The location I have chosen for observation is the valley just north of my family’s property in the rural municipality of Stanley Manitoba (49°10’26.8″N 98°09’53.7″W). It is roughly 70 acres in size, and relatively flat at the bottom with a small creek going through it leading into the local lake(and a walking trail leading to it as well). It is forested with a variety of oak, poplar, and ash trees. I went out on an observation hike on March 16th at around 2:30pm. It was overcast with the temperature at -3C, with some hardened snow still lingering.
While taking a mix of trail hiking and just weaving through the trees a couple of things stood out to me. Firstly, there is a large variety of lichens on the trees, I wonder if its the exposure to sunlight or moisture content that most affects growth. Secondly, going from the top of the valley to the bottom, I also noticed the kinds of tree changing as I made my way from the top of the valley to the bottom, I wonder if there is a consistent pattern between tree species and elevation? Lastly while not directly seen, I both heard and saw evidence of woodpecker presence in the valley, with some trees having a considerable number of holes bored out of the bark. I wonder if specific trees are more liable to insect infestation (and thereby more woodpecker activity) than others?
