User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
For my research project I am going to look at population density and vegetation abundance from different intervals and elevations from the stormwater pond in Fish Creek.
I am going to be looking at the abundance of cow parsnip, common yarrow, silver sage and veiny meadow rue.
I have initially noticed that there is a clear distinction in vegetation abundance along the stormwater pond and maybe this could be the normal floodplain for the pond when it experiences a flooding situation after a rainfall.
I am going to look at 4 distinct areas and see if there are noticeable differences in vegetation species and densities based on the amount of flooding experienced.
Area 1: an area immediately next to the stormwater pond which is classified s a natural wetland. This leads me to believe that the vegetation and landscape has not been or at least minimally altered by humans.
Area 2: a riverine area located at lower elevation and closer proximity to the stormwater pond.
Area 3: a riverine area located at higher elevation and further away from the stormwater pond and right beside the walking path.
Area 4: a grassland area located at higher elevation and with the walking path creating a barrier between the grassland area and the stormwater pond
My hypothesis is that the stormwater pond, the frequency of flooding and the floodplain average height will determine the species and abundance of vegetation growing in Fish Creek.
I’m predicting that cow parsnip will be more prevalent at lower elevations as it is more resilient and species such as the veiny meadow rue will be more abundant at higher elevations that experience less flooding.
An explanatory variable could be the distance from the stormwater pond and how much water vegetation is receiving. A response variable could be the abundance of vegetation present if there is any in certain regions.
