Blog Post 3 – Ongoing Field Observations

Blog Post 3 – 22-01-20

Upon examining the wooded area in the park closer on January 22nd at 1000 hours I have come to realize that selecting one biological attribute to study in the present winter conditions would be highly difficult considering the lack of vegetational growth. Therefore I have decided to study species diversity within Kinsmen park. The weather is at -6C and the sky is clear. Despite these warmer conditions, the area still appeared to lack any significant defining features. The biological attribute I have chosen to study is the density of White Birch (Betula papyrifera) compared to the density of Beaked Hazelnut (Coryluscornuta) in relation to location nearer or farther from the central pond.  After choosing these two subjects for comparison, I began looking at them across an environmental gradient on the northeastern side of the park where the vegetation was most dense. Five locations along this gradient were chosen, all approximately 15 feet apart

24-01-20

It is January 24th at 1200 hours. The skies are clear and the weather has warmed up a few degrees to -3C. There is a slight wind and it is very sunny outside. I examined the five locations along the gradient and noticed no observable changes in the trees and bush character. As trees are relatively slow growing, it is expected that there will be no changes in distribution or abundance for the tree species; however, changes in character for both species studied as the temperature continues to warm will be closely observed. 

26-01-20

It is January 26th at 1400 hours. The sky appears a bit overcast and the weather has dropped to -7C. There is no wind, but it is cold. In the White Birch area there are hare tracks and much of the snow on the trees has melted off. In other areas around the trees there appear to be much smaller tracks, perhaps those of a mouse. The hare and potential mouse tracks may suggest that as the temperature has warmed and snow has melted, the area is becoming more habitable for the animal life that is near the area. Surprisingly, I have noticed there to be more White Birch trees than I had originally estimated. They do not have any leaves, but their white and black, papery bark is easily distinguished even in the winter. The presence of the Beaked Hazelnut has been less prominent and leans further to the outermost edge of the gradient on the east side. 

29-01-20

It is January 29th at 1200 hours. The skies are clear and the weather is -2C. It is a relatively warm, sunny day. Along the gradient, the trees no longer have snow gathered on their branches. The same cannot be said for the bushes, which still hold snow in clumps at their base. Almost all of the vegetation in the park appears to be awaiting warmer temperatures to begin the regrowth process. I predict that White Birch will be seen in higher density closer to the pond while Beaked Hazelnut will be seen in higher density further away from the pond. I hypothesize that as the density of the White Birch increases, the density of the Beaked Hazelnut will decrease. I hypothesize this inverse relationship is due to the presence of moisture in the soil from the pond. One potential response variable from this is the density of trees versus shrubs measured in the number of trees or shrubs per square acre. This variable would be classified as categorical as the presence or absence of the two vegetation species are unique categories of measurement. One explanatory variable for these changes is the moisture content of the soil in the various locations of vegetation. This would be measured in g/m3 and is an example of a continuous variable as it can be measured on a continuous numerical scale. 

Field Journal – 1