User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The area chosen for study is called Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington, US. The park sits on a peninsula that is surrounded by the Puget Sound: Dalco Passage on the east and the Narrows on the west, and it is about 760 acres. Point Defiance Park is mostly forested with tall fir trees, besides the zoo and aquarium that sits on its lands. The perimeter along the Puget Sound is comprised of steep hills or bluffs down to the water.
I observed Point Defiance Park at 11:45 on the 26th of January, at which time the tide was at 9.10ft/2.77m and going down. At that time there was approximately 20 yards from the water’s edge to the incline of the hill. It was 50 degrees (F) and mostly cloudy, though it has been raining consistently in the area for almost one month, very typical for this season, but warmer than usual.
There seemed to be many logs that had accumulated, (but didn’t look like driftwood) between the beach and the sidewalk that has been paved alongside it. On the other side of the sidewalk, trees grow very close to the water: it seems that deciduous trees grow right along the shoreline, and just beyond that and as altitude increases, the presence of coniferous trees increases, as well as the density of the forest. The park seems mostly un-interfered with: I found many fallen trees as I went through the forest, and the further I got from the sidewalk, the trails of prior park visitors faded. Some of the fallen trees had mushrooms growing on them as well. On the ground below the deciduous trees were leaves mostly of two types, corresponding to two types of trees along the shore. They had not decomposed yet, and grass has started to grow through the layer of leaves. There were ferns all over, but none yet showing new growth. I heard many birds with the same call, but did not get a good enough look to identify them, as well as many glaucous gulls. I did not see but heard other park patrons report seeing great blue herons further down the beach.
Three questions I have:
- Does the diversity of birds increase as you go further away from high-traffic areas of the park?
- Is the pattern of deciduous trees close to the water and coniferous further from the water consistent around the peninsula?
- At times of low tide is there a greater presence of gulls or other birds?
