User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The area that I have chosen to study is Mount Tolmie in Saanich, British Columbia. It is a small mountain, about 120 meters in elevation. It has some residential buildings as well as a paved road and public viewpoint and picnic areas. This area is designated as a city park. This area is a diverse home to many plant species, most notably the garry oak and arbutus trees. I visited the area in mid-february, on a sunny morning with light clouds and wind. The mountain has lots of exposed rock and is fairly dry, and has some meadow.
Some things that I would be interested in studying in this region could be along the gradient of elevation change. For instance, I could study the concentration of certain elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil. I could also study the species density of a certain tree or shrub in respect to elevation as well. I may also want to study the diversity of a specific division of plants, such as a moss. Species I could study are the garry oak tree, the arbutus tree, or the division bryophyta.
