User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The area I have selected to observe is the Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. The park is 29.8 hectares and is located in the Lower Mission area of Kelowna, British Columbia (Parks Services, n.d.). The park is comprised of woodland areas, riparian areas, and steep slopes. The park has two small creeks running through it, Bonaparte Creek and North Fork Creek, as well as the larger Bellevue Creek is located on the south perimeter of the park (Figure 1). The park is designated as a regional park.
An interesting aspect of Woodhaven Park is there are four distinct bio geoclimatic zones which are considered sensitive habitats that are threatened and endangered in the region: a black cottonwood zone, a Douglas-fir zone, a ponderosa pine zone, and a western red cedar zone (Figure 2) (Parks Services, n.d.). Black cottonwoods grow in damp riparian areas whereas Douglas-firs can grow in a wide variety of soils but prefer partial shade and soils that are well drained (Parks Services, n.d.). The ponderosa pines are the only pine trees in the area and prefer dry conditions; they are located up the steep sandy hillside (Parks Services, n.d.). The red cedars are able to block out sunlight resulting in less shrubs where the red cedars are growing (Parks Services, n.d.).
I visited Woodhaven Park on October 24, 2020 at 1:40pm. It was overcast and there was approximately 15cm of precipitation in the form of wet snow within the previous 48 hours. There was still snow on the ground and the ambient temperature was -1˚C.
The first aspect I think would be interesting to study is the different bio geoclimatic zones within the park and what is the cause for the different zones? Upon my initial visit I saw the western red cedar trees and Douglas-firs (Figures 3 and 4), but still need to see the ponderosa pines and black cottonwoods. My first question is what influences each of the bio geoclimatic zones within Woodhaven Park?
I read the information board at the entrance of Woodhaven Park and it provided information on wildlife trees which look like dead trees that have holes in them (Figure 5). Although these dead trees can pose a hazard to the public, they are not all removed due to the habitat they provide to the screech owl (Parks Services, n.d.). The screech owl, which is an endangered species, uses these wildlife trees for nesting and roosting (Parks Services, n.d.). There are only 200 screech owls left in the Okanagan Valley (Parks Services, n.d.). The screech owl and the wildlife trees they use as habitat would be an aspect of Woodhaven Park I would like to further study. My second question is will I be able to see a screech owl during my visits and do other species use wildlife trees in addition to the screech owl?
Upon my visit I also saw three sets of tracks in the snow and wondered what type of animal made those (Figure 6). They were all headed in the same direction, north. I also saw two deer without antlers (Figure 7) and a grey/brown squirrel (Figure 8). My last question is what are the different types of mammals that inhabit Woodhaven Park?
References
Parks Services. (n.d.). Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. In Regional District of Central Okanagan. Retrieved from https://www.regionaldistrict.com/media/19817/woodhaven%20brochure.pdf
