User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The biological attribute that I plan to study for my field research project at Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area is soil moisture along a slope. The pattern that led me to this question was the distribution of trees across my gradient. The bottom of the slope was marked by a canopy of large trees, the middle of the slope consisted of frequent, medium-sized trees while the top of the slope was marked by infrequent, notably smaller trees and saplings. I plan to combine these two pieces of information to determine how the angle of the slope impacts soil moisture, and subsequently investigate whether this is a potential limiting factor for tree frequency, and size.
I will conduct my research over the entire area of my slope, but will subdivide it into three horizontal cross sections in order to capture three distinct percent slopes. The first will be just under the top of the ridge on the steepest part of the slope, another will be at the midpoint where it is more moderate and the last one will be at the bottom where the earth is essentially flat (see attached scan below).
I hypothesize that slope will impact soil moisture levels and I predict that soil moisture will be negatively correlated with percent slope and positively correlated with tree frequency and size. Furthermore, I predict that there will be a trade-off between tree frequency and size and that as soil moisture reaches it’s maximum, tree frequency will decrease while size increases.
Potential Response Variable: Soil moisture level (instrument specific – could be either)
Potential Explanatory Variable: Percent slope (continuous)
Potential Response Variable: Tree frequency (continuous) and/or size (continuous)
Potential Explanatory Variable: Soil moisture level (instrument specific – could be either)
This research project seems very interesting. You have made your prediction fairly clear. Do you plan on measuring both the frequency and size for this project? The predictor and response variables seem easily measurable but I am curious as to how you plan on measuring them? I think a possible co-founding variable to your research could be slope stability. Depending on the steepness of the slope that could affect the quantity and size of trees. Regardless, this may not be an issue in your research.