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Dynamo

Dynamo. Dynamic Watersheds. The Pit Crew. What were we looking at? The Pit Crew studied soil patterns throughout the landscape. The Pit Crew. Why we studied the soils? To see how they change across the landscape. To see if there were any correlations between soil and elevation.

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Dynamo

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  1. Dynamo Dynamic Watersheds

  2. The Pit Crew What were we looking at? The Pit Crew studied soil patterns throughout the landscape.

  3. The Pit Crew • Why we studied the soils? • To see how they change across the landscape. • To see if there were any correlations between soil and elevation. • To observe patterns between the soil and vegetation.

  4. I’mmmmm…. The map, I’m the map

  5. The Pit Crew • How did we do it? • Digging soil pits and collecting data from many horizons at different elevations: • pH, color, texture, depth of horizon

  6. The Pit Crew • What we found! Depth of the horizons Average pH levels for pits 1-3 pH Indicator

  7. B2, B2, E E B B B3 C B4 B2.

  8. The Next Steps… • Determine age of soil layers and mineral particles. • Controlled field tests to examine if relationship exists between soil texture/pH and plant diversity/abundance.

  9. Veg-Heads From left to right- John William, Hanna, Jenna, Tyler, Adina, Chris

  10. Objectives • Identify factors that influence the diversity of plant species in different areas • See if the age of trees correspond to their diameter. • Understand how soil affects the diversity and distribution of plant species on a random transect line.

  11. Upland Vegetative Sample Sites Map!

  12. Procedure • Randomly select site near soil pit on a transect line, and mark off a 2 x2 m plot. • Identify species and quantity of herbaceous plants and seedlings inside plot. • Measure light intensity, canopy cover and ground coverage in plot.

  13. Procedure • Identify species of trees, shrubs, and saplings falling within boundaries of a circular plot with a 5.6 m radius. • Find the age of identified trees around the plot by coring.

  14. Results: • Different plant species thrive in different habitats and at different elevations. • Light intensity, canopy coverage, ground coverage, slope, and elevation, among other variables, may affect distribution of plant species in area. • Possible correlation between diversity and pH  • Results of coring (taking core samples from the trees identified in the circular 0.01 hectare plots) show that diameter of the tree is not necessarily correlated with its age

  15. Diameter

  16. The Next Steps… • Isolate the variables in controlled experiments • Sample more plots for more accurate data • Relate the number of plants in plot to entire forest

  17. Stream Team The Stream Team investigated the health and condition of the Potash Brook.

  18. Stream Team • Research Questions • What are BMIs and what do they tell us about stream health? • How do the physical characteristics of the stream affect the living things found there? • How does the water chemistry change down the watershed?

  19. Stream Sample Sites

  20. Stream Team • Methods: • Habitat Characteristics • BMI sampling • Discharge Calculations = (A X V) • Chemical Analyses

  21. Stream Team • Results • Similar Discharge and Habitat as a downstream trend • Low Density of Population of Sensitive Organisms • Lower density and higher diversity upstream • the opposite relationship downstream • Moderate Levels of PO4 pollution

  22. Thank You for a FUN filled Week… And to all the parents for supporting our efforts!!!!!

  23. Dynamic Watershed Researchers “The Dynamos”

  24. The End

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