The area I chose to do my study on is the Valleyview nature park in Kamloops. There are many hiking trails that run throughout the hills between Valleyview and Juniper Ridge. The particular area that I looked at is approximately a 45 minute walk away from the main trail entrance. The area has many rolling hills. The vegetation in this area is mostly sagebrush, a few types of grasses, fir trees and pine trees. The trees are mostly located in valleys between hills, though some are on the hilltops as well. The area is approximately 2.5 km long and varies in width.
I visited the area 10:15 – 11:15 on June 6, 2018. It was sunny and then around 11:00 it became slightly cloudy. I saw a coyote (Canislatrans) and have also seen many white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in this area before.
Is the size of the sagebrush affected by its location relative to the hills?
2. Why are there more trees at the base of hills versus the top of hills? Is it because the rain water travels down the hills and collects there, that there is less exposure to the sun or another reason?
3. Why is there a greater density of trees at the east side of the park versus the west?
I chose an area that is relatively close to home for my study area, it is also an area I am generally familiar with as I hike frequently in the park. The location is just north of Peachland in the Central Okanagan along the Trepanier Bench within Coldham Regional Park. I chose this study area because there is a fish-bearing stream (Jack Creek) running through the park and is a densely vegetated and largely intact riparian forest. I am interested in studying riparian areas and the overall functionality of the riparian ecosystem in relation to freshwater streams.
I visited the site to gather initial data on June 2, 2018 at 12:00. The weather was overcast, approximately 22 degrees Celsius. The site is higher in elevation, but was void of any remaining snowpack as it is in-between the spring and summer season. Jack Creek was well into spring freshet and flowing typically for this time of year. The ground was moist in most areas and densely vegetated with mixed grasses, shrubs, wildflowers, and riparian forest (e.g. cottonwood trees, trembling aspen). The area is a sloping valley with a carved-out creek ravine running north to south.
General Study Area (Orthophoto Image)
I set out with a field journal, 200ft measuring tape, compass, cellphone, Nature BC Common Plants and Animals book, 24inch flex ruler, and a 2ft by 2ft PVC pipe cut into a square. My plan was to stake out an area of interest and generally notice any trends in vegetation.
Items Brought on Field Observation TripField Journal
I staked out a 22 metre by 13 metre study area (286m2) using the 200ft measuring tape and tied orange flags to mark the boundaries. I then used my phone to generate random numbers which would dictate how many steps I took. I had my partner there giving me random bearings (north, south, east, west) so as not to create bias in the data.
Based on my observations, there was a large presence of wild tiger lilies (Lilium columbianum). What I noticed while walking around was that some of the lilies had multiple flowerheads on a stem, while others had only a single flowerhead on a stem. I gathered data from 15 quadrates using my PVC pipe as the quadrate area. I looked at the following criteria within each quadrate:
Were tiger lilies present or not? How many?
Measured the height of tiger lilies and width of petals.
What other species are present? How many of each?
What type of soil / forest floor is present?
Other general observations / disturbance.
Measuring length of petalsExample Quadrate with Tiger Lily PresentGathering Field Data (me)
Based on my initial observations at the site, I left with the following questions which may help form my research subject:
What causes the tiger lilies to have multiple flowerheads on a stem?
Do the tiger lilies with multiple flowerheads show different characteristics (e.g. larger/smaller petal size, greater height)?
There is less sunlight on the eastern side of the creek. Is the distribution of tiger lilies greater on this side?
How common are tiger lilies in riparian forest areas? Is this a rare occurrence?
Island Lake is located in Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area in the Thompson-Nicola Jurisdiction outside Kamloops, BC. The site can only be accessed via walking trail as motorized vehicles are prohibited in the area. This lake and surrounding bodies of water are breeding sites for waterfowl such as ducks, coots, and scaups. I chose a study area that is approximately one square kilometer of rolling hills around the perimeter of the lake. The vegetation in this area ranges from wetland reeds to grasses, sagebrush, and cacti. There are various species of wildflowers, some bushes, and a few trees. These plants appear to grow in patterns along the hills, with reeds growing in the valleys, grasses and flowers on the hillsides, and sagebrush and cacti on the peaks. The bushes, I noticed, were growing in well defined lines in areas where I presume rainwater collects.
Looking west over the lakeLooking south over the lake
My first visit to the site was on May 18, 2018 at 15:00. It was sunny with some cloud cover and 23 degrees Celsius, which is normal spring weather for this region. After initial observations, my questions are as follows:
How is elevation affecting the distribution of plants here? (Factors to consider are soil moisture, wind, and sun exposure)
What causes the distribution patterns of a particular (unidentified) species of bush in this area? Is it following watershed?
Why are cacti present on some hills but not others? (Competition? Soil moisture?)
Bush distribution at lower elevationsNear-barren hilltop overlooking the lake
My chosen area of study is a Garry oak and Douglas-fir ecosystem, typical of south-facing exposures on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf islands. It is located on the north side of Cowichan Bay near the city of Duncan, on a ~45%, SSW aspect and ~90 meters above sea level. Ample groundwater flow during the rainy season tapers to drought conditions with only a few weeks of no rain. Bedrock is exposed in areas, and average soil thickness likely between 0.5 and 1 meter. This area does not have any specific designation (it is private property) though there is an ecological preserve to the west. Note that due to this site being below my house, one could say that my visitation of this site is ongoing!
Figure 1: Study site.
Figure 2: section of Garry oak forest with Douglas-fir. Though not visible, this fir is gradually losing its needles from the top down.
Across southern Vancouver Island, Garry oak ecosystems are declining in area as the more vigorous (but less drought and fire resistant) Douglas-fir outcompetes the oaks and as non-native grasses, shrubs and vines overtake meadows. There are also exceedingly few Gary oak seedlings or young trees anywhere. Two questions arise from these observation:
Why have I observed so few Garry oak seedlings?
What is the impact of non-native vs. native grasses and shrubs on Garry oak propagation and competition?
However, I’ve also noticed in recent years a pattern of Douglas-fir trees dying for unknown reasons, in areas which had historically likely been Gary oak ecosystems (due to lack of water, aspect, and ease of fire progression). This is evident in the immediate study area outline above, as well as throughout the broader hillside. Provided that my observation is indeed correct (and not incidental) and that there is an increase in Douglas-fir mortality on dry, south aspects, my final question is:
What is/are the causes of this increase in Douglas-fir mortality? (Some possible causes: Increased summer temperatures, changes in timing and amount of precipitation, pathogen, etc)
I have selected three areas of observation for my Field Research project. One large area consists of a bird sanctuary located at the edge of the Okanagan Lake. There is an abundance of various bushes, shrubs, and trees, as well as tall and short grasses. There are areas of the lake here that are protected by constructed rock barriers, forming areas of water that resemble ponds. There is a boardwalk path that leads around the sanctuary, through which pedestrians and cyclists can move. On one side of the sanctuary, there is a public beach, and on the other side, there is a field. Here, it can be seen that there are many species of birds and other small animals occupying the space. There are both predatory and passive bird species here. At the time I visited the bird sanctuary the temperature was hot, at about 25 ℃, there were very few clouds in the sky, and it was quiet except for a number of birds chirping in their differing ways.
The second location is a small meadow with large willow trees and grassy areas. It is beside a park, and is located inland. There are some soccer and baseball fields, leaving lots of green space. There is no open water source here, but the sprinklers from the irrigation system on the soccer field turn on frequently. The meadow and park are situated between a pedestrian path and a road, although it is quite quiet. There are birds and small animals, such as squirrels throughout the park.
The third location is across the street from the park, and is a condo complex with artificial turf and virtually no water sources aside from tap or hose water from the residences. It is louder here with the sound of moderate traffic but is still fairly quiet. Not much wildlife is observable here, although some birds do land on and fly between the buildings from time to time.
After observing the locations, I came up with some questions I had about them;
How many species of land birds are there in the sanctuary when compared to water birds?
Does the human activity surrounding the location affect the activity of certain animals in that area?
How does the species composition of insects differ between the two sites?
Below are some digital pictures of the area I have chosen to observe:
Above are pictures of the meadow and park located inland.
Pictured above are pictures of the bird sanctuary and pedestrian boardwalk.
I have chosen to study two different areas within the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, B.C. This park occupies 874 ha, is predominantly forested and public access to the park is restricted to pedestrians and cyclists. The locations of the two different sites are presented in Figure 1. Site 1 is about 150m from the perimeter of the park between St George’s Trail and Sasamat trail. I have chosen to study is an area 10m by 10m located amongst the forest of Pacific Spirit Regional Park. The trees (mainly conifers) here are very high and mature and grow close together. There is a lot of moss and ferns, with bird song audible and is a very peaceful location. Figure 2 presents a photo of the area taken on April 17, at 6:40 pm. The temperature at the time was 10°C, the weather was lightly cloudy with a gentle breeze.
Figure 1. Site locations within Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, B.BFigure 2. Site 1 located in the interior of Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Site 2 is located where Musqueam Creek (flowing south) leaves the park through a culvert under SW Marine Drive (a four lane road) following the creek north 25m, 2m either side of the river banks. The banks of the creek slope gently away from a sandy bed, with a variety of forest vegetation, including shrubs, ferns, and a variety of different sized trees, both conifers and deciduous trees. As the area is located next to a busy road there is traffic noise. Photographs of the site were taken on April 13, 2018 at 9:00 am are presented in Figures 3 (looking north) and 4 (looking south). The temperature at the time was 9°C and lightly raining, with no wind.
Figure 3. Site 2 Musqueam Creek site looking north.
Figure 4. Site 2 Musqueam Creek site looking south
Site 1 contrasts site 2 near Musqueam Creek as it is removed from the road, the trees are more closely spaced so there is less light through to the forest floor and the vegetation is more uniform. The Musqueam Creek site faces south and there are not so many large trees, and the large trees that are present are deciduous, so there is more light reaching the lower growing vegetation, and the vegetation in the area is more varied. Site 2 is also likely to have a higher moisture level in the soil as it is located on the banks of Musqueam Creek. Some questions that could be asked are how does the vegetation differ between the two sites? For the ferns that are found in both locations, is there is difference in their size or density? Is there is a difference in the bird life between the two locations?
April 4, 2018, 11:55 am, -10C, clouds: 0/4, wind: 1/4
The study site I have selected is a small marsh known as Pumphouse Pond, fed by McIntyre Creek, coordinates 60.7501, -135.1049, situated behind the Yukon Research Center in Whitehorse, YT. The designation of this marsh is most likely YG parkland. It is approximately 10 acres in size, surrounded by boreal forest and accessible by trails on all sides except the north, where it narrows and runs off into a creek. There is a pumphouse on the west edge where McIntyre Creek empties into the marsh. At this time of year the marsh is frozen and covered in snow, which obstructs observation of the lower levels of flora in and around the body of water except for where the occasional patch has melted through, but surrounding the marsh are trees typical of the boreal forest including Picea glauca, Pinus contorta, Populus tremuloides, Populus balsamifera, and Betula neoalaskana. The understory includes Rhododendron groenlandicum, Rosa acacia, varieties of Salix and Alnus, and others which are at present unidentifiable under the snow. The ground cover includes grasses, sedges, sage, lowbush cranberry, twinflower, and kinnickinnick, though almost all ground is too covered in snow to be observed.
The east bank of the marsh gives way to a steep slope which ascends ~20 meters before resolving into a plateau, while the other borders are characterized by subtly rolling topography. The creek itself flows in from the west, indicating a gentle upward grade. There is a high voltage power line visible to the north of the marsh. A gravel road runs parallel to the southern bank ~50 meters from the water’s edge, not visible from the trail.
Numerous tracks belonging to showshoe hares, red foxes, red squirrels, ravens, and small rodents were observed in the snow. Each of these species is common and abundant in this area. The sounds of 3-4 ravens could be heard to the north edge of the marsh, and a few varieties of birds I cannot at this point identify were singing along the southern edge.
Observations around this site which struck me as interesting include:
-There are two stands of dead trees at the north-west and south-west edges of the marsh. These trees are ~half the height of the live trees which they sit in front of, which appear taller on average than the trees around the rest of the marsh. The relationship between the short dead trees and the taller-than-usual live ones could be explored in light of the shared characteristics of both stand sets (west facing, at the edge of the water, etc).
-While there are many animal tracks near the edges of the marsh, only fox tracks were observed to cut across the middle of the frozen surface. This may suggest an interaction pattern based on feeding relationships.
-Hare tracks tended to follow a distinctive connect-the-dots type pattern from tree to tree for trees with trunks over a certain diameter. Other animal’s tracks seemed to follow trajectories which were more direct, avoiding trees in favour of more continuous movement. I wondered if the pattern of hare movement reflected a predator avoidance strategy or a cold-survival strategy, as the larger trunks were surrounded by wells where reflected heat created potential access points to the subnivean space.
The Area I am interested in is Gambles Pond. It is at a public park. The area has a baseball field near the pond and a small path to the edge of the pond. The pond itself has a lot of vegetation. There are a handful of animals present. The pond itself is near a grassland area with rolling hills. There are a few trees and shrubs. Some of the trees may be ornamental. I visited at the start of spring on March 24, 2018. There is still snow present – but ducks and geese are present. Interestingly, a large section of the lake is lacking any ducks but a muskrat or otter is present.
The area of interest is shown below:
Areas of interest would be:
Prevalence of ducks at different light levels and temperature levels.
I have chosen two locations at different elevations within the city of Hamilton, Ontario. The first is a grassy area located near the campus of McMaster University, located 90m above sea level. This area is very flat with some trees and short grass throughout. It is located in a suburban area sandwiched between the university on one side and residential homes on the other. I first visited the site at approximately 10am on March 27th. The weather was overcast with light rain and it is currently transitioning between winter and spring with temperatures ranging from 0-10 degrees Celsius.
The second location that I have chosen is called Inch Park, located approximately 200m above sea level. This area is also very flat with trees, shrubs, and short grass throughout. It is a park located in a suburban area surrounded by a recreation complex, playground, and other amenities. I first visited the site at approximately 12pm on March 27th. The weather was overcast with light rain, but the temperature is slightly colder and the season was the same as discussed previously. The area is designated municipal park so there is lots of foot traffic.
Does the elevation change and consequent temperature change affect the budding of trees and growth of elevation?
Does the rain and temperature affect the presence of animals, more specifically birds?
Does the difference in human presence between the areas affect the presence and behavior of animals?
The area chosen for study is located at 777 Oliver St. in Oak Bay, British Columbia. The area contains 3 closely linked micro ecosystems that are situated in an urban residential environment. Oak Bay is in the Coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone. This zone is the most at risk zone in BC and it has the highest concentration of rare and endangered species in Canada (District of Oak Bay, 2014).
The first site visit occurred on the first day of spring (March 20, 2018) at approximately 1:00 pm. It was mostly sunny with a temperature of 10 degrees and light wind.
Site Details:
Two study area ecosystems are located in the front of the property. The rear study area is separated by the two in the front by a residential home. The study areas at the front of the property are West facing and end at the city street, which has a low volume of traffic. The total area of both is approximately 7 metres long by 11 metres wide, with each being about equal in size. This area is roughly split in half by a pathway that separates a predominately native plant garden from a typical grass lawn. The garden contains approximately 38 native and 9 non native plants, trees, and shrubs. Additional plants are assumed to be present below ground in a dormant stage. Both sides are contained by asphalt driveways.
Front yard – Both sites March 20
Front yard native plants March 20
Front non-native grass March 20
The rear of the property is East facing and is approximately 14 metres wide by 24 metres long. It is primarily moss covered, with some remnant occurrences of non-native grass in the central location. One large Garry Oak tree is present, which dominates the area by crown cover. The moss/grass is contained by a small buffer on 3 sides consisting of spruce, birch, cedar, plum, ash (sapling to immature size) and low shrubs of wild rose, snowberry and others that appear to be non-native. The remaining side is contained by the rear of the house and a cement pad.
Back yard entire site March 20
Back yard North facing hedge March 20
Back yard South facing hedge March 20
The overall topography of the entire site is flat, with a gentle slope of < 1 metre from the front of the property to the back. Early signs of leaf development on some trees and shrubs was present, while the remainder of species appeared to be dormant.
Field notes March 20 (rough guide for location and tally of species)
Purpose:
I am interested to see if there is any advantage to wildlife in an urban garden setting that is dominated with native plants. Two possible controls exist, with one being adjacent to the primarily native garden, which is a typical lawn ecosystem that is typical in the neighbourhood. A further control exists in the back yard, which is also fairly typical for the neighbourhood except that it is bordered on 3 sides by a large number of native plants and trees.
One concern is that the ecosystem in the back yard (containing roughly 20% native plant/tree cover compared to roughly 85% native plant cover in the front yard) will be over-represented with visits from wildlife or insects because it is not influenced by the pedestrian or vehicle traffic that the front yard receives.
A possible question to consider is the scale of the primarily native plant garden, which is quite small in comparison to the total property size. It is possible that it is too small and sub-optimally located for any measurable effect on wildlife or insects.
Aside from wildlife, including birds, it may be more suitable to focus the study on the activity of insects alone, which may be less affected by the location of the native plant garden. However, there have been previous wildlife observations that suggest it may be possible to observe wildlife visiting various parts of the property.
A possible complication is the seasonality. With the start of spring, it could be that more wildlife or insects appear throughout the study area and duration due to the changing season alone. It is my hope that the control of a non native grass lawn area adjacent to the primary interest of study -the native plant garden- will be sufficient to determine if the native plants are attracting more wildlife or insects.
I am also interested to see if the native plants self-reproduce and increase in abundance or if the non-native species reproduce and encroach on the native plant garden.
Reason for interest in the study / Possible outcome
When I bought my house, I dug up the front lawn and planted mostly native plants, except where a couple of existing ornamental plants/trees were established because it was my intention to increase habitat for local wildlife.
My current intention is to do the same to the remaining land on the property. The removal of non-native species is a future consideration.
I am interested to know if there is any measurable effect on having a native plant garden at this current size and condition, which is less than 2 years old. A previous study that is related showed that insect activity was not increased by small scale additions of native plants and that they in fact preferred non-native plants (Matteson, K. C., 2011).
Having a similar study area, I am curious to see if there is a similar effect in the region where I am located, which is different from the study area that Matteson looked at. If there are significant observations that wildlife or insects prefer the non-native species which are present, I would consider keeping them for that value and re-cosnider an all native plant garden for the rest of the property.
References:
District of Oak Bay, 2014. District of Oak Bay Official Community Plan. Retrieved from: [https://www.oakbay.ca/sites/default/files/ocp/2014/OakBay-OCP-Final-Website-dec0414.pdf]on March 21, 2018.
MATTESON, K. C., & LANGELLOTTO, G. A. (2011). Small scale additions of native plants fail to increase beneficial insect richness in urban gardens. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 4(2), 89-98. 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2010.00103.x
