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The study area is in Mount Currie, approximately 8 km north of Pemberton, on Nelson Bar Ranch. The area is approximately 7 hectares in size. 1/3 of the perimeter of the area is touching the Birkenhead River. A major portion (80%) of the area is an open grass field which contains 10 horses. There are forested areas, which have conifers such as cedar, and deciduous such as birch and cottonwood. Vegetation also include shrubs, and mosses.
The site was visited 09-04-2019, in the spring, from 1500 – 1704. It was sunny with some clouds, but it was mainly clear. It was 14 degrees centigrade with a slight breeze blowing west.
I observed the east and west edges of the field near the river. The west edge of the river mainly contained deciduous trees, with one cedar sapling found in the study area. There was leaf debris from the edge of the field to the edge of the river. All the shrubs were shorter than 5 feet 6 inches (shorter than me). The area is a ranch, so horses and humans occupy the area daily. Moss was present on the west side and was mixed in with the grass. There was little to no moss on the living trees and debris. I heard 4 different bird calls in this study area.
The east edge contained a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. The ground was softer than the soil of the west edge. More trees were present on the east edge, which provided more canopy cover. Leaf debris covered the whole ground area. Grass didn’t seem present, even when moving some leaf debris. Moss was present on living trees as well as branch and log debris. In this area, the shrubs were taller than 5 foot 6 inches (taller than me). Fungi was only found on the east side. While on this edge of the field, I only heard one bird call.
My three questions are:
- Is moss more present in areas with less human disturbance or is it more related to the habitat? Moss was more present in the area farthest away from human contact, but also the ground was more moist and there was more canopy cover.
- Does the amount of canopy cover relate to whether fungi is present or absent? Or is it related to moisture level? The east side had more canopy cover, and the ground was softer and more moist.
- Is the west edge of the field a better habitat for birds? If so, what makes it better? A variety of bird calls were heard on the west edge, while only one was heard on the east edge.
