ForestFieldTripReport

Forthisstudy,wewillbetakingatriptotheMerwin
NaturePreserveParklandsFoundationinordertodetermineif
theforestishealthyornot.TheParklandFoundationprotects
andecologicallyrestoresnaturallandsinthemiddleandupper
partsofMackinawValleywatershed.Themainfunctionofthese
preservesistosustainthediversityofwildlife,public
recreationandforeducationalandscientificresearch.The
naturepreserveisrightofftheMackinawRiver,whichprovides
alargesourceofwaterforthenativewildlife.Hunting,
fishing,canoeing,andhikingarecommonthroughoutthearea,so
thereispresenceofhumanactivity.Deers,turkeys,squirrels,
anddovesaresomeofthefewspeciesofwildlifethatlivein
thearea.

Whiteoaks,blackoaks,chinkapinoaks,sugarmaples,red

oaks,andsycamorescanbeenfoundinthepreserve.

Asshownabove,thetemperaturepeaksthroughJune,Julyand
AugustwhiletheprecipitationratepeaksduringMay

AldoLeopoldbelievedthatlandsicknessoccurredwhen
therewasreducedvegetationcoverandsoilerosion.The
utilitariandefinitionofahealthyforestwouldbeonewithno
diseases,pollution,pests,andotherinfluencesthatthreaten
theobjectivesofmanagement.However,theecological
perspectiveistohaveafullyfunctioningcommunityofplants
andanimalsandtheirphysicalenvironment(Wagner).Therealso
needstobespecifictypesandratesoftheecological
processes,aswellasthenumbersandarrangementofstructural
elementstocharacterizediverseandproductiveforest

ecosystems.Forestsalsohavetobefreefromdistress
syndrome.Thissyndromeischaracterizedbyreducedprimary
productivity,lossofnutrientcapital,lossofbiodiversity,
increasedfluctuationsinkeypopulations,retrogression
(returningtoanearlierstate)inbioticstructure,and
widespreadincidence(therateofdisease)andtheseverity.
Wewillbeansweringthequestions:Doesthislocation
representahealthyforestandisthenaturalenvironment
healthy?Inordertoanswerthesequestions,ourgroupwillbe
takingasoilsampletofindthelevelsofnitrogen,phosphorus,
andpotassiuminoursectionofthewoodsaswellasrecording
thediversityofplantandanimallife.Wewillalsobe
collectingtheinformationrecordedfromtheothergroupstoget
theoverallscore.Forourgroup,LexieandGreerlocatedand
identifiedthedifferentplantsandanimalswhileCaitlynand
Kayleenhadtakenthesoilsampleanddeterminedthelevelsof
thechemicals.LexieandGreerwillalsobedeterminingthe
DiameteratBreastHeight(DBH)ofthetreesfoundinthe
quadrant.ByfindingtheDBH,thegroupcandeterminethe
approximateageofthetrees,thusdeterminingthesuccession
anddiversityinage.

ThetripwasonOctober30th,2015.Thewindwasa0onthe
beaufortscale.Therewasnocloudcoverandourareahad40%
canopycover.Our10x10quadrantwasflat.Therewasnoobvious
evidenceofhumansinourquadrant.Whatwefoundduringthe
tripshowedthattherewasbiodiversityinourquadrant.There
werethreebirdsightings,twoofwhichwereDownyWoodpeckers
andonewasaredcappedwoodpecker.Theexactspeciesoftrees
inourquadrantweredifficulttoidentifysinceallofthe
leavesontheirbrancheshadfallen.Howeverthegroupwasable
toidentifytheleavesthatwereonthegroundfoundinour
quadrant.Theseleavesmayormaynothavecomefromthe
quadrant.TherewerePinOak,SweetGum,AmericanElm,White
Oak,andSugarMapleleaves.


ThetablesaboveshowtheanimalsseenineachquadrantandtheDBHfoundforevery
treeinsidethemaswell.Italsoshowsthedensity,dominance,andclasstotalforeveryplantand
animal.Forourgroup(whichishighlightedinblue),wehadfairlysmalltreesbutnotverymany
insectsandanimals.However,thiscouldbeduetothefactthatoursectionoftheforestdidnt
haveasmuchcoverasotherareas.Thesmallertreesinourareaalsohelpedwiththeamountof
lightreachingtheground.
Thesmallertrees,rangingfrom05cm,haveahigherdensitythanthelargeronesaswell
ashavingahigherdominance.Althoughtherewerentalotofanimalsorinsectsaroundatthe
time,theclassdidcomeacrossquiteafewdifferentspecies.Thedominanceoftheseorganisms
goestotheantsandflies.
Inconclusion,thisforestwasdeterminedhealthy.Withplentyofwildlifeaswellasnew
growth,thisforestcanstillreadilysustainitself.Thediversityoftheplantsandanimalsproved
therewasahealthyecosystemandplentyofresourcestosurvive.Thesoiltestsalsoshowed
healthylevelsofNitrogen,PhosphorousandPotassium.Soeventhoughtherewerentmanyof
thelargertrees,thesoilwouldhelptheyoungertreesgrowwhichinturnwillhelpsustainthe
insectsandanimals.

WorksCited
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/mackina.htm