Category: Nancy Elliot

Post 2: Sources of Scientific Information

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Post 2: Sources of Scientific Information
a) The source of ecological information chosen is a journal article:

Gonzlez, E., Sher, A.A., Tabacchi, E., Masip, A., and M. Poulin. 2015. Restoration of riparian vegetation: A global review of implementation and evaluation approaches in the international, peer-reviewed literature. Journal of Environmental Management 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.04.033

b) This article an example of Academic Peer – Reviewed Review material.

c) This classification was made for the following reasons
1. The article was written by experts in the field as evidenced by their positions in academia.
2. It includes in-text citations
3. It contains a bibliography
4. Although it does not state that it was peer reviewed prior to publication:
a. As per our learning rescource article (Lepczyk 2011), journals use a peer review process managed by an Editor in Chief prior to acceptance for publication
b. Within the ‘search tool’ of the on-line library, there is an option to select from ONLY ‘scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals.

Lepczyk, C., and R. Donnelly. 2011. A beginner’s guide to reviewing manuscripts in ecology and conservation. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 4:25-31.

 

Blog Post 9: Field Research Reflections

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This whole process has kind of been eye opening. The main thing I’ve taken from the process is that things don’t always go according to plan when it comes to research. The project I conducted had many compromises due to the nature of the study; having no lab equipment to work with really did change how I approached this study. For example I had to look at average weights of tide pools vs individual samples due to limitations in measurement. This project has made me appreciate how much work goes into ecological studies. It has given me practice in application of research techniques that I believe will be useful in future research.

Thank you Nancy for all your help throughout the course!

Post One: Observations

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The study area chosen for this field study is in the Lower Mainland, in an area where many small creeks transect the topography. This particular creek meanders in an approximately north to south direction with residential homes backing onto it from both eastern and western banks. From the relatively flat areas of the back yards, there is a slope of about forty five degrees for approximately twenty five to forty feet ending at the edge of the creek. Spanning one back yard is a distance of approximately seventy five feet.

At the time the homes were built, in 1983, the engineering of the housing development was required to include a large scale drainage plan. The solution was to run an approximately three foot in diameter metal pipe from the east to the west across the creek (see area indicated on Google overhead map). To accomplish this task, the entire western bank of the creek was cleared of all trees and vegetation. The heavy equipment that was brought in to install the pipe left very few remnants of plant life. Since that time, the re-growth of the plants and trees in the creek bank of my own back yard is exciting and provides opportunities for study.

Overhead Google map of the area – unable to load to the blog.

Over the years, staff from the Federal Department of Fisheries have visited the creek to promote it as a salmon spawning creek where human traffic is discouraged. The Municipality of Surrey staff have come by to inform the residents of plans to build a public trail through the creek. As of this date, the trail has not been built.
During years of family life, participating in “Christmas tree chipping” events where evergreen seedlings were given to be planted along municipal “green belt” areas, has resulted in human interference with the natural process of vegetative succession. The status of the area at this time is that there are three types of vegetation within this riparian slope. One is where no seedlings were planted and has a well-established growth of cottonwood trees with other minor varieties of plant life underneath. The second is where the evergreen trees were planted and have thrived, creating a different undergrowth type. The third is at the area where the pipe crosses the creek; this area, due to the former clearing of trees receives more direct sunlight and consists mostly of smaller, lower growing shrubs.
Interesting questions for a potential project are:
1. The impacts of the amount of sunlight on the undergrowth for each of the three area types: evergreen trees, deciduous trees or no trees.
2. A comparison of this area of the creek bank to that of another area up stream that was not cleared when the subdivision was created.
3. What invasive species have demonstrated in the years since the area became residential and how widespread are they becoming?

 

 

Post 8: Tables and Graphs

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The data I collected was easy to summarize in a bar graph. The outcome was slightly unexpected. When the stats were run (ANOVA), I determined that my result was not significant. As my sample size (n=5 for both conditions) was small, the standard deviation turned out to be quite large. This likely was why my data was insignificant. A method that would likely decrease deviation would be to collect more samples. However, as this is not a study I plan on publishing, I don’t want to cause additional disturbance to the natural environment.

Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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In my project, I am looking at the effects of community structure on the growth of Farlow’s Seaweed. In specific, I’m determining whether there is a difference between the growth of Farlow’s Seaweed when it is dominant (completely based on number of Farlow’s seaweed compared to other species present within the tide pool) in a tide pool vs. when it is not. Theoretically, I believe that interspecific nutrient competition is the main driving force behind the different growth rates. In my study, I looked at tide pools as “semi-closed” environments. What I mean by this is that the shared pool of nutrients available to all organisms is refreshed in high tides, but when it is low tide there is a minimal intake of new nutrients. As a result, organisms within the tide pools will have to compete for nutrients. Growth rates for algae are significantly influenced by how well they can out-compete other species for nutrients (White et al., 2013; McConico and Vogt, 2013). Based on my observations, I believe that Farlow’s Seaweed is not a good competitor for resources, and will grow much better (I’m using weight as a measurement) in environments with little competition from other species. When there is a large source of competition for nutrients, Farlow’s Seaweed is expected to be smaller in size.

 

Key phrases: nutrient limitation, interspecific competition, community structure.

Post 1: Observations

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Observation 1 Field Notes

Good evening,

The area I chose to observe is along the Lone Wolf Golf Course in Taylor, BC.  The area of observation (site) is located at the walking path intersection located east of a residential cul-de-sac located at the east end of Fairway Ave.

The site is approximately 100m x 100m, has an easterly gradient of 3-5%.  The top 30cm of soil in this area is characterized by an organic matter layer from 0 to 5 cm; soft, grey silty clay with some sand from 5 to 15cm, and firm brown silty clay with some sand from 15cm to 30cm.

Lone Wolf Golf Course is located in “the Peace Lowland Ecosection which is characterized by deep sedimentary bedrock, and has mildest climate, and lowest snowfall in the Ecoprovince, Peace River Basin. Summer brings high humidity, localized showers and occasional clouds. During the winter, Arctic air can bring long periods of extreme cold temperatures but clear skies. Boreal white and black spruce forests are typical. Trembling aspen and shrub-grasslands are common. There are sparse white spruce and lodgepole pine stands throughout region in areas of well-drained soil. Black spruce occurs in areas of excessive moisture such as muskeg, (Demarchi, D.A, 2011).”

The site is a forested area that has single family residents adjacent to the west and the 4th Hole tee box to the east.  Separating the residents is a 1m asphalt walking path.  Trees observed were poplar and pine trees and shrubs found were saskatoons, carraghana, currents, snowberries, black gooseberry, trailing black currant and prickly rose.  There were daisies, bluebells, many grass varieties, stink weed and significant organic ground cover including fallen poplar trees, piles of grass clippings and tree branches.

Wildlife heard were squirrel chatter and two different birds.

Three questions I would like to explore going forward are:

  1. What evidence of daily human interaction is visible at this site?
  2. What wildlife occupies this site?
  3. How prominent are native species in this area?

I will upload my field notes as soon as I figure out how to…

Regards, Marla

References:

Demarchi, D.A., (2011). The British Columbia Ecoregion Classification, 3rd Edition. March 2011, Ecosystem Information Section, Ministry of Environment. Victoria, BC. Ecology, Part II Ecoregion Unit Descriptions. Retrieved September 26, 2017 from http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/ecology/ecoregions/polareco.html

Post 6: Data Collection

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Data collection went smoothly! I was able to collect all of my samples at the same beach. In total, I sampled 50 individual seaweeds. 5 seaweeds were sampled per tide pool, with a total of 5 dominant and 5 non dominant tide pools.

I ran into a few problems during my sampling. The biggest problem (and a source of bias) was that many of the seaweeds were clustered together and separating them was tough as the boundaries between organisms was not super clear. I therefore had to sample only the individuals that I saw as separate from the others.

Another problem that persisted was many of the individuals weighed less than a gram, which was not detected on my scale. To fix this I weighed all 5 samples together and took an average to determine weight.

Upon a rough analysis of my data, it does seem that my hypothesis is supported. The average weight of seaweed from dominant pools is greater than the average weight from non dominant pools. Yay!

Blog Post 2-Sources of Scientific Information

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A question that came from my first blog post, specifically regarding a wastewater tertiary plant which is about to be built just outside of a public park in my town, is to ask the logical question… what will be the cause & affect that the construction of this site will have on the surrounding ecosystems? I have opted to use this report published in 1986 through the USEPA (United States Enviromental Protection Agency) & NSCEP (National Service Centre for Environmental Protection). This article is titled “Environmental Impacts of Advanced Wastewater Treatment at Ely, Minnesota”.

Tertiary Plant Article

The article was written by Donald J. Hernandez & Harrold Kibby, who are both part of the criteria & assessment group at the Corvallis Environmental Research Branch. Both are experts in their field.

The report contains in test citations & a bibliography (pg. 27). The report is an academic peer-reviewed report as it has been reviewed by multiple referees before being approved for publication. They have been cited as experts in their respective fields (pg 8).

The author provides multiple tables & results, as well as a final report, although it is not specifically listed in the index. Therefore, I would conclude that this is an Academic, Peer-Reviewed Research Material.

Source: USEPA, Office of Research & Development,  Energy Consumption Of Advanced Wastewater Treatment At Ely Minnesota, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis Oregon, January 1978.

 

 

 

Blog Post 1: Observations

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Blog Post 1: Observations

Michelle Harrison

22-09-2017

The area that I have selected to observe is Macaulay Park. This is a treasured place, & one I visit on a daily basis. Macaulay Park is a 7.6 hectare (18.78 acre) municipal park located in Esquimalt, BC (Coordinates- Latitude: 48.418815 Longitude: -123.410113).

The park began as a part of the Hudson Bay Farm & then became a part of Fort Macaulay in 1878. The old military site still remains, & the land is dotted with old concrete war barracks & ammunition buildings, under/above ground concrete tunnels & lookout points to take in the beautiful ocean front vista. The topography is made up of rolling hills, rocky waterfront outcrops, glacial till & the vegetation that surrounds it is made up of native& non-native plants, a forested area, a wetland / marsh with long grasses. Macaulay has been a municipal park since 1985 & is owned by the DND (Department of National Defense) & maintained by the Municipality of Esquimalt.

It is a popular place for dog walkers, bird watchers & families. It is a common occurrence to see life here in many forms, including deer, otters, seals, sea birds, eagles, plus a variety of insects & pollinators. This park contains some rare & endangered species which are protected federally under SARA-Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Due to this, park visitors & their pets are required to stay out of designated risk areas, in order to protect the remaining species at risk.

The park contains many beautiful native, non-native & invasive plants including Wild rose (Rosa acicularis), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), Dense Flowered Lupins (Lupinus densiflorus), Gumweed (Grindelia), Wild onions (Allium), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Biscuit roots (Lomatium) & Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus), & a lovely cluster of trembling Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). When I visited the park today at 0800am, the weather was cloudy with light wind, 11 degrees, and it is the first day of fall.

Based on my daily observations & time spent at Macaulay Park, I have come up with three questions that will form the subject of my research project:

  1. The land at Macaulay Park contains species at risk. I witness on a daily basis, people walking their dogs in areas that are labeled as conservation / no entry zones. We do not seem to have any type of monitoring / park services to control humans & their pets. What affect does this have on the conservation areas & species at risk? Is this space being monitored & are the observations of the impact being reported to a higher authority on a regular basis?
  2. McLaughlin point (which is connected to the tail end of Macaulay Point) will soon be the home of the new sewage tertiary treatment plant for all of the waste from the core of Victoria. An incredible amount of waste will be shipped to this site & filtered, before being pumped to a local landfill for disposal, all via pumps & pipes which will be installed in land & ocean to travel the waste great distances. How will the construction of this waterfront treatment plant affect the very active local wildlife & ecosystems on the land, in the air, & in the ocean, for years to come?
  3. Macaulay point is home to a few invasive non-native species (such as Scotch broom & Himalayan blackberry). How does this affect the native plants & more specifically, the species at risk, such as Dense Flowered Lupin and the Purple Sanicle?

Blog Post 2: Sources of Scientific Literature

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The literature source that I have selected is The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki .  This is an academic source as it is written by an expert in the field (David Suzuki has a PhD in Zoology plus a number of other distinctions), includes in-text citations, and includes a bibliography. This source is peer reviewed, as in the acknowledgements section it is stated that each chapter has been reviewed by an expert in that field. This source is also considered to be review material as there was no scientific study conducted.  Overall, this source is classified as academic, peer-reviewed review material.

Source:

Suzuki, D. The Sacred Balance. 3rd ed. Vancouver: Greystone Books; 2007.