Category: Post 1: Observations

I have chose to compare two different sites on McArthur Island. The first site is the  9-hole golf course that is approximately 20acres. It closed last year because its lease was up with the city and since then the course has since been unmaintained, meaning the grass is dead, weeds are thriving, and wildlife is everywhere. There are 3 small ponds throughout the  rolling hills of the course. The most rural pond had a beaver lodge along the edge,  but in all 3 ponds there was a lot of debris from trees and some garbage, so it was murky and dirty. Trees are scattered, but are most dense along the edges of the main pond, and there are many different kinds of trees; spruce, willow, maple, birch, pine, chestnut and cottonwood trees. An unidentified weed thrives along the edge of the pond, but most of the grasses and shrubs along it are dead. Surrounding about 75% of the golf course is a slew, and the other quarter is edged by the Thompson River. Because of this and the swampy ponds there is multitudes of mosquitoes. There is a variety of small and large animals on the course such as the Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), Canadian geese and their young (Branta canadersis), marmots (Sciuridae), Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), beavers (Castor), White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Mallard ducks and very tiny ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos), and finally Bald eagles (Haliaeeitus leucocephalus). My first visit was on an overcast evening from 7-8pm and the temperature was about 20 degrees. Around 7:45 the wind really picked up and some thunder and lightning started off in the distance.

My second location is the slew/moat that surrounds McArthur Island where the water comes from the rising South Thompson River when its rises. My first visit was June 24th from 4:40-5:25pm , and it was very hot and humid. The temperature was 32 degrees and it was partly cloudy with some sunshine. The water definitely seems cleaner than the ponds, and it doesn’t smell at all, though there seems to be some garbage floating around. The slew is also seasonal because it comes and goes with the rise and decline of the river depth, but the water is still seasonably high. There is a bridge across the slew and on the north side of the bridge the bank along the residential side is mostly rocks with some shrubs and trees, while the island bank is tall grasses, as well as trees and large shrubs that overhang into the water. On the south side of the bridge both banks of the slew are larger shrubs and trees with some dead underbrush floating in the water. Some of the known bushes were blueberry and reship bushes along with some thorn bushes. There is a walkway about 15 feet away from the slew on the island and along it are some various small flowers. White-tailed deer are often seen hanging out and grazing along the edges of the slew on both sides. There was an abundance of mallard ducks hanging out under a large willow tree by the edge of the slew under the bridge, but there were also quite a few in the water. I also some a type of small fish jumping out of the water and in the shallows. Some crows and seagulls were also among the ducks, all hanging out in the same area.

• Why is there such a difference in plant life? Taking into account freshness/cleanliness of water, shade vs sun, alkalinity of the pond versus the slew.
• Why do the mallard ducks seem to prefer the slew rather than the ponds? Is it because of water cleanliness, openness of water, shade or sun exposure, temperature of water, food sources?

Here is a map of McArthur Island:

McArthurIslandPark map view

Below are images of McArther Island golf course:

Below are a few pictures of the slew/moat:

The area I chose to do my study on is the Valleyview nature park in Kamloops. There are many hiking trails that run throughout the hills between Valleyview and Juniper Ridge. The particular area that I looked at is approximately a 45 minute walk away from the main trail entrance. The area has many rolling hills. The vegetation in this area is mostly sagebrush, a few types of grasses, fir trees and pine trees. The trees are mostly located in valleys between hills, though some are on the hilltops as well. The area is approximately 2.5 km long and varies in width.

I visited the area 10:15 – 11:15 on June 6, 2018. It was sunny and then around 11:00 it became slightly cloudy. I saw a coyote (Canis latrans) and have also seen many white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in this area before.

1. Is the size of the sagebrush affected by its location relative to the hills?

2. Why are there more trees at the base of hills versus the top of hills? Is it because the rain water travels down the hills and collects there, that there is less exposure to the sun or another reason?

3. Why is there a greater density of trees at the east side of the park versus the west?

My chosen area of study is a Garry oak and Douglas-fir ecosystem, typical of south-facing exposures on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf islands. It is located on the north side of Cowichan Bay near the city of Duncan, on a ~45%, SSW aspect and ~90 meters above sea level. Ample groundwater flow during the rainy season tapers to drought conditions with only a few weeks of no rain. Bedrock is exposed in areas, and average soil thickness likely between 0.5 and 1 meter. This area does not have any specific designation (it is private property) though there is an ecological preserve to the west. Note that due to this site being below my house, one could say that my visitation of this site is ongoing!

Figure 1: Study site.

 Figure 2: section of Garry oak forest with Douglas-fir. Though not visible, this fir is gradually losing its needles from the top down.

Across southern Vancouver Island, Garry oak ecosystems are declining in area as the more vigorous (but less drought and fire resistant) Douglas-fir outcompetes the oaks and as non-native grasses, shrubs and vines overtake meadows. There are also exceedingly few Gary oak seedlings or young trees anywhere. Two questions arise from these observation:

•  Why have I observed so few Garry oak seedlings?
•  What is the impact of non-native vs. native grasses and shrubs on Garry oak propagation and competition?

However, I’ve also noticed in recent years a pattern of Douglas-fir trees dying for unknown reasons, in areas which had historically likely been Gary oak ecosystems (due to lack of water, aspect, and ease of fire progression). This is evident in the immediate study area outline above, as well as throughout the broader hillside. Provided that my observation is indeed correct (and not incidental) and that there is an increase in Douglas-fir mortality on dry, south aspects, my final question is:

• What is/are the causes of this increase in Douglas-fir mortality? (Some possible causes: Increased summer temperatures, changes in timing and amount of precipitation, pathogen, etc)

I have selected three areas of observation for my Field Research project. One large area consists of a bird sanctuary located at the edge of the Okanagan Lake. There is an abundance of various bushes, shrubs, and trees, as well as tall and short grasses. There are areas of the lake here that are protected by constructed rock barriers, forming areas of water that resemble ponds. There is a boardwalk path that leads around the sanctuary, through which pedestrians and cyclists can move. On one side of the sanctuary, there is a public beach, and on the other side, there is a field. Here, it can be seen that there are many species of birds and other small animals occupying the space. There are both predatory and passive bird species here. At the time I visited the bird sanctuary the temperature was hot, at about 25 ℃, there were very few clouds in the sky, and it was quiet except for a number of birds chirping in their differing ways.

The second location is a small meadow with large willow trees and grassy areas. It is beside a park, and is located inland. There are some soccer and baseball fields, leaving lots of green space. There is no open water source here, but the sprinklers from the irrigation system on the soccer field turn on frequently. The meadow and park are situated between a pedestrian path and a road, although it is quite quiet. There are birds and small animals, such as squirrels throughout the park.

The third location is across the street from the park, and is a condo complex with artificial turf and virtually no water sources aside from tap or hose water from the residences. It is louder here with the sound of moderate traffic  but is still fairly quiet. Not much wildlife is observable here, although some birds do land on and fly between the buildings from time to time.

After observing the locations, I came up with some questions I had about them;

1. How many species of land birds are there in the sanctuary when compared to water birds?
2. Does the human activity surrounding the location affect the activity of certain animals in that area?
3. How does the species composition of insects differ between the two sites?

Below are some digital pictures of the area I have chosen to observe:

Above are pictures of the meadow and park located inland.

Pictured above are pictures of the bird sanctuary and pedestrian boardwalk.

My Journal observations are attached:

Journal Observations 1

April 4, 2018, 11:55 am, -10C, clouds: 0/4, wind: 1/4

The study site I have selected is a small marsh known as Pumphouse Pond, fed by McIntyre Creek, coordinates 60.7501, -135.1049, situated behind the Yukon Research Center in Whitehorse, YT. The designation of this marsh is most likely YG parkland. It is approximately 10 acres in size, surrounded by boreal forest and accessible by trails on all sides except the north, where it narrows and runs off into a creek. There is a pumphouse on the west edge where McIntyre Creek empties into the marsh. At this time of year the marsh is frozen and covered in snow, which obstructs observation of the lower levels of flora in and around the body of water except for where the occasional patch has melted through, but surrounding the marsh are trees typical of the boreal forest including Picea glauca, Pinus contorta, Populus tremuloides, Populus balsamifera, and Betula neoalaskana. The understory includes Rhododendron groenlandicum, Rosa acacia, varieties of Salix and Alnus, and others which are at present unidentifiable under the snow. The ground cover includes grasses, sedges, sage, lowbush cranberry, twinflower, and kinnickinnick, though almost all ground is too covered in snow to be observed.

The east bank of the marsh gives way to a steep slope which ascends ~20 meters before resolving into a plateau, while the other borders are characterized by subtly rolling topography. The creek itself flows in from the west, indicating a gentle upward grade. There is a high voltage power line visible to the north of the marsh. A gravel road runs parallel to the southern bank ~50 meters from the water’s edge, not visible from the trail.

Numerous tracks belonging to showshoe hares, red foxes, red squirrels, ravens, and small rodents were observed in the snow. Each of these species is common and abundant in this area. The sounds of 3-4 ravens could be heard to the north edge of the marsh, and a few varieties of birds I cannot at this point identify were singing along the southern edge.

Observations around this site which struck me as interesting include:
-There are two stands of dead trees at the north-west and south-west edges of the marsh. These trees are ~half the height of the live trees which they sit in front of, which appear taller on average than the trees around the rest of the marsh. The relationship between the short dead trees and the taller-than-usual live ones could be explored in light of the shared characteristics of both stand sets (west facing, at the edge of the water, etc).
-While there are many animal tracks near the edges of the marsh, only fox tracks were observed to cut across the middle of the frozen surface. This may suggest an interaction pattern based on feeding relationships.
-Hare tracks tended to follow a distinctive connect-the-dots type pattern from tree to tree for trees with trunks over a certain diameter. Other animal’s tracks seemed to follow trajectories which were more direct, avoiding trees in favour of more continuous movement. I wondered if the pattern of hare movement reflected a predator avoidance strategy or a cold-survival strategy, as the larger trunks were surrounded by wells where reflected heat created potential access points to the subnivean space.

The Area I am interested in is Gambles Pond. It is at a public park. The area has a baseball field near the pond and a small path to the edge of the pond. The pond itself has a lot of vegetation. There are a handful of animals present. The pond itself is near a grassland area with rolling hills. There are a few trees and shrubs. Some of the trees may be ornamental. I visited at the start of spring on March 24, 2018. There is still snow present – but ducks and geese are present. Interestingly, a large section of the lake is lacking any ducks but a muskrat or otter is present.

The area of interest is shown below:

Areas of interest would be:

1. Prevalence of ducks at different light levels and temperature levels.
2. The ratio of male to female ducks
3. The choice of location made by the ducks.

I have kept my lab book digitally:

Observations_DraydenKopp

Blog Post 1:

I have chosen two locations at different elevations within the city of Hamilton, Ontario. The first is a grassy area located near the campus of McMaster University, located 90m above sea level. This area is very flat with some trees and short grass throughout. It is located in a suburban area sandwiched between the university on one side and residential homes on the other. I first visited the site at approximately 10am on March 27^th. The weather was overcast with light rain and it is currently transitioning between winter and spring with temperatures ranging from 0-10 degrees Celsius.

The second location that I have chosen is called Inch Park, located approximately 200m above sea level. This area is also very flat with trees, shrubs, and short grass throughout. It is a park located in a suburban area surrounded by a recreation complex, playground, and other amenities. I first visited the site at approximately 12pm on March 27^th. The weather was overcast with light rain, but the temperature is slightly colder and the season was the same as discussed previously. The area is designated municipal park so there is lots of foot traffic.

• Does the elevation change and consequent temperature change affect the budding of trees and growth of elevation?
• Does the rain and temperature affect the presence of animals, more specifically birds?
• Does the difference in human presence between the areas affect the presence and behavior of animals?

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