Create a final blog post that reflects on your field research. You both designed a field experiment and then carried it out.
Did you have any issues with the implementation or have to make any changes to your design?
Well, When I first started this experiment, I was hoping to observe the impacts of construction on wetland birds, and mammal species. However, due to “outside” impacts from humans, dogs and cars, this experiment would not have properly represented the true impact that a construction site could have on a wetland area. So I choose to modify it, and observed vegetation. For this choice, I am happy as vegetation is dependent on soil and water quality to grow strong, and downstream construction could potentially have a impact on that. In this case, I still observed the bird species present, but focused on something that had less “outside” impacts to gather proper information, and my results do co-inside with my hypothesis. Although, I will admit, this was not as drastic as I believed it was.
Has engaging in the practice of ecology altered your appreciation for how ecological theory is developed?
Absolutely! I would like to say I had respect for it before, however I have really recognized how resilient nature is, and how pollution can impact our surroundings and the chain reactions that occur because of it.