Woody Debris

Hi Students! So today was our last day of field work already! This morning we had a nice long walk to get to our research site. Our task today was to measure coarse woody debris. Basically, we had to go to one area that had been logged. There are good ways to selectively cut a forest and bad ways...unfortunately, the people who logged this area were in a rush and left a huge mess. They took the trunks of the trees and left everything else. In the process, many smaller trees were damaged as well. So our job was to walk a straight line of 80 meters and note any piece of tree on the ground that crossed that line. Then we had to try and identify the tree, measure the diameter of the tree, note how decayed it was, and mark where it was on that line. That doesn't sound so bad right? However in this area, a ton of wineberry had grown...long reddish plants covered in pickers...it made for a very "picky" experience! The scientists want to know what species decay the fastest and how much carbon is being released.

This afternoon we had the opportunity to attend the campus holiday party. There were all different scientists there, each with their own project. Being that we are set in the middle of wooded areas and next to Chesapeake Bay, what other types of scientists do you think work here and what are some things they might be studying??

Teamwork

Hi Students and Visitors! It's Mrs. Peterson again and I'm here in (wet) Maryland. It was great to talk to all of you today! Thanks for the great questions!

So today we had 2 important jobs. The first I told you a little about already. We spent several hours this morning sorting litter piles...remember what we mean by litter here? Remember, there are buckets in the forests that collect falling debris for a month. They are collected, dried, sorted, dried again, and then weighed to determine the percentage of each species in the canopy. For one person this could have taken MUCH longer, but with 3-4 people working on each box, we were able to complete 5 boxes within a few hours. Do you think the scientists are glad to have this extra help?

We worked together to sort the leaves but we also had a few "surprises" along the way...a few slugs, a white spider, rocks (how do you think rocks would get in the collection buckets??), and what we thought at first were a few black sticky unidentified objects. However after closer look we determined they were little mice.....

After lunch it was time to get out into the field! Now that we could identify some of the species by their leaves we needed to put that knowledge to use. Our mission was to map out trees in a given area. However....

We decided that it would be too hard to hold all our gear and stay relatively dry in this area so we moved on to another (drier!) plot. Once we settled in we found out our task was to "map" every tree. To do that we had to record what plot we were in, record our exact location within that plot, record the tag number, record the diameter of the tree, identify the tree, identify the "canopy cover" of the tree, record the condition of the tree, make notes of any damage to the tree, and lastly tag the tree! That is a lot to do! How long do you think it would take 1 person to do all of that for ONE tree? Luckily we have enough people here to make teams. My team included myself and 4 other people. We were able to complete 3 plots in about 1 1/2 hours. The other team also completed 3 plots. This is a huge job and I cannot imagine having to do it myself! With teamwork and cooperation we were able to get so much more done. Think of something you have had to do recently all by yourself that would have been quicker if you had help...

Teamwork is only helpful if you are a good teammate! What are some things you think we did to show that we were good teammates?

A Potpourri of Topics!

Hi Students, it's Mrs. Peterson and I'm still here at SERC on Chesapeake Bay. I have a variety of things to share with you today. Yesterday I teased you with a promise of more information on that tower....so here it is!

It is a 120 foot tall tower here on campus that is used to collect solar radiation data. It was a big climb but the view from the top was great! Since you are working on multiplication you can figure this one out...there were 12 sets of stairs each with 10 steps; so how many steps did I climb to the top?

I also wanted to share something with you that I learned this week. Check out this video!

Did you know this about poison ivy? I sure didn't! It is everywhere around here so it's a good thing I didn't grab any vines huh?

The next thing I want to show you is something we have seen around campus and even got to ride in yesterday. Its nickname is the "caterpillar".

This vehicle doesn't use gasoline to run. What other options do we have? What could be powering this vehicle?

One more thing for today....we spent all afternoon weeding invasive plants. There is that word again. I saw your comment from yesterday and you are a little off on what invasive means. Talk about it again today and see if you can figure out why we would be weeding invasive plants.

New VS Old

Hi 3rd graders, it's Mrs. Peterson here in Maryland! So today we had a tour of some of the forest on campus, practiced measuring trees, and climbed a 120 foot tower! Talk about a busy day!

Walking down a back road today we got to look at 2 very different forests. On one side of the road was a "new" forest. Look at this picture I took of it. How would you describe it? And what do you think they mean by "new"; how many years do you think it has been here if it is "new"?

Now look at this forest on the other side of the road. This is an "old" forest....so exactly how old do you think it is? How would you describe this forest? How does it look the same as the new forest? How does it look different? Talk about this before reading on....

Ok, so the "new" forest is about 60 years old! It is "species-poor" meaning it is mostly made up of only 2 species of trees, the Tulip Poplar and Sweetgum. As you probably noticed, the trees are much smaller and closer together. It also has a lot more invasive species present. The "old" forest is roughly estimated to be at least 600 years old!! The trees are obviously bigger right? They also look more spaced out...hmmmmm. There are a lot more species of trees in the old forest BUT less invasive growth here.

So some things to think, talk and write about today...

1. What do I mean by invasive species?

2. Why would the new forest have MORE invasive species present?

3. Why are the trees in the old forest more spaced apart?

4. AND....lastly, these forests are located on opposite sides of a road from each other. How is it that there can be one forest over 600 years old and mere feet away another forest only 60 years old? What could have happened in the past to make this possible?

Is anyone curious about that 120 foot tower I climbed? GREAT! Check back tomorrow to see a picture of that!

Arrived!

Hi Students, this is Mrs. Peterson again!

I arrived here in Edgewater, Maryland this afternoon. We had an easy day, learning our way around and getting an introduction to our teammates. I'm staying at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) which is a government run research campus in the middle of 2400 acres of forests, right on Chesapeake Bay. There is a little snow on the ground and it's cold!

I'm here with 5 other teachers from California, Illinois, Virginia and New York to study the effects of climate change on the forest. We're staying in a building that is similar to a college dorm. We each share a bedroom with another teacher and then have a common living room and kitchen. It sounds like they are going to be working us quite hard while we are here!

Tonight we

played a fun

ice-breaker

(2 truths and

1 lie!) and

started

to talk about

the big topics

at hand;

climate change

and green living.

Since we will

be coming back

to these topics over

and over this week, let's build some background knowledge!

Here are some things I want you to

think about today...

1. What do you think we mean when we say "climate change?"

2. What does it mean to live "green"?

And lastly, I was asked tonight what YOU hoped to

learn from my experience and I didn't have a good answer!

So, my last question is that....what do YOU want to

learn from my experience?

Remember, if you are in MY class then you can use your

tree journals from earlier this year to record your

answers!

Preparing To Go

So in less than 2 weeks I will be heading to Maryland to participate in an Earthwatch expedition. I need to start preparing! I will be spending 5 days in the field, collecting and analyzing data. As most of you know by now, this expedition takes place in a forest surrounding Chesapeake Bay. There are some things I need to consider as I get ready for my trip;

1. The weather; what kind of temperatures can I expect? Will precipitation be likely?

2. The work I need to do; what equipment will I need? What type of clothes would be appropriate?

3. Local wildlife; is there something I am likely to encounter? Do I need to take any precautions?

Students, I want you to think about these things too! Get on the computer and do a little research on Edgewater, Maryland. Help me pack! What are some things I need to be sure to take?

These sites might help you…

http://www.wunderground.com/US/MD/Edgewater.html

http://www.serc.si.edu/visiting/index.aspx

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/aboutbay.aspx?menuitem=13953