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Blog Post 1: Observations
Site Visit # 1
- Observer: Mark Visser
- Location: Goldbar Park, Edmonton, Alberta
- Date: January 13, 2019
- Time: 14:00
- Weather: -3°C, Clear and Sunny Skies.
The location I have chosen for my field research project is Gold Bar Park located in Edmonton, Alberta on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River. Gold Bar Park is a City of Edmonton managed park. The entrance to Gold Bar Park is located next to the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) with the outfall of the WWTP located upstream of the park. The park consists of many kilometres of walking trails (which during the winter months double as cross-country ski trails), picnic shelters, and a washroom facility.
Gold Bar Park can be separated into two ecological communities:
- Open Area/Wetland Complex
- This area in the summer is characterized by a mowed grass field (however the grass field is covered in snow), parking lot, scattered clumps of coniferous/deciduous trees and two man made wetland complexes.
- Dominant vegetation consisted of shrubs along the boundaries of the wetland and the scattered clumps of trees were dominated by coniferous trees with occasional deciduous trees throughout.
- Topography in this area was gentle slopes with small rolling hills.
- Forested Riparian Zone
- This area is a closed canopy riparian forest along the North Saskatchewan River. The dominant vegetation was deciduous trees and shrubs with coniferous trees throughout.
- An off-leash dog walking trail occurs within the riparian forest at the top of the bank of the North Saskatchewan River.
Incidental/Other Observations
- Ducks observed in the open water area of the North Saskatchewan River downstream of the WWTP.
- Red squirrel calling within the riparian forest.
- Multiple singing Black Capped Chickadee with in the riparian forest.
- Observed 2 birds within one Wetland Complex.
After visiting the site, the topics I’m interested in further researching would be:
- Does the bird species diversity change between the two ecological communities listed above?
- Does smell and sound from the WWTP affect abundance of bird densities within the forest adjacent to the WWTP compared to the further you move away from the WWTP?
- Do birds prefer to perch in trees with denser cover such as coniferous trees or with less cover such as deciduous trees.
