User:Rebeka Winkler/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU
January 24th, 2015 Tall Bushes at the Amphitheater
Purpose: Observing, testing, and inspecting a transect for abiotic and biotic components.
Materials and Methods: A 20 by 20 meter transect will be inspected throughout the assignment. The transect, "tall bushes" is a hilly area directly next to the American University amphitheater. Once at the transect, we took a 50 mL sample of the soil near a discovered rat trap, a berry, and a leaf. Figure 1 is an illustrated map of the 20 by 20 transect.
Figure 1:
Data and Observations: The transect is on a hill and is covered in foliage either fallen on the ground, in the round bushes, or in trees behind the bushes. Upon further examination, we discovered a rat trap and that the bushes were growing berries. A rock with a plaque marks the area. The following images are of the area.
File:Transcent 1.3.JPG]] File:Transect 1.1.JPGFile:Transect 1.2.JPG
Biotic (live) components include squirrels, bushes, trees, birds, and insects. The squirrels and birds moved around the transect in the bushes, trees, or on the floor.The trees are behind the bushes, or Northern in relation to them. Insects were found in accordance to their webs, under the bushes. Abiotic (man made non-breathing components) include rocks, a plaque, a rat trap, dirt, and snow. The rocks, or mainly one rock, is in the Southeastern corner of the transect and on it is a plaque. The rat trap was found a few feet behind the rock. As of the week of January 14th, snow bordered the transect.
Conclusions and Future Directions: We will continue to monitor the transect so that we can see it in other types of conditions. I predict that we will see more wildlife and more evidence of colder weather like fallen leaves and browning bushes as the assignment continues.
RW
