Category: Post 1: Observations

Post 1: Pat Bay Victoria BC

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I chose to do my Field Project at Pat Bay in Victoria BC, a short drive from my home. It is approximately half an acre located in Deep Cove, Victoria BC, just off the Pat Bay highway near the airport. Jagged rocks and grassy hills surround the bay, which also homes search and rescue boats and float planes. Vegetation includes many blackberry bushes, wildflowers that I have yet to identify, and arbutus trees covering a vast majority of the grasslands down to the water’s edge. Animals include a variety of birds such as sparrows, robins, and hummingbirds as well as honey bees, seagulls, geese, and the occasional seal passing through. A pathway separates the grassy hills from the water where quite often people will come to walk their dogs or entertain children.

 

My first visit was on June 10, 2017 at 18:36. The grass was damp, which indicated earlier rainfall, but at the time the sun was peaking out from behind white clouds dotting the blue sky. Pink and orange flowers poked up through the brush here and there, indicating that spring is upon us. A good indication of spring came from the honey bees buzzing about. Although only a few could be seen, their buzz was unmistakably heard through the soft sounds of the water’s edge. A hummingbird, which looked to be a juvenile, was spotted perched upon a tree branch, and sparrow bird chirp could be heard from within the bushes. No sign of aquatic animals, but it is a little too early for that.

My three questions are:

  1. How does the vegetation differ between the rocky beach of the bay and the grassy hills and why do they differ?
  2. What impact do the animals that habitat that space have on the vegetation?
  3. Does human interaction with the surroundings affect it in any way and if so, are the effects negative or positive?

 

Observations: Blog Post #1

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The location I have chosen to study for my Final Research Project is a small wetland area inside McIntyre Creek Regional park and public trail system in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Approximately four kilometres from the back gate of my residence, following trails I’ve become familiar with over ten years of walking, wild cranberry picking, and unsuccessful fishing, it is a comforting and familiar place that I am ecstatic to explore and observe in an ecological context. The area I’ve focused on is no more than two square kilometers and has varied topography due years of erosion from the creek and human built trails. It is home to many plants and animals, including but not limited to white spruce, lodgepole pine, soap berry (or kinnick-kinnick), wild-rose, various mosses/fungi/lichens, beavers, salmon, large ungulates in passing and various birds. The steep slope descending to the creek reveals white river ash layered between dense clay, and the landing is host to not only a picnic area with interpretive signage but also an active archeological site where one is likely to find churt and obsidian flakes from tools made by early inhabitants. (For detailed trail maps and more information about the area, please follow this link:   http://yukonconservation.org/programs/get-outside/mcintyre-creek-self-guided-hikes-and-citizen-science/ ).

My first visit, on May 8th, 2017 at 12:30pm under overcast skies, revealed dry vegetation that has few signs of the arrival of spring. The more sheltered areas of the creek still have some ice and snow that has not cleared, typical of early spring in the Yukon. I did not see a beaver swimming in the pond, which is a likely occurrence, but there was overwhelming evidence of their busy nature in the form of freshly cut willow and aspen. Beaver activity may be an interesting study area for this project, as well as contrasting the plant/fungi species and health on the picnic landing versus at the wetter creek bed level.

Three questions I have about the area that may lay the foundation for my project are:

  • How does the vegetation differ between the landing area and creek level and what factors contribute to that?
  • Which large ungulate species use the area most frequently and does that draw predators?
  • How important is this area to fish for habitat and spawning?

Blog Post 1: SSB Courtyard

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The area I have selected to observe is the Student Services Building (SSB) Courtyard at Durham College. I first visited this site on May 5, 2017 at 11:00. The day I visited was a very rainy day with 80mm expected to fall over 48 hours.

The area is a mainly flat grass area that is approximately 70m long by 20m wide. The grass area is man-made and has a slight elevation on the south side. Sidewalks that lead to adjoining building surround the area and there is a parking lot at the south-west corner. At this time of year, the area is home to two Canadian Geese to protect the area for their nesting eggs. The area also frequents several bird species. The vegetation in this area is grass, weeds and there are nine trees. See pictures attached.

Three questions that come to mind when observing this area are as follows,

  1. How is the vegetation effected by the use of the courtyard by students and staff
  2. Are there any negative effects on the space due to the surrounding sidewalks and parking lot
  3. Is there different vegetation is shaded versus sunny areas.

Cranberry Flats Saskatchewan in the Spring

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Creeping juniper “crawling” across the stair case.
Mixed grass prairie.
One type of berry observed – others were red or deep purple.

I have chosen the conservation area Cranberry Flats (incidentally also chosen by another student) which is under the control of the Meewasin Valley Authority near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is described as a “mixed grass prairie” comprised of grasses, wildflowers and hardy plants. The hardiness was clear with some plants still having berries despite the snow recently melting and frost occurring on most nights prior to my visit. Also, the diameter of small trees and thick shrubs was small, however, they stood upright despite strong winds over the winter and little protection by large trees or hills. There is a 1km trail which ends at the South Saskatchewan River. The trail is mostly dirt with the last third covered by a man-made wooden boardwalk. Up until this boardwalk the land is mostly flat with some dips and small hills. However, 100-150m from the river there is a slope down to the river.

I visited Cranberry Flats on 01-04-2017 from 11:58 – 12:31. The temperature was 12 degrees Celsius, mostly cloudy with a light breeze and beginning of Spring. Some birds were heard in the distance but there were no observable animals. There is diversity in flora with both long and short grasses, creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), berry-bearing shrubs, stalky trees, and white birch trees (Betula papyrifera). There was a clear gradient in plant diversity, with diversity being higher away from the river.

Three questions that come from this initial survey of the area are:

  1. What exactly is the change in plant diversity as you move closer to the river from the beginning of the flats?
  2. How does the creeping juniper interact with the abiotic factors such as the boardwalk and stair case?
  3. What berries can be found within a certain distance of each other and how does this change over the spatial gradient?

Post 1: Observations

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Your initial post will describe the area that you have selected to observe. Give a brief physical description of the study area. Include its approximate size and location, and a general picture of its topography (i.e., canyon, flat, rolling hills, mountain slope, river bottom, etc.), vegetation (this can be very coarse, for example forested, grassland, wetland, city street with ornamental trees and shrubs, etc.), and designation, if any (i.e., Provincial or City park, golf course, etc.). Also note, when and at what time you visited the site and give an indication of weather and seasonality. Think about potential subjects that you might want to study for your research project. Based on your observations, list three questions that are interesting or striking and could form the subject of your research project. Support the descriptions above with images from your field journal (if you’re using paper and pen, scan your pages; if you’re using digital technology, save your files and submit those).

Remember to check the “Categories” box for Post 1: Observations when you post.