The place I have chosen to observe for blog post one is my backyard, it is located in Victoria on Vancouver Island in BC. The location is at 48° 33′ 9.954″ and 123° 24′ and 6.246″. The back yard is roughly 40 meters by 10 meters and has two sections, an upper section which is the larger and a smaller section which is about 3 feet below. The backyard is relatively flat and has raised perimeters which house many plants in the summer time. The backyard does have a garden which contains blueberries (Vaccinium Cyanocococcus) and strawberries (Fragaria). There is many other vegetation housed in this backyard including an Eucalyptus, ferns and a few types of mushrooms.
I observed my backyard on January 17th 2024 at 8:00 am. The whether today was shocking as we do not often get large amounts of snow, even in the speak of winter. The snow covered the majority of the grass and the plants and it was around -2 °C. The sky was grey and it was still snowing slightly. I saw around 10 birds and I think this was because we have multiple bird feeders.
Upon reflecting if the snow continued it would be interesting to review how it affects the plants in my backyard. Field Journal
How does the snow affect the smaller plants that are completely covered in snow?
Can any plants survive after being completely frozen?
How long could plants survive completely frozen if they can survive?
What would the birds do without our bird feeders?
For potential research questions:
How does the vegetation change in appearance from winter to spring?
How are the animals within my backyard affected by the snow and cold temperatures (such as lizards, frogs, bugs, etc.)
Could some of the plants we keep outside all year be potted and taken inside, and would this allow for an increase in growth during the winter that would not otherwise be seen?
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Blueberry
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Strawberry
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eucalyptus