User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I had two main difficulties when establishing the sampling of my research area. The first issue was establishing quadrats of equal size due to the terrain. I initially wasn’t sure how I was going to measure out this distance given the uneven terrain and thick tree cover. However, I decided that using a string pre-measured at 20m worked better than trying to navigate through the forest with a tape measure. Using this method I did manage to space out several 400m2 quadrats and will create more to further my research. Using this method I found it easy to search for my response variable (presence of bracket fungi on trees) and will continue to with this method.
The second significantly bigger challenge that occurred was the annual spring break up of the river which flooded out a large section of my study area. I initially established my quadrats starting from the bridge and ending near the high school. However, about a 500m stretch of park was entirely flooded due to record-high water levels. I therefore had to adjust my study area slightly and anticipate being unable to establish quadrats in the flooded areas. This was a shame because I had visualized bracket fungi on a few of the trees in these now flooded areas but did not get a chance to study them before the water level rose. It is unlikely I will be able to access these areas again for the duration of the course.
For my sampling method I opted to use the quadrat method, using the Kiwanis trail as a makeshift transect. This allowed me to study areas on both sides of the trail, which vary a fair bit in terms of species abundance and moisture content. However, at present, most areas on the east side of the trail (closer to the river) are inaccessible, therefore for my initial study, I only included counts from quadrats on the west side of the trail which weren’t waterlogged. I suspect the water in the east areas will recede within the coming weeks so I may be able to resume sampling in these areas later. However, if the water level does not recede, then I will adjust my study method and create a transect west of the trail rather than studying quadrats on the east side that may continue to be inaccessible. The key downside of this modification to my research methods is that it cuts out the trees nearer the river that sit on a steeper slope and are subjected to different environmental conditions to those trees inland. I was hoping to see if any key differences could be found between trees based on their proximity to the river
On a final note, I am still struggling to determine what to study for the predictor variable(s) and how to go about measuring them.
Too bad about your water levels! Hopefully you still have enough area to use!