The research process was a platform where I could learn and gain experience in planning and executing a research process without any challenges. During this research process, I had two major problems. The first problem was based on sampling. When I started this research process, I thought that sampling was something simple in which I would be required to collect the data to help me answer the research question. However, in practice, sampling is a rather challenging process, and I was supposed to select the areas without biases despite the challenging terrain of Kelowna, BC. The terrain forced me to clear some openings to facilitate access to some areas. As a result, the time allocated for the sampling process was doubled. The second challenge with my design was based on data cleaning. After I had collected the data, I found out that some of the data was missing. There were some NaNs and some outliers in the data sets. As a result, I had to take time to clean the data. In some cases, I had to redo the investigation to ensure the data captured was correct and did not undermine my research’s quality, validity, and reliability.
This research has helped me appreciate how ecological theory is developed, mainly because I saw the factors that come into play to support a given ecosystem. As a result of my understanding of the ecological diversity in the area, I saw the need for protection of the environment. I saw how beautiful nature can be if there can be minimal human interference. As a result, I will advocate for protecting the environment and preserving our forest ecosystems.