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Blog Post #1: Initial Observations of Study Area
Cameron Purdy – T00028679
January 31, 2018
Address: 33844 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC, V2S7M7
Coordinates: 49.0291° N, 122.2854° W. ~40m above sea level
Weather: Light rain showers, ~ 4ºC.
Seasonality: Winter
Time: 3:20PM
Description of Study Area:
The area(s) I have decided to observe are two separate ecological islands on the University of the Fraser Valley campus. Prior to UFV being built, the location was comprised of mainly farmland. Historically, the Fraser River had a much larger footprint and had floodplains that covered much of Abbotsford including areas surrounding UFV.
Location A is a temperate deciduous forest with area (A=440m²). It is bordered to the north by the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Center, and surrounded by parking lots to the east, west, and south. The general topography of the forest is flat, however there is a slight slope coming down from the parking lot on the east most side. The most prevalent vegetation found includes Convallaria majalis, Oemleria cerasiformis, Maianthemum racemosum, and Trientalis borealis. Additionally, tree canopy cover in this forest is quite dense and filters out much of the sunlight. Few species of birds could be seen flying amongst the trees.
From left to right:
- Forest A looking north from the south. Parking lot can be seen to east with the slight slope leading down into the forest.
- Forest A looking north from south. Parking lot can be seen to west, Abbotsford Entertainment Center can be seen at the north end of forest.
- Forest A looking north from south. Proposed transect line through middle of forest.
Location B is also a temperate deciduous forest with area (A=540m²). It is bordered by buildings and a walkway to the west and south, and grass fields to the north and east. Centrally located in the forest is a small pond (A~200m²) that is surrounded by marshy wetlands. The general topography is relatively flat, with a slight slope on the east most side of the forest. The pond situated within the forest collects water that runs off the slope, and has a small stream that exits the forest to the south. The most prevalent vegetation found includes Rubus spectabilis, Rubus idaeus, Oemleria cerasiformis. The tree canopy cover in this forest is less dense than that of location A. While no wildlife was seen, frogs could be heard from the pond.
From left to right:
- Forest B looking north from south. Open grass field can be seen to east, ground slopes downward towards the west.
- Forest B looking north-east from south-west. Pond and marshy surrounding areas seen.
- Forest B looking south-west from north-east. Proposed transect line through middle of forest.
Follow up Questions:
1) What leads to the difference in vegetation among the two forests. How could they have a significantly different prevalence of plant species when they are located so close to each other?
2) While we know the vegetation differs between the two sample forests. How does the fauna differ between the two. Is there a higher prevalence of specific invertebrates in one forest over the other?
3) What are the differences in soil composition? If there are differences, could these in fact be linked to the the prevalence of specific flora and fauna in their respective forests.
