User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Since my last posts, my project has changed substantially. I am now observing if the presence of red-osier dogwood within 1 meter of conifer tree decreases its chances of being browsed by ungulates.
This was completed at LC Gunn park in Prince George. I created seven 30 meter transect lines, of which I counted every regenerating conifer stem within 1m on either side of the transect. I then recorded the height of the tree, if it was browsed by an ungulate, and if red-osier dogwood was present within a 1 meter radius of the tree.
I actually did notice that less regenerating conifers were browsed if red-osier dogwood was present. However, I am still unsure as to why this is.
Data collection went smoothly, and I did not see any reason to change my methods. In total, I counted 68 trees, with the majority being subalpine fir, then Douglas-fir, and hybrid spruce, respectively. Of those, 30 had red-osier dogwood present within 1 meter, while 38 did not.
