Ongoing Observation of Area within Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park

The organism I have chosen to focus on is the Red Osier Dogwood, Cornus stolonifera. In my study area, I observed that the further in the upland gradient toward the emergent plant zone, the more abundant the number of Red Osier Dogwood Shrub species became more abundant. The Red Osier Dogwood abundance decreased as the area transitioned into the emergent plant zone. 

The three locations along the gradient used to observe the change in abundance of Osier Dogwood were:

1. The edge of the upland or forested region to the center of the upland (eastern edge)
2. The center of the upland to the transition zone of the emergent plant zone of the wetland. The abundance of the Dogwood shrub was observed toward the middle of the upland zone. 
3. The transition zone between the upland and the emergent plant zone where willows are more abundant. The herbaceous vegetation and willows were most abundant on the edge of the transition to the emergent plant zone. As the willows increased in abundance, the presence of the dogwood seemed to decrease.

Hypothesis: Red Osier Dogwood prefers to grow in areas of the uplands where the soil is not as saturated as the soils found in saturated emergent plant zones where willow species are more abundant.

Prediction: The density of the Red Osier Dogwood species is higher in the upland region than on either side of the upland. The Red Osier Dogwood abundance will decrease with the coincidence of willow species.  

Response variable: One potential response variable would be the number of Red Osier Dogwood found in the sample area, considered a categorical variable.

Explanatory variable: One potential explanatory variable would be the number of willow species found in the sample area, considered a categorical variable.