Category: Post 9: Field Research Reflections

My research project was to examine the expansion of a stand of Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides into a field at Campbell Valley Park in southwestern BC. When I initially chose this site for my project, it was summer, and all the plants had their full suite of foliage. I also observed many small Aspen shoots in the field which led me to hypothesize that the stand was expanding into the field. However, I did not start my final sampling until winter, and I observed very minimal shoots in the field and there was no foliage in the forest. The lack of foliage changed the patterns that I saw in the Aspen Stand from the summer, I observed more smaller (younger) trees dispersed further into the stand. In my original design, I wanted to sample 3 sizes of Aspen trees, those over 10cm diameter at breast height, between 2cm and 10cm and under 2cm. I was trying to capture the new Aspen trees or shoots with the smallest size. Given the fact that there were almost no shoots visible during my winter sampling, I chose to reduce this to the two larger sizes. Although I had some difficulty with this field research project and gathering of data, I have enjoyed being able to use what I have learned in this course in a practical way.

Overall, I enjoyed this experiment and spending the amoutn of time observing that I did. I enjoyed getting out early each morning before work and observing the birds at the local natural park. There were far more species than I had seen there previously. There were times that I found it quite cold, of course. At times, being outside for an hour at 7am, in January, was really quite cold. But observing the patterns and species present, was really quite interesting. In hindsight, I think I would have implemented a different/better design or hypothesis. The location I had available to me was perfect for observations, but I could likely have chosen a better route for my study. The practice of ecology is more complex and involved than I had considered or realized previously, and I certainly have a higher appreciation for it having completed the course.

I ultimately really enjoyed this course and the project. I have spent time in conventional as well as online post secondary and while both have their pros and cons, I really miss having the hands on learning experiences and doing things other than reading from a textbook and filling out assignments. It really made all the difference in terms of how I thought about concepts and made connections because having to be out in nature looking for patterns and really observing translated the information into a mode I could easily remember. I also really enjoy academic literature and the number of studies we had to read for this course really gave me an appreciation for coherent academic literature and I really drew on methods I liked to write my own report.

As for the project itself, I learned a lot about what goes into conducting these studies. Most of the data collection and observations were tedious, cold, and the worst of all: involving math. Furthermore, it was very discouraging to get a nonsignificant result and to later learn about multiple reasons why my experiment failed. On the other hand, it was very good for my ego to have failed and I learned a lot more from what went wrong than I think I would have had the experiment rejected the null hypothesis. To add to that, I also really felt proud at the end of my report having written pages and pages of a study I conducted, commenting on data I collected, picking apart methods that I had created and communicating ideas and concepts I had read about and learned. I now know how more to assign variables and evaluate their validity and the importance of doing the abundance of research before you plan the study rather than after.

I already had a deep appreciation and respect for the natural sciences and ecological theory, but this course really gave me a renewed respect for nature and the incredible amounts of intelligence the natural world holds. I think there is a lot to be learned from it that modern day humans don’t always recognize and through learning all of this information, I felt a little put in my place in terms of my role on the planet as a whole. In addition, I think this intelligence and these concepts can be applied to areas of psychology, which is my main area of study. Human minds in their own way are little ecosystems that have a natural covering of different species (genetics), are subject to disturbances (trauma) and invasive species (human influence), and have their own innate tolerance, resilience, and factors that dictate what state they are in.

Overall, I really enjoyed this course and would like to deeply thank Robyn for all of her hard work.

Overall I really enjoyed my field experiment. I learned a lot about aspen trees and gained a new respect for a tree that I honestly found annoying before this project. I now have a deeper understanding of the amazing ability of nature to not just survive but to find the best way to use the situation to thrive. My initial troubles with my project were limited to how I was measuring the green color. I was frustrated by my inability to accurately measure the chlorophyll layer but once I modified my approach I had no further problems. Completing this project has definitely made me more aware of the world around me and made me more curious about why other things may be the way they are. This project has caused me to look at things differently and to try and see the patterns and possible reasons for the events that take place in the environment around me. I have a much deeper appreciation for ecology and the knowledge that is gained through this area of study. This project has inspired me to want to investigate other aspects of my environment and keep learning and growing.

       This experiment was a combination of stress and pride as it was my first time designing and carrying out an entire research project! It was an interesting journey filled will multiple challenges and resulted in a project that I am very proud of.

        The major issue I ran into was weather changes. I was not prepared for how quickly the temperature declined this fall, and as a result, my variables may have been confounded. If I were to re-do this experiment, I would have began this as early as possible and completed my replicates while the temperatures were consistent. In addition to this, I would have adjusted how I approached my replicates. Instead of doing the replicates for each treatment on different days, I would have done them all in one day. This way, I would have had consistent temperature and weather, thus reducing confounding variables and improving the accuracy of my results. As a result of not doing both the the previously mentioned items, I had to change my second treatment from one flower to another. I chose to change the flower as my first choice was too withered to be considered viable for my experiment. Perhaps I will never know if this made a dramatic difference in my observations, but every consistent variable counts!

       This course and experiment has given me a much more engaging perspective on the scientific method and ecological science as a whole. The final project in conjunction with the textbook readings has evolved my appreciation for environmental science and I look forward to furthering my knowledge in this with future schooling!

I had several issues through the process of designing and carrying out the field experiment. Most of which related to formulation of a solid hypothesis and a corresponding experiment that was feasible within time and scope constraints. Small but significant changes had to made to the sample selection and randomization process. Also, my hypothesis needed to be rethought on two occasions.

This was not my first experience with field experimentation but it was certainly the most difficult to complete. My appreciation for the amount of hard work and critical thought required to perform ecology in the field has been renewed.

Overall, this field research project has been greatly beneficial to expanding my knowledge and providing me with tools to carry out scientific research, capture field research, analyze data, and present my findings. I found many hurdles along the way, for example, choosing a specific and realistic area to focus on, deciding on an appropriate experimental design and sampling method, as well as, incorporating materials learned in the ecology class and applying them to properly title and document my findings. Deciding on a research question was difficult. I had to weigh both what might be conceptually interesting but what could be practically executed in the field.  Moreover, the research question also needed to be previously researched and the hypothesis testable. Other hurdles included physically taking samples and ensuring that bias was removed and data was accurately collected by closely following distance and directional measurements.

This course has broadened my understanding of ecology, as well as, supplied me with the tool kit to further my scientific research in other areas of biology. Engaging in this research gave me insights into how difficult it is to gather data with high validity and rigor and appreciation of the efforts, hard work, and time others exert for their research. In terms of ecological theory, this validity and rigor are critical to developing sound theory and a basis for our basic understanding of the world around us.