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The area I have selected for my observations is Mount Nkwala. Mount Nkwala is a mountain that is located west of the city of Penticton in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Mount Nkwala has many surrounding hiking and mountain biking trails. The trails begin at the top of West Bench, Penticton, and they lead to the top of Mount Nkwala. Many of the trails have views of Penticton and the south end of Okanagan Lake. The elevation of Mount Nkwala is 1019m, and the area is roughly 300 hectares. Its topography is mainly mountain slopes with very few flat areas. Its vegetation is very diverse, being mainly forested with areas of shrubs and rock.
Coordinates: 49.5286° N, 119.6411° W
Visited July 20, 2017 at 1pm.
Weather
28° C
Wind: 11 km/h
Questions
1) What animals inhabit the space? And, what effect do they have on the surrounding vegetation?
2) How is the vegetation effected by the people that hike and bike on the trails?
3) How does plant diversity change depending on the different slopes within the area?
Hello! interesting start! you have several good yet different ideas here. 2 and 3 are probably are easier to do in that there may be more certainty in terms of (in the case of 2) what the level and cause of disturbances are, and (in the case of 3) a stratified look at different ‘habitats’. I will keep reading!