We will be departing from the Phys. Plant at noon on Tuesday for Merry Lea. We will arrive at Luckey’s Landing, along the NE shoreline of High Lake (where we ended our previous hike across Merry Lea). We will be out in the field the entire time doing vegetation sampling to better understand composition and structure along a continuum of various terrestrial ecosystems. You will be working off-trail so wear sturdy close-toed footwear; there may be some poison ivy. Consider bringing water, sun and, insect protection.
Bring:
your field notebook
your completed Wetland Community Survey exercise sheet from last week to turn in
your Soil Survey book to turn in
Lab notebook questions for lab this week:
1. Of the abiotic factors you have learned about, what may have contributed to the differences and similarities between the plant community composition and structure represented by the plots along this continuum of closed-canopied forest, woodland, savanna and prairie ecosystems?
2. What abiotic factor(s) might be manipulated when restoring landscapes to represent the ecosystems along this continuum?
3. How do you think fragmentation theory applies to our goal of restoring these habitats?