Day 5: measuring Trees in the Rain

We have two 10m x 10m plots left to finish our part of the data collection. We did three this morning in the rain. We did not realize how wet we were getting until we came in to get ready for lunch. We will be going to a Christmas luncheon today and meeting many more scientists. We are bringing pasta salad which we made last night. The pictures provide a frame of reference for how big a 10m X 10m plot is. When plotting the trees we provide both the x and the y coordinates using the two tapes. You will notice the white pvc post acting as the vertex so in essence we have a spatial graph and we call out the coordinates much like a game of battleship. It is important to be accurate in our measurements so that the mapping turns out correctly and they can locate the trees in 4-5 years to recollect the data. Perhaps one of you will take this job. I have also included some of the obstacles that we encounter in laying and reading the tapes as nature does not provide a smooth clean grid. The white pipe with blue tape at its top is what we use to measure the Dbh from which we measure the circumference. We use the same tools to measure and tag each tree and follow a set protocol for this type of research.

We will be going into Annapolis this evening to have a dinner which we do not have to cook. We will be eating at a sustainable seafood restaurant called The Rock Fish.

Questions I would like you to answer:

1. Identify at least 6 variables that are kept constant in this experiment

2. Analyze: What steps do you think we took to measure each tree in a plot?
(Please use at least 6 numbered steps)