User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Date visited: 29-05-2017 at 19:28pm
Weather: Clear, sunny, +20
Location
My research project site is located in the river valley in Edmonton, Alberta, which has the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America. It is located on the southwest side of the city. The site is around 80m distance from Whitemud Creek, which drains into the North Saskatchewan river. The river is approximately 536m north of the site.
Latitude: 53.500707
Longitude: -113.558685
Area: approximately 5,624 m²
Elevation gain from base of creek to upper research area: approximately 28m
*Stats found using google earth
Topography
The site is located on the side of a valley wall. The terrain varies from very steep drops to flat areas with small ponds. There are small streams constantly flowing through the area, which are fed by a spring located at the top. The side of the valley is made up of limestone rock, which releases iron into the water. The soil next to the streams are bright red due to the formation of rust. There is a rudimentary path that cuts directly through the upper and lower area of the research site, but it is not well used. There is a small waterfall that runs down the lower half and empties into a marshy area, before draining into the Whitemud Creek.
Vegetation
The canopy is dominated by White Spruce (Picea glauca), Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), and Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera). The forest floor is mostly shaded. Other woody species observed: Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia), Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera).
One plant I observed is very rare to the Edmonton river valley – the Round-leaved Orchid (Amerorchis rotundifolia). Other herbaceous plants observed: Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Western Violet (Viola canadensis), Arctic Raspberry (Ribus arcticus), Blue Columbine (Aquilegia brevistyla).
Questions:
- How does the high iron content in the soil affect the plant diversity in the area?
- How does the plant diversity change with the slope?
- There are small ponds located in the area. How does the iron in the water affect pond life?
