User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The location I have chosen to study is along the Douglas Fir Bench Trail in Canmore, AB at the foot of Mount Lady MacDonald. It is approximately 50m x 100m. It is next to a rocky, run-off gully; has a slight incline; and is within a douglas fir and birch forest. The forest floor is covered in shrubs such as juniper, bearberry, cinquefoil, clover, and Canadian Buffalo berries.
I visited this location on September 15, 2019 at 10:00 am. The weather was cool at 12 celsius and sunny with a few clouds. I noticed elk and deer scat throughout the area suggesting it is visited by such animals. There was what appeared to be a bird’s nest atop of one of the fir trees. Potential subjects of study for the area could be deer, elk, and douglas fir trees.
A few initial questions include: how do the douglas fir trees react to the cooling temperatures as the season changes; how do the shrubs react to the cooling temperatures as seasons change; and what attracts the deer and elk to the area?
