Blog Post # 9: Field Research Reflections

I found my data did not entirely support what I initially thought was going to happen. Although fruit quality was better on the plum tree, it did not produce as many plums as I thought a healthy tree would. I also had a hard time finding papers that related to my research in a way that would make sense.

After finishing my field research there are a few things I would change if I were to do it again. Firstly, I would make this research study longer, and instead of starting in the summer I would start to implement my procedure and data starting in the spring, as the blossoming period should also be considered in determining the results.

I think instead of using fruit trees, I would use tomato plants and start entirely from scratch, and plant the seeds myself, still using the same parameters and observing the final fruit quality and yield. That way, I would have control over all aspects of the study and my results would be very close to completely accurate.

If I were to use fruit trees, I would consider netting off the trees early, before fruit development, as birds and other animals were eating the fruit (the cherries seemed to be a fan favourite).

I would say doing this research has definitely changed my appreciation for how ecological theory is developed. To be honest I thought ecology was quite boring before I took the class, but actually engaging in a minor activity has really made me see how hard ecology is and how long and tedious a study can be. Some studies I read took at least a year to collect data! I couldn’t imagine doing my field research for that long. I appreciate the dedication and hard work ecologists put in to their process of developing an ecological theory, not always knowing answers and having to conduct studies to sometimes not get very far in research. It was a great course and I feel like I am slightly more knowledgeable now, and no longer think ecology is boring!