Introduction
Biodiversity is the grand diversity of all life on Earth and the interconnections that support these forms of life. This astonishing diversity supports the human existence by providing numerous priceless resources such as food, fuel, and medicine. Many of these resources can not be duplicated by the human race. For these reasons it is obvious that the environment and the biodiversity that it supports are detrimental to human survival. There is one major problem that is growing each day, and that is the amount of biodiversity, along with the services and benefits that is provides is diminishing. The study of biodiversity becomes increasingly important in order to gain knowledge on how to prevent this catastrophe. The
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Methods and Materials
Site 1: Provo Canyon - I chose a site south of the river and about 100 feet above it. The vegetation was beginning to provide a high level of cover on the ground which made for an even distribution of the plant life.
Site 2: Rocky Canyon - I chose a site north of the canyon and off the trails so that I may find some undisturbed areas of vegetation. Plant life at Rock Canyon was very diverse as I discovered many new species during my survey.
Site 3: Wymount Park - I chose a site northwest of the Y symbol. The vegetation here seemed to be less dense and not as plentiful. I observed many more types of sagebrush and grass species that bushes and shrubs. The diversity was not as abundant as a small number of species seemed to dominate the area.
The procedural steps taken in this research project are straightforward, and remain identical for each specific site. First, upon arrival map out an area of 15 meters squared using wooden stakes. Then divide the area into 15 separate 1 meter by 1 meter boxes. Then assign a number to each box and write the numbers 1 through 15 on small slips of paper. In order to insure randomization, randomly select three slips of paper and observe these areas. Second, note each individual species in the box and the number of that species. Record the data, and reference a field guide to give specific names to each plant species. In order to accurately measure the amount of
Rock Canyon is an excellent site for geologic research and has been investigated by geologists from around Utah and neighboring states. With outstanding extrusions of quartzite, tillite and limestone, it’s a favored destination for hikers, rock climbers and scientists. The quartzite is considered the most unique feature of Rock Canyon as it’s one of the few clear and distinct examples of the sedimentary processes involved with a shallow marine setting. The tillite beneath the quartzite draws attention to the ancient glaciers to the past. In conjunction with the active Wasatch Fault found at its doorstep, Rock Canyon is an important place in Utah for geologists.
Hess, D. (2011). Mcknight's Physical Geography; A Landscapes Appreciation. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc
The soil and biotic/abiotic features of the park vary greatly depending on the area of park being studied. The volcanic rock that underlies the
The purpose of this experiment is to observe secondary succession at Umass Dartmouth and test the prediction that diversity increases through ecological succession. Students went outside to the lawn underneath the wind mill on campus. 3 transect sites were located by the instructor. Students predicted the species and percent cover of each species on each trail site. Bar charts were made to compare the number of species in each transect. Pi-charts were made to compare the percent coverage of species in each transect.
The annual rate of precipitation, and elevational range once generated a strong foundation for a wide diversity of vegetation
By comparing the topography, soil moisture levels, relative humidity, and wind speed of the upland Savanna and Bottomland forest we will be able to compare and contrast between these two vegetation zones. The data collected in the investigation will be used to test the hypothesis that the bottomland forest has a higher degree of shrub layer cover than the savanna. The higher level of shrubs in the bottomland forest might be attributed to the space available for shrub layer species. In addition, the data collected will confirm that the bottomland forest has a higher tree density than the
Fire has long been understood to have an impact on the ecosystem of our native woodlands, but it is only recently that we have come to understand its importance in maintaining the ecosystem. This report takes samples of the flora structure and growth in two different areas of Anstey Hill Recreation Park. The first was last burnt in 1995, and the second burnt in 2012. The results of these samples can be compared to data sampled in 2011, when the 2012 burnt area had not been burnt since Ash Wednesday in 1983.
The topography of the island is also of note. The west end of the island features a closed-canopy forest with more hardwood trees. The east end of the island is better characterized as a “boreal forest,” a term used to describe regions that are mostly covered by coniferous forests. It is good to note that the balsam fir is found on both ends of the island, but that samples used in the study from the west end of the island were, on average, older, but shorter, than those samples found on the east side of the island.
The formation or complex responsible for the spectacular scenery of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest is the:
Describe in your own words what is unique about the Extended Rotation with Commercial Thinning treatment.
At which field site did you find a higher diversity of lichen species? Explain why.
Mesa Verde National Park on the Colorado Plateau contains many geological aspects of interest, including its sedimentary rock layers, its canyons, its alcoves utilized by ancient people and how these alcoves were formed. Mesa Verde National Park is located in the southwest corner of Colorado, close to the Four Corners area, on top of a high mesa overlooking the Mancos River (Harris et al. 2004). The park, covering 81 square miles, consists of several main sedimentary formations that are characteristic to the park (Encyclopedia Britannica 2015). Canyons are carved into the sedimentary rock, with the cave dwellings found high on their steep walls. These dwellings are an especially unique aspect to the Mesa Verde National Park, and are built out of large alcoves. The alcoves were produced by weathering and erosion of the sedimentary rock type. To better understand how these alcoves formed, we must understand the geology of Mesa Verde National Park and how it has developed over history.
larger vegetation zones to the way we should understand the ecology of the land scape.
Biodiversity presents occurrence of variety of species and their natural community in which they live. By the definition it is “The degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. It is a measure of the health of ecosystems and is in part a function of climate.” (Rutherford) Ecosystem is on the other hand, “ community and its abiotic environment”( Rutherford). Biodiversity exists in every ecosystem, weather it is big one, or just ecosystem of one garden, it has the same importance because without it nature loses its ability to perform major functions needed for life on Earth, as it is oxygen production. Trough this investigation, two different ecosystems will be explored and
The reserve is surrounded by highly modified landscapes dominated by intensive agricultural and horticultural land use. Common land use for surrounding areas include the growing of cereal crops, grapes and citrus (DOC Gray's Bush. n.d).