including light intensity, and soil moisture | |||
| Rural studies: continuum, migration, deprivation, sustainability | Villages | Throughout the National Park there are settlements that can be used to demonstrate the rural-urban continuum, the effects of migration (in- and out-), and inequality. Several are also subject to schemes that either aim to improve sustainability, regenerate or rebrand them, allowing us to assess their successfulness. Examples would include Talgarth (including a visit to the mill, part of the Village SOS scheme), Llangynidr, Talybont-on-Usk, Llanvihangel Crucorney or Llanthony. | Land-use mapping |
| Landscape Character Assessment | |||
| Amenity Survey | |||
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Residential Quality Survey | |||
| Questionnaires | |||
| Interviews/talks with stakeholders | |||
| Urban studies – transects: inequality, quality of life, land-use | Cardiff/ Hereford/ Brecon/ Abergavenny | Urban quality of life/environment investigations can be undertaken in many of the region’s towns and cities, with an approach appropriate to scale (i.e. full transects in small towns, district/ward comparisons in the larger settlements). Measurements of environmental and residential quality can be paired with retail development, movement patterns, land values, sphere of influence and/or cultural variables. | Land-use mapping |
| Traffic & pedestrian censuses | |||
| Shopping Area Survey | |||
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Residential Quality Survey | |||
| Questionnaires | |||
| Urban studies – regeneration/ development * | Cardiff/ Hereford/ Abergavenny | Cardiff Bay is a flagship regeneration project that turned former docklands into a “world class development”. Subsequently, the town centre has also been regenerated. Hereford has recently undergone redevelopment of its former cattle market, now a mix of retail and other leisure. All three developments offer an opportunity to assess the need for and success of the scheme, as well as the broader impacts. Abergavenny is currently awaiting the redevelopment of its cattle market site and may offer a useful comparison. | Land-use mapping |
| Traffic & pedestrian censuses | |||
| Shopping Area Survey | |||
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Residential Quality Survey | |||
| Questionnaires | |||
| Microclimates * | Mountain environment | These environments offer an ideal opportunity to assess the effect of physical factors on weather conditions. Measuring temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, light intensity, and soil moisture alongside aspect, slope, cloud cover, land-use, and exposure, it is then possible to extrapolate to identify microclimates and controlling factors for key variables. | Map/plan/aerial photo interpretation |
| Microclimates * | Forest environment | Weather variables | |
| Microclimates * | Urban environment | Observation of phyiscal environment | |
| Evidence for past climate change * | TBC | The landscape of the Brecon Beacons is a palimpsest of geological history, and can therefore be read as a record of historical climate change. We are able to visit geological and landscape sites that demonstrate climates both warmer and colder than today, and discuss what other evidence may be available in these environments. | TBC |
| Effects/threats of climate change * | Newport/ Porthcawl | During the storm surges of the winter of 2013/2014, parts of Newport were evacuated due to the risk of storm surges. This study looks at the areas effected, media coverage, the potential for future issues and their management. | TBC |
| Coasts: management, sustainability * | Porthcawl | A range of management techniques have been, and are, in use in Porthcawl. This study evaluates the approaches used, and their effects of coastal processes. There is also scope for investigating coastal development. | TBC |
| Eco-tourism: sustainable travel/ volunteering/ Green Tourism Awards * | Talybont | The village of Talybont is something of hub for sustainable development in the National Park, with a community micro-hydro scheme that ploughs its profits into local sustainable projects. Another scheme is the Eco Travel Network, which hires out electrical vehicles through local tourism providers. This case study includes interviews with the company directors, and visits to key sites and provders in the area. | Interviews with stakeholders |
| Distinctive Landscapes: sandstone & tourist management * | Brecon Beacons National Park | The distinctive landscape of the Brecon Beacons owes much to the characteristics of the Old Red Sandstone bedrock, and processes operating over millions of years. The landscape has an impact on local economic activity, especially tourism, which needs careful management in order to achieve sustainability. This study looks at a key attraction of the Park, and how visitor impacts are managed. | Footpath survey |
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Landscape Character Assessment | |||
| Ecosystems: plagioclimax, footpath damage, fires * | Moorland | The moorland ecosystem is a classic example of a plagioclimax, and represents a fragile environment. In the uplands of the Brecon Beacons, fire and footpath erosion result in degradation of the ecosystem, and requires careful management in order to restore it. Looking at a restoration in the Black Mountains, we can investigate the nature of the habitat, the impact of damage and its mitigation. Interviews with volunteers that are leading the restoration may be possible. | Distribution and abundance of plant species |
| Random sampling | |||
| Interviews with stakeholders | |||
| Wetland restoration * | TBC | Considerable overlap with the plagioclimax study. | |
| Energy: fossil vs renewables, (exploration?) * | Ffos-y-fran/ wind/ microhydro/ tidal/ solar farm | An investigation of the energy mix in the region (fossil fuels, micro hydro, wind, tidal, solar), with visits to a range of energy producers (at least 2), to understand some of the issues concerned with exploiting the resources, and the conflicts that result. There may be scope for looking into fracking and other alternatives in South Wales. | Landscape Character Assessment |
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Interviews with stakeholders | |||
| Reservoirs: impacts * | Elan Valley/ Llandegfedd | Looking at reservoir creation and water transfers in Wales in terms of: reasons for the location of the scheme, impacts and conflicts. | TBC |
| Urban studies – retail change: out-of-town vs high street/CBD * | Cardiff/ Hereford/ Merthyr/ Newport | A number of towns in the area have out of town shopping developments, and offer the chance to investigate their impact on the traditional high street, as well as strategies to reduce any negative impacts. | Shopping Area Survey |
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Land-use mapping | |||
| Urban studies – globalisation: cause-effect, post-industrial economy, regeneration * | Ebbw Vale/ Blaenafon | Investigating the effect of globalisation and deindustrialisation in the coalfield. In Blaenafon tourism has a major role in its regeneration, while Ebbw Vale is undergoing regeneration of much of its infrastructure. Measuring the impact in terms of environmental quality and socio-economic indicators. | Land-use mapping |
| Traffic & pedestrian censuses | |||
| Shopping Area Survey | |||
| Environmental Quality Survey | |||
| Residential Quality Survey | |||
| Questionnaires |
* please note, these studies (in full or in part) are in development, and details will be finalised as and when necessary.
Field Studies in the Brecon Beacons 