Category: Percy Hebert

Post 3: Ongoing field observations at the Vancouver beach

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My second field observation took place on the 20th of February, from 15:05 to 16:30, at multiple sites in the intertidal zone along the stretch of beach north of Volunteer Park. The weather was overcast and lightly spitting (it started raining more fully right after I finished), and approximately 7 degrees. High tide had been predicted at 10:34 (4m), and low tide was predicted for 18:34 (1.6m).

I initially wanted to compare oysters & mussels along the gradient from the top of the beach towards the water’s edge, by recording the number & size of all the oysters and mussels found in three spots from the beach’s edge to the water’s edge. I quickly realized after I started to make observations that the number of mussels, their sizes (ranging from 5mm to 90mm) and their close proximity to each other and attachments to various surfaces made this initial plan impractical. I decided to focus my observations on oysters instead, but because there were fewer oysters, I thought just three observations sites along the gradient might not be sufficient.

Ultimately I chose three locations along the beach – one at the stairs from Volunteer beach, the other two approx. 40-60m to the west and east of the stairs – and, starting right at the edge of the beach, I walked in a line towards the water. With each pace, I turned around and counted the number of oysters visible in the space between myself and where I had stood at the previous pace, within about 1 metre to either side (see the rough diagram in red, in the photos of my field journal). Each count was recorded in one square in my field journal, and I paced and counted until I ran out of space on the page. As I counted, I noticed that there seemed to be more oysters where there were big rocks (greater than ~30cm) than more “clear” areas, so I noted where there seemed to be more rocks as I was counting. In the third location, counting was hampered by the presence of seaweed/algae/general mud & slime that covered lots of the rocks and surface.

I want to focus on the distribution of the oysters, comparing areas with large rocks to areas without.

Possible processes that might cause the distribution difference:

  • large rocks provide more shelter, so in areas without shelter, the oysters are more likely to be predated upon by birds and therefore fewer would be found there
  • obviously since some of the oysters are not unattached, a large rock provides more surface area for oysters to attach, so more would be found there
  • possibly confounding factor: more attached oysters by big rocks might be competing for resources with unattached oysters, so more unattached oysters might be in places without large rocks

I hypothesize that the shelter provided by large rocks will cause more oysters to stay nearby. My prediction is that I will count more oysters, attached and unattached, very close to large rocks than I will count where there are no large rocks.

The predictor variable would be the presence of a large rock, which I would not control so it would be a natural, not a manipulated experiment. It is categorical, because it is either the presence or absence of large rocks. The response variable would be the number of oysters, which is a categorical variable, because it is a count of how many there are (contrast with if it was a measure of how big they grow, which would be continuous).

Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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There are several ecological processes and factors which are relevant to my hypothesis. The abundance and variety of bird species observed at each of the three locations will be affected by several influences. The ideas that unpin my research include:

  • Which indisputably granivorous birds are native to the area
  • The disturbances caused by hikers along the trail
  • The diversity and abundance of birds in relation to forest fragmentation
  • Temperature, precipitation, and other weather conditions which may affect behaviour
  • Makeup of birds present when considering migratory and sedentary species
  • Presence of predators at feeders

Keywords that I could use to describe my research project include indisputably granivorous birds, bird predators, aves, ornithology, and recreational path.

Post 6: Data Collection

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Because the natural park that I was sampling from is located almost directly next to my place of work, I was able to sample each morning for an hour before heading to work. I sampled from 7-8am each week day starting from January 11th, until February 5th. This meant that I sampled on 20 separate occasions. It was made extremely easy in that it is so close to my work place. With my markers set up for my three testing locations, I spend twenty minutes at each location observing the bird species that I see. I created a tally sheet including any species that have already been identified, with room for any new varieties. Sampling at the location itself went quite well and was relatively easy. Some mornings were quite cold, but it was interesting to observe how different weather conditions seemed to influence the presence of bird species. There were species which I was unable to identify. In those cases, I would take a few pictures of the bird and then identify at a later time. That was challenging at times, thought with the resources I have and the expertise of the staff on site at the natural park, I was able to identify all birds that were observed. The ancillary patterns which I observed did not consistently support my hypothesis. Other considerations such as temperature, precipitation, and hiker presence seemed to contribute to the presence or lack or presence of bird species variety and abundance.

Post 5: Design Reflections

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The data that I collected in Module 3 did prove to be interesting. I was unsure how many birds and how many different species I would be able to observe in the hour and 15 minutes that I conducted the data collection. I saw four different species, three of which I was able to identify immediately, and one that I was able to later identify. I would consider this one difficulty in the study. I knew that I would of course not know all local species going into this study, but was unsure if I would be able to properly identify any that I did not already know. On this day, I was able to take a few photos of the species that I was unable to identify, which made it significantly easier in identifying at a later time with more resources.

The location where I collected the data was at Location A of my test site, which is where I anticipated finding the most variety of bird species as well as abundance. At this location there is a clearing with bird feeders. There are also park benches, and therefore tends to have more people present. On the day where I collected data, it was not only raining, but I collected data at 8am. I saw very few people, which may have affected the bird’s behaviour or presence.

I did choose to modify my approach in that in my full field research for this assignment, I observed the number of species and their abundance at three separate locations, points A, B, and C. The proximity to the bird feeders, to more human traffic, and to a clearing in the forest all the three variables which I chose to observe for this study. The sampling technique proved effective. I was not observing the location for so long that I lost patience, concentration, or interest. I think an hour of observing each day is an appropriate and sustainable amount of time to allot to the observations.

Post 4: Sampling Strategies

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There were interesting and unexpected results determined regarding accuracy and time for each method of sampling in this assignment, which was completing the virtual survey of the Snyder-Middleswarth Natural area. The sampling technique which proved to have the fastest time was the systematic transects technique. The sampling style with the lowest percentage of error turned out to be the haphazard selection method. The accuracy of the study was affected by species abundance. The sampling accuracy decreased with a decrease in species abundance. An increase in sampling size would be effective in increasing accuracy. The percentage of error is increased when sample sizes are decreased. I was not necessarily surprised that the systematic technique was the fastest sampling method, but I was somewhat surprised that the haphazard selection method resulted in the lowest percentage of error.

Post 3: Ongoing Field Observations

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Ongoing Field Observations

What I plan to study are the variety or bird species and number of each bird species seen in three locations on this trail. I will observe species at the top of the hill on this trail. This is where the parch benches and feeders are, as well this is where there is a somewhat large clearing. I also plan to observe the species of birds present 100m from this point, as well as 200m from this point. I will observe the birds in terms of the variety of species, and how many of each species I observe within a set time. Each visit to the trail will be one hour. I will spend twenty minutes at each of these plots observing the species.

I hypothesize that the birds will be inclined to visit the feeders at the top of the trail, regardless of the larger number of people in this location. Therefore, I predict that there will be more species and a greater number of birds at the clearing at the top of the hill, than there will be at either of the other two test locations. I predict this outcome due to the bird feeders present, despite there being more people and less coverage  in this area.

A response variable within this study is the number of birds and variety of bird species that will be observed. This variable will be categorical, as it will entail the presence and/or absence of specific species. An explanatory variable would be the three locations which will be tested, and their proximity to the bird feeders, park benches, and forest clearing. This variable is continuous, as is can be measured by distance.

Post 2: Sources of Scientific Information

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The source of ecological information I have chosen to evaluate is Birds as mediators of passive restoration during early post-fire recovery from Biological Conservation, Volume 158.

Using the course information from the tutorial on how to evaluate sources of scientific information, I would classify this article as academic, peer-reviewed research material.This article contains in-text citations as well as a list of all cited literature. This article is research material because it contains materials and methods, results, and discussion sections. It is also peer-reviewed because it specifically mentions editors, as well as the dates the article was edited and then accepted.

Article link:

Cavallero, L. Raffaele, E. Aizen, M. (2013). Birds as mediators of passive restoration during early post-fire recovery, Biological Conservation: Vol. 158: p. 342-350. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320712004247

Post 1: Observations

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January 8, 21
3-4pm
Sunny
-7 degrees Celsius

Initial Field Observations at Huron Natural Park – Meadow Trail

Huron Natural Park is a park located in Kitchener, Ontario. Within the Park, the Meadow Trail is the trail which I am choosing to observe. This trail is 0.6km in length. It is quite hilly, but is a relatively easy trail. Either side of the trail is forest, with a combination of deciduous and coniferous trees, though the trees are mostly deciduous along this trail. As it is winter, this means the forest is mostly bare. I chose this trail as it is one of my favourites at this park. The path itself is almost a clearing as it is quite wide. This trail is known for having a large number of bird species. At the top of the hill along this trail, there is a clearing with a bench. There are also two bird feeders located in this clearing area at the top of the hill. On my initial trip to the trail, I observed a blue jay, a brown creeper, and a red-breasted nuthatch along this trail.

The three questions which my observations made me consider were:

  • Are bird species more prevalent at the feeders? This area does have benches for people as well, so I am unsure how popular these feeders may be.
  • As partial-migrants, can I expect to see any red-tailed hawks at the clearing of this trail? They are known to occupy this area in warmer weather.
  • As the park is far less busty due to covid-19 restrictions, can I expect to find more species here than can usually be found?

Post 2: Sources of Scientific Information

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Non-academic scientific source

Kimmerer, R. W. 2020. Braiding Sweetgrass (2nd Hardcover Edition). Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Type of scientific information: Non-academic scientific source.

Written by an expert in the field

  • Kimmerer is an ecology professor at SUNY-ESF
  • This book isn’t affiliated with her institution but the subject of the book is the same as her professional work, and the book is included on her faculty bio

Has a bibliography

  • pages 379-380 of the 2nd Hardcover Ed. 
  • Also has a note on page 378 about citations for oral history and storytelling

Does not have in-line citations

Because this book does not meet the requirements to be considered an academic source of scientific information (by not having in-line citations), but is still scientific writing (the subject of the book is traditional ecological knowledge, written by an expert in the field), I conclude that the book Braiding Sweetgrass is a non-academic scientific source. 

Peer-reviewed academic scientific research.

Kimmerer, R. W. 2005 Patterns of Dispersal and Establishment of Bryophytes Colonizing Natural and Experimental Treefall Mounds in Northern Hardwood Forests. The Bryologist 108(3): 391-401

Type of scientific information: Peer-reviewed academic scientific research.

Written by an expert in the field

  • Also written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, but this time explicitly affiliated with SUNY-ESF.
    • her institution is printed below her name on the first page

Has in-text citations

Has a bibliography

Is peer-reviewed

  • There is no acknowledgements section, but the paper’s timeline indicates several months passed between receipt and acceptance of the manuscript.
  • The journal, The Bryologist, states that all submissions will undergo, at minimum, two peer reviews.

Is original research, not a review.

  • The article has a methods and a results section

Because this article meets the requirements to be considered academic (written by an expert, and has both in-text citations and a bibliography), the journal says that all submissions are peer-reviewed, and the work presented is details of original research, I conclude that this scientific article is an academic, peer-reviewed, original research source of scientific information.

Post 1: Observations (Vancouver, Beach)

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I have chosen a section of beach just north of Volunteer Park, in Kitsilano, Vancouver.

(49.2720355, -123.1693128)

Observations

General landscape

My first field observation took place on Friday, 12 February, from 12:17 to 13:06. The weather was cold (approx. -2 degrees Celsius) and overcast. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (tides.gc.ca), the predicted low tide was at 12:38 and was 3m (relatively high, the next low tide at 23:50 is predicted to be 0.6m).

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Figure 1. The beach north of Volunteer Park seen from the edge of the water at low tide, 12 February 2021. A. The entrance to the steps down to the beach. B. Hill slope, with some vegetation (mostly grass and ivy). The slope extends 2-3m, with an elevation drop of 4m. C. Big rocks and logs, extends 2-3m, 1m drop. D. Sandy beach, extends 4m, 1m drop. E. Intertidal zone, 14m to edge of water, less than 1m elevation drop. All measurements are visual estimates.

The selected site (Fig. 1) is the tidal area of the beach found down the steps from Volunteer Park.

Vegetation

On the hill there is trees, some grass, and (especially around the tree, close to the concrete wall to the east) some ivy. I saw minimal land vegetation past the large rocks.

I saw a few different kinds of seaweed, some more clearly different than others (Figure 2). They looked different but I will have to spend more time looking at the seaweed at the beach with an identification guide in order to know. The only seaweed that was further up on the beach was the reddish-brown “finger-leaf” seaweed.

Figure 2. Photographs of seaweed found at the beach site. First to last: “mossy” green seaweed, “kind-of-mossy-but-with-longer-strands” green seaweed, “slimy-sheet” green seaweed, “finger-leaf” greenish-brown red seaweed, “fuzzy” red seaweed, “finger-leaf” reddish-brown seaweed.  

Animals

From the big rocks down through to the edge of the water, I found many shells both whole and in fragments. I could identify lots of mussel and oyster shells, and fewer clam shells. (Fig. 3) Living examples of all of those were in the wet intertidal zone. (Fig. 4) Towards the bottom of the sandy beach, very little sand was visible because of the amount of small pieces of shell.

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Figure 3. Shells found on the sandy beach. A. Oyster shell. B. Mussel shell. C. Broken clam shell.

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Figure 4. Top: Mussel attached to rock. The hairs of the “beard” are visibly connecting the animal to the rock. Bottom: Oyster in a shallow pool, covered in barnacles. 

I also spotted evidence of buried animals. I found holes in the mud of varying size (Fig. 5), saw a couple spurts of water (as some clams do), and what looked like the open razor-edges of buried mussels (Fig. 6).

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Figure 5. Small holes in the mud in the intertidal zone.

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Figure 6. Open shells of bivalves, underwater. 

Barnacles were visible on most hard surfaces in the intertidal zone, including rocks and other animals (Fig. 4 bottom). I did not witness any barnacles open to catch food.

The most prevalent birds were crows, with some seagulls mostly flying overhead, and a few Barrow’s goldeneye ducks swimming near the water’s edge. The crows appeared to be digging in the intertidal mud, and varied in group size from individuals to large groups (Fig. 7). They were often quite noisy.

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Figure 7. Crows in the intertidal zone.

Surprisingly for me, considering the cold weather, I also saw some small flying insects walking on some of the rocks (Fig. 8). They moved quickly.

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Figure 8. Small winged insects, seen moving on rocks in the intertidal zone. Three individuals are circled in red. 

I did not see any sea stars, anemones, or jellyfish, all of which I have seen before at low tide on beaches in Vancouver. It is possible this absence is because the low tide at the time was not very low, but also I have not looked closely at this beach before and they may only be present elsewhere.

People

This beach is located in between Kitsilano beach and Jericho beach, and when the water is not too high, it is a popular spot for taking a walk. While I was there, many people walked past. Some people were just out for a walk, but many also had dogs. Most of the dogs were unleashed, and often ran in the intertidal zone. I especially noticed dogs occasionally chasing the crows.

Note about identifications:

Any animals identified above are not listed with the Latin binomial names because I did not consult a guidebook, so the identifications are just from my own previous knowledge, to the best of my ability, and may not be exact or fully accurate. In my next field observations, I hope to be more specific as I narrow the focus of the field study.

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Potential Research Questions

  1. How do the species of animal vary from the upper- to the lower-intertidal zone? Are some species or animal types restricted to one section of the intertidal zone? Is there variation between individuals (eg. size) of a species as they get closer or further from the top of the intertidal zone?
  2. What are the different species of seaweed present in this area? Do they vary in distribution? Are some seaweed species often close to particular animals?
  3. What is the effect of people on the activity in the intertidal zone? Does the presence of unleashed dogs reduce the number of birds?