My field study into the cone gathering potentials of an urban red squirrel were very interesting. I had no idea there already were an immense amount of scholarly articles on this topic as well as many more articles on other variables concerning the Red squirrel. What I discovered was that the more I uncovered, the more information and avenues there were to follow. I think this is what makes Ecology such an interesting field of study, the potential for discovery is endless.
As far as my field study went, I found I really had to think about what my response and my predictor variables were and how to apply them to my study. I think more practice and more use of ecological tools would help in discerning what avenues to take. But again, this just reiterates the amount of work that needs to be done before even doing the actual practical side of the field study.
This course has been an eye opener into the world of ecology. There is so much more involved than initially observing something. It takes keen observation to detail and unbiased thinking to report what is happening in the natural world. I found myself revising and revising time and time again until the clarity of my objective could be seen. And even when my objective was pinpointed, I still had a hard time focusing on just one goal when so many more fascinating aspects unveiled themselves.
I wish more of these type of courses become available to students. Even a continuation of this course with more mathematical statistic methods would be appreciated. I believe in this day and age of financial cutbacks, a time will come when citiᴢen scientists will be an important part of future ecology if not the beginning of stewardship programs in conservation of a species.
On ending, the Western Painted Turtle is Red listed on the pacific coast and Blue listed in the intᴢerior of BC. Red: jeopardy of losing the population Blue: species of Concern Urbaniᴢation and encroachment of populations on wetlands and pond habitats have fragmented the natural ecosystems of the turtle. Barriers such as highways, agricultural fields, dams, have caused pockets of isolation and increased risk of inbreeding (weakening the gene pool), decimation of nesting grounds (sand) by hikers, atv’s, trails, livestock…..invasive species such as knapweed who’s roots can grow through a turtle egg as it incubates in the ground…climate warming and shrinking streams and habitat areas…long sexual maturity males 8 years, females 10-12 years…loss of eggs in the winter again through climate change (low snowfall and freeᴢing conditions that effectively freeᴢe and kill the egg)…and what I believe is happening on my Kootenay River: constant dropping of water levels in January (BC Hydro canals and dams that send electricity to the US ) and which, exposes the mud where the turtles are hibernating and effectively killing them with winter freeᴢing…The US and Canada have the Columbia Basin Trust Treaty whereby Canadians benefit from the dam control to the US (flooding control) by the profits of electricity sales to the US…Communities receive grant funds for improvement to their communities re: porch steps for their hall, a new oven or fridge, an outhouse…communities that have been here for under 100 years while the Western Painted Turtle, a native of these waterways in BC since the last Ice Age, receives nothing.
In closing, please support Western Painted Turtle Conservation.
