Category: Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

Blog Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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Bryophytes are an important component of nutrient cycling in ecosystems and therefore have an impact on soil composition and neighbouring vegetation. Because of this involvement, they have a significant impact on the biogeochemistry of the region (Cornelissen et al., 2007). Understanding biogeochemistry is important for creating a complete picture of the natural environment, and understanding when or why things grow in the habitat. Changes in bryophyte species richness may be indicative of underlying changes in biogeochemistry that are also associated with the change in elevation. Also, there may be a biogeochemical reason why some species are able to live at higher elevations, lower elevations, or all elevations. 

 

Three keywords that I would use to describe my research project are bryophytes, elevation gradient, and biogeochemistry. 

Cornelissen, J.H.C., S.I. Lang, N.A. Soudzilozskaia and H.J. During. 2007. Comparative Cryptogram Ecology:A review of Bryophyte and lichen traits that drive biogeochemistry. Annals of Botany. 99(5):987-1001.

Blog Post 7 – Theoretical Perspectives

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Three keywords that describe the underlying processes of my research project are water stress, microclimate and competition.

My hypothesis is that red alder require higher soil moisture. Through observation of my study site, I found that red alder were often found closer to the river, which lead me to believe that there is higher soil moisture in this area. Throughout my research, I have found a number of ecological processes that relate to my research project. Not only is there evidence that red alder live in areas of high soil moisture, but they have a tolerance to flooding and intolerance to water stress.

I theorize that the river provides a microclimate consisting of increased water availability, increased light availability, and is a slightly lower elevation than other areas in my study. These conditions allow red alder to thrive right along the river’s edge and creates the perfect microclimate to increase red alder abundance and survival.

Throughout my research, I have found that red alder are good competitors, and are often found in areas that have been disturbed. As the river changes throughout the season, it is likely that red alder are able to handle flooding and erosion better than other species in the area. This would allow them to live closer to the river’s edge, and give them the upper hand compared to other species that require more stable conditions.

 

Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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My research is focused on studying the disturbance gradient of ecotones within anthropogenic and natural disturbance zones. Disturbances zones can be defined by the term ecotone and are typically found throughout residential areas. Ecotones will result in a transitional area between two communities where interspecies competition between early to mid-successional species can flourish. I am studying Himalayan Blackberry (rubus armeniacus) and its effects within the Pacific maritime ecozone, as this Invasive species has become problematic within the Pacific Northwest. Himalayan blackberry has the ability to quickly spread and due to its longevity, early to mid-successional species typical of ecotones have been heavily affected. Climax species are not affected by the plant, but environmental factors like arrested succession can occur where rubus armeniacus is allowed to proliferate.

By observing the density and average height over a transect I have been able to see the extent of disturbances and seen how succession has been affected. Structural attributes like biomass will not be included within my report, but I hope to be able to show how functional attributes like productivity, nutrient fluxes, and saturation can affect the growth of the clonal vine. The reduction in biodiversity that Himalayan blackberry has created within the Pacific Northwest has become a problem for land planners and understanding interspecies competition that exists between natives and non-native is paramount to restoring natural ecosystems.

Blog Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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My hypothesis touches on the effect of a stream on species richness primarily, but could actually be more related to slope or competition for resources, which may also play a factor. At this point, it appears my hypothesis is wrong however, and I believe that species richness along the stream has more to do with patch dynamics and competition for other resources other water, which I originally thought would have a stronger impact. My research will be focused on how competition for resources creates known patch dynamics along a stream, or similar waterway, in an attempt to understand the less then uniform patterns I’m observing.

Keywords might be Patch Dynamics, Species Richness, Stream-side vegetation

Blog Post-7

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My project discuss a detailed study of why birds feed at different habitat s when there is food available to them. And if they exhibit different feeding habitat is what makes them do so. This study focused on common songbird species of various sizes and shapes. The theoretical aspects of my project are that species that are greater in size feed on the ground to conserve energy and the species that are smaller in size but are dominating feed at the feeder and the other ones mostly feed away from the feeder. My research is underpinned by idea such as interspecific competition, adequate weather for the birds to come out of their places. Some key words that could be used to describe my project are bird species and their different feeding habits

Blog Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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For my research project, my hypothesis is that increasing levels of human presence leads to a decrease in shorebird diversity measures at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. This hypothesis might touch on ecological processes such as intolerance of shorebird species (local to the refuge) to urban life or human presence. Specifically, intolerance of shorebird species to human presence or urban life may arise from associated phenomena such as habitat disturbance, noise or pollution. The observation of such phenomena at the wildlife refuge and their observed correlation with observed levels of human presence or urbanization underpin this research. My initial observation of shorebird diversity decreasing across the observed increasing urbanization or human presence gradient also underpins this research.

Blog Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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My research focuses on two ungulate species: the Columbia black-tailed deer and the Roosevelt Elk. Underlying my  research into their scat densities and their relationship with differing dominant vegetation, is how these two species have adapted to resource partitioning within their similar niches. I look to touch on how nutritional availability changes throughout the year within the plant cells of their preferred food, as well as their differing nutritional needs. I also look to explore how not only nutrition but also predation affects their behaviour in choosing habitats, as well as how this predator pressure may influence their fitness. The understory of the forest in coastal BC is dense with fern, salal and huckleberry which give deer a year round source of food and cover, but during the winter they must share this habitat with the elk.  In spring and summer the elk tend to stick to meadows to eat grasses and sedges and are constantly migrating in order to sustain their nutritional needs. Deer also venture out into the open to use these areas mostly under the cover of darkness when predators are present in the environment. I am looking to investigate to what extent the elk use the grassy riparian areas opposed to the forest, and to what extent black tailed deer share this habitat and the forest with them.
The conservation of the Roosevelt elk populations on Vancouver Island is of great importance to not only the biodiversity of BC but also for ecological stability, anthropogenic economic benefit, and indigenous cultural importance. The preservation or creation of habitat is not only the responsibility of the province but also the forestry industry. More research should be done to see if seral stages or alternative stable states that would increase elk habitat could be allowed to develop by forgoing the application of silvicultural methods that suppress important food sources.

Keywords: Resource partitioning, niche breadth, competition, diet diversity, seral stages.

Blog Post 7

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My study is concerned primarily with trail selection by mule deer at varying snow depth in an open field, with my hypothesis being that as snow depth increases, mule deer will increasingly lessen their use of secondary (newly created) trails and increase their use of primary (previously created) trails and established trails -in this case, anthropogenically created snowshoe trails. The underlying ecological processes of my hypothesis are energy conservation, adaptation to human activity, habitat selection, community dynamics, behavioural plasticity, and perhaps nutrient cycling. This last process will not be explored in my study, but as winter is such a tough time for deer, energy expenditure and conservation are very important. That means that the selection of trails through deep snow could potentially be the deciding factor in their survival. Furthermore, I believe, and explore a little bit in my study, that deer are travelling through my study area between bedding areas and browsing areas in adjacent agricultural land. The nutrients from the agricultural land are no doubt sustaining the deer population in the area, and their decision to travel through the open field of my study area must mean they obtain from there is worth the energy expenditure of the travel.

Three keywords for my study could be behavioural plasticity, anthropogenic disturbance exploitation, calorie expenditure.

Post 7

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The theoretical basis of project is around ungulate winter diet selection of regenerating conifers.  This requires looking at topics around ungulate habitat needs, food selection, land use of ungulates, browse pressure on vegetation, and land manager treatments to avoid browse pressure on confer seedlings.

Key words: Ungulate food selection, ungulate browse pressure, conifer seedling damage

Post 7: Theoretical Perspectives

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According to previous research, epiphytic lichens associate differently depending on the type and age of the tree, as well as bark characteristics. There are additional variables within the microclimate, and larger local environment that influence lichen associations. My hypothesis focuses on differences between tree family (and therefore bark characteristics) and differences in microclimate caused by the proximity to a wetland/lake area. An additional ecological process my research may touch on is the different developmental stages of the fruticose lichen (Cladonia sp.). According to the field data collected this far, it appears that a fruticose lichen that resembles Cladonia sp. differs in developmental stage by the presence and size of the podetia. Preliminary findings suggest the developmental stage differs between trees, potentially due to differences in microclimate, tree family, or even due to tree size. Further collection of additional replicates and statistical analyses will help test these findings.

Three keywords I could use to describe my research project include; epiphytes, distribution, structure