Field Research Project
Blog Post 3: Ongoing Field Observations
Location: Bear Creek Park, Surrey BC
I study the growth rate of the mosses species at Bear Creek Park. I visited the park several times to decide which species and/or biological attribute is best to research. Mosses are one of the most common plants in this park. Mosses are seen in both shaded and sunlit areas. When I observed the park for the first time for this project, I had realized that this ubiquitous species exhibits a variety of growth rate in shaded and sunlit areas. Since their growth patterns and distribution can be measured in both shaded and sunlit regions in the park, I want to conduct my research on how different their growths are.
I used my handmade quadrat and walked through the gradient and identified the best possible shaded and sunny areas to avoid any confounding variable such as nitrogen gas emitted from the exhausts of the nearby cars.
Hypothesis:
Sunlight influences the growth rate of moss.
Prediction:
Mosses in shaded areas will have higher coverage and growth rates compared to areas with more direct sunlight.
Variables:
Response Variable:
Moss distribution and growth rate is a numerical and continuous.
Explanatory Variable:
Light conditions are classified as categorical since it has two forms: shaded and sunlit.
