On February 23rd at 3:45 pm PST, I made my initial field observations Bow Park in Victoria B.C. The Park itself is roughly 1000m2 and is comprised of a large pond surrounded by a trail. Bow Park is a small area within Feltham Regional Park, which is 2.79 Hectares of plant and animal biodiversity. The temperature recorded at the time of the observation was 2°C, mostly sunny and partly cloudy. The sunny weather was particularly pleasant given that Victoria winters experience consistent rain. The time spent at the park was 18 minutes.
Bow Park represents the most ecologically diverse area of the Feltham trail. The Park supports a wide variety of wildlife, including different types of birds, bats, rodents, and insects. The most common birds found in the park were the Northern Shoveler, the Wood Duck, and the Mallard. Duck and bat boxes were also abundant provide nesting in areas for the different species and to support the ecological diversity of the area. Duck flippers were common imprints on the trail surrounding the pond, as well as squirrel, dog, and sparrow tracks. Certain trees surrounding the pound also showed indentations from woodpeckers.
The parks vegetation largely encompasses a Garry Oak ecosystem with elements of the natural coastal rainforests of Victoria. The most common sources of vegetation were the Pacific Willow and the Garry oak. Due to the timing of the observation, many of the plants such as the Ironwood, Red-osier Dogwood, and the Mock-Orange showed no signs of significant flowering. Other plants indicated signs of berry growth like the Red-Flowering Currant and Thimbleberry bushes, which could provide food for the smaller birds or insects. The Pacific Willow and Garry Oak branches provided dense canopies for the fenced off areas surrounding the park, likely to protect the more vulnerable organisms.
Previous observations of the park showed a major recession of water in the fall months and a retrieval of water in the winter/summer months. These inconsistent water levels at certain points of the year could be due to the presence of an intermittent stream, which is the opposite of a peripheral stream.
1) Could the potential presence of an intermittent stream affect the surrounding vegetation and ecological diversity? If so, would it correlate with the flowering patterns of plants and the activity of certain insects and birds?
2) How would the introduction of invasive human and animal interactions affect the survival and reproduction rates of more vulnerable species?
3) Is there a correlation between the thickness and abundance of the vegetation, and the fitness of different species in the surrounding area
Looks like a nice little area!
these are all great questions and big questions! might need years to answer ; )
by ‘the flowering patterns of plants ‘ do you mean timing?
might be driven by moisture/precip and heat, and that could be independent of stream, which may appear with more moisture (seasonality).
keep going!