physical

• hypothesis: as tourism increases more footpath erosion will occur.
• reason for location: Loughrigg Terrace is an incredibly popular fell, and is with walking distance of Ambleside and Grasmere. The area is also accessible by coach from my school and if a safe environment.
• method: We used a systematic sampling method and measured 1 well used footpaths and 1 less used footpath.
• method: Person A stands on the left of the footpath and person B stands on the right holding a tape measure tight to record the width. At every 10cm, the depth was recorded using a meter ruler stick.
• method strengths: it is simple to carry out and doesn't require any specialist equipment. It also clearly shows whether there is any erosion or not.
• method weaknesses: There may be some user error when taking readings. To improve this, you could use a digital app or a laser measurer. Another weakness is that rocks could be in the way and cause inaccurate readings. To improve this, move the stones.
• results of footpath width: the footpath was wider on the well used path and narrower on the less used footpath as fewer people use it.
• results of footpath depth: the well used footpath was deeper than the less used footpath meaning there is more erosion.
• presentation: We presented out data using a cross profile method.
• presentation strengths: it very clearly shows that the well used footpath had more erosion. It is also very easy to spot patterns and find anomalies.
• alternative presentation: data could have been presented using a histogram or a scatter graph.
• risk assessment: insects biting - wear long, suitable clothing and bring insect repellent. Falling rocks - avoid walking near the edge of cliffs and students were warned to be careful. Hot weather - plots of water and sun cream. Wet weather - bring appropriate clothing and footwear.
• conclusion: our hypothesis was true as the well used footpath was a lot deeper and wider than the less used footpath, showing more erosion had taken place.
• evaluation (sample size and frequency): Our conclusions are based on limited data - more footpaths or more than one site could have been used.
• evaluation (reliability/validity): Internal validity - the data was reliable and could have been collected by someone else and applies to my fieldwork. External validity - data and conclusions can relate to the wider world and other glacial areas. The results may not b the same but the conclusions will be.