Friday, February 14

Grace Kellner
02/14/14
Location: Data Collection Sites
Time spent: 1:30-5:45
Team members: Everyone

This week in lab we discussed communication and different ways to communicate, not only within our groups, but in our lab class and also the public and middle school children. We made plans to set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page. I am in charge of contacting The Echo to see if they will do a story on our class in order to increase campus awareness regarding our work.

On Friday we went out in the field and set up cameras to monitor hydrology. This was good to begin collecting data. It was difficult to set up the cameras to get both the top and bottom numbers of the notched PVC pipes in the viewer lens so that it can accurately track water level changes. Ali devised a makeshift method of using pieces of wood to wedge between the cameras and the tree in order to angle them downward to get the bottom measurements. We also had to work to strategically place the cameras where they would not be seen by people and potentially vandalized, but also where they could best monitor changes to the hydrology.

I went over my methods with Dr. Entrekin because I was not totally sure how I would set up my plots and where I would decide to set them up. We talked about it and decided that the best way to do it would be to use Google Earth to set up transects numbered by meter that include both upland and bottom land areas. I will then use a random number generator to determine where along the transect to set up my 0.08 ha circle plots. For ares that do not have canopy cover, I will use a square meter plot and determine the number of grass species in the meter. I should do about four of these in the grassy areas to equal the amount of area in proportion to the area used for assessment in my circle plots.

As a class we got to break out the Trimble units to figure out how to work them. A big "thank you" to Mary Sue Passe-Smith for giving us instructions on how to work them. We have all had experience in Cartography, but for most of us it has been at least a year or two since we have used them and her instructions were very handy. It was good to get experience using them now so that when we go out on our own time to collect data we will know how to work them and will not have to figure it out again. Everybody took points of the locations where we set up the cameras.

Lab took about an extra hour out in the field than we had planned. This gives me an idea of how time-consuming data collection will be. The only days I am able to collect data due to my work schedule, are Fridays during our allotted lab time, and the weekends. This could be difficult in collaborating with local professionals for field assistance because those that work during the government work typical 9-5 hours during the week and do not work on the weekends. However, getting help identifying vegetation, learning tips and tricks for vegetation identification, and solidifying my methods with a professional would be extremely helpful and so I hope to be able to successfully collaborate for a meeting time very soon regarding field work.