User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The area I have selected for my project is in the middle of the prairies in Brandon, Manitoba. The area’s location I have chosen has a few natural trails, a creek, and two distinct terrains with an immediate ecotone between the two. The first terrain is a forestry area with a gentl, slow flowing creek running down the middle, immediately adjacent to it is the second terrain a not-very steep hilly open grass field. Both these terrains are within an area classified as Hanbury Hill Park and are classified as a recreational-protected area. The Park is about 200 meters from a residential road.
My first visit to this location for observational purposes in regards to designing a study question:
- Date: July 10th, 2020
- Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
- Altitude:
- Temperature: 25C
- Weather: Sunny, Clear skies, few clouds, slightly windy.
- Seasonality: Summer
The size of area of interest:
- Hilly Grass Area: 20 yards
- Forest & Creek: 5 yards
- Total area that will be studied: 25 yards
Observations:
Topography- Hilly Grass Area:
In terms of vegetation, the hill area has long grass species (~82 cm in height) with little variation, and is cut by the city once every month. There are a few trees very far apart from each other. The slope of the hill is not very steep ~20-degree angle at most on certain elevations. At the bottom of the hill is an outdoor Olympic sized track with few people running on it.
Species Observed:
- Very few species of grasses
- Gophers (& gopher holes)
- Birds: crows and little sparrows
- Deer
- Grasshoppers
- Ants
- Occasional human walking or running past
There are a few biking trails pass through this area into the forest & creek terrain.
Topography – Forest & Creek Area:
This area is covered in numerous trees densely grown. Heavily shaded undergrowth due to the lush canopy of leaves provided from the trees. Trees and grass/shrubs in undergrowth are fully green and in bloom. The little creek has clear water slowly, and trickles down the creek that has rocks as its base.
Species Observed:
- Very few species of trees
- Deer
- Some type of birds
- Frogs
- Humans (if you count myself and my lab assistant)
Main Questions:
- What kind of species of gophers reside in the hilly area, and why are they not found in the Forest & Creek area?
- Is there more Deer activity in the hilly open grass area than the dense forest?
- Have the trails created by bikes influences how the animals and terrain interact with each other?
Remember to include your field journal pages and categorize your posts under my name and post number to make it easier for me to find them.
Hi Robyn, I am sorry for not including pictures of my field journal pages! I ended up documenting these initial observations and subsequent attached photos via cell phone – but the rest of my observations and design data are on paper.