This field trip will focus on forests (deciduous forest, coniferous forest or mixed forest).
If you live in the Seattle area you have several forested areas to chose from. Our favorite old growth forest field trip location is Schmitz Park in West Seattle. Schmitz Park's mature coniferous forest habitat is perfect for the Pileated Woodpeckers that nest in the park.
Seward Park, located on a peninsula on the western shore of Lake Washington, has mature upland forest areas with large western red cedars and Douglas firs. Seward Park is home to two pair of Bald Eagles that nest in the park.
Other possible sites include Carkeek Park in North Seattle, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park near Issaquah, Pioneer Park on Mercer Island, Ed Munro/Seahurst Park in Burien, and Saint Edward State Park in Kirkland.
Click on the location for driving directions.
Materials you will need:
a hand lens, if you have one
binoculars and/or a spotting scope, if you have them
two or three small jars with lids
your lined (writing) and unlined (drawing) notebooks
a lead pencil and colored pencils
a camera to document the organisms you discover (optional)
Preparation:
Review the species on the Forests Species List. Look up each animal and plant using your field guides so that you will be familiar with some of the commonest organisms before you start your field trip.
Tip: Print a copy of the Forests Species List and write the field guide pages next to each name so that you can find them quickly when you are in the field.
Time commitment:
Plan to spend at least three hours at the forest field trip sit that you have chosen.
Tip: Don't forget to use sunscreen and to wear a hat even on overcast days to avoid getting sunburned.
Procedure:
Use a backpack to hold your field guides, specimen collecting jars, etc. so that your hands will be free to take notes and make drawings. Always pack a couple of zip-lock baggies to protect your field guides and notebooks, if it starts to rain. Since forests are often damp, it may be hard to find dry places to sit unless your location has benches. You might also want to pack a small square of plastic to sit on.
Begin a page in each of your observation notebooks by writing the date, the time of day, and the precise location of your field trip.
Observations:
Hint: Making a sketch encourages you to focus on the animal or plant's details. Even if you think that you can't draw, you should make a drawing because many details are difficult to describe accurately using words. Colored pencils are helpful when you are sketching the plants and animals you observe.
Forests in the Pacific Northwest may be old-growth (original) or second-growth (previously logged) areas. Old-growth forests are characterized by western red cedar, western hemlock and Douglas fir trees. Depending upon the age of the second-growth forest there may be deciduous trees, coniferous trees or a mixture of two types. Forests are described as having a floor, an understory and a canopy. Epiphytes and lichens can be found in the canopy of many Northwest forests. Using your Forest Species List as a guide, locate and identify as many plants as possible.
Activities - Part One: The Trees in the Forest
Make a list of the trees that you see in the forest. Is this forest an old-growth forest or a second-growth forest? How could you estimate the age of the trees in this forest?
Activities - Part Two: The Forest Floor
Focus specifically on the species that are found on the forest floor. Spend some time looking at the small plants (including mosses, liverworts), fungi (including the symbiotic lichens) and the animals that inhabit the forest floor. Write a description of each organism and its habitat.
Note: You will be submitting your list of these organisms and their descriptions on your Forest Report Form in WebCT .
Activities - Part Three: The Canopy
Many animals inhabit the varied microhabitats found in forest. The Forests Species List suggests a variety of insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals that are common in Northwest forests. Spend some time observing the birds that inhabit the canopy. Use your Stokes Field Guide to Birds to identify each bird that you see. Choose three birds to describe in detail. Focus on the bird's behavior as well as a physical description of the bird.
Note: The Forests Report Form in WebCT asks you to describe at least three different bird species.
Hint: To study plants and animals without injuring them, you can gently transfer them to a small jar or a small plastic container. When you have completed your observations return the specimens to their original location.
If your field trip location is not a city, state or national park, then you can take home small samples of plants to study later. Animals and plants may not be taken from any public park. Photographs are a good way to document your field trip.
Activities - Part Four: Nurse Logs
Fallen logs that have over time become the nutrient source for other organisms are called nurse logs. A wide variety of mosses, lichens, and fungi begin growing on the log. Over time as the log begins to decay the surface of the log breaks down and becomes a growth medium for ferns and small trees as the fern spores and tree seeds find a moist, nutrient rich place to grow.
As you wonder through the forest, look for a nurse log. Spend some time making an inventory of the plants and animals that have used this fallen log as a home. Based upon the organisms that are using the nurse log, make an estimate of how long you think that this tree has been on the forest floor. What factors did you use in making your estimate?
Follow-up Activities:
Use your course textbooks to identify any unknown animals and plants.
If you are unable to find some of the organisms that you observed try Flora & Fauna Northwest, an extremely useful web site created by Paul Slichter at Gresham High School, Gresham, Oregon. The Forest Links page is also a good source of useful web sites.
Share your observations with your classmates by posting a message on the class Discussion web.
Conclusions:
Complete your field trip report by summarizing what you learned from your observations.
Make a list of questions that this exercise has generated. Keep these questions in mind as you progress through the units in this course.
To complete your field trip you must send in your Field Trip Report.
Preview the Field Trip form in WebCT and then prepare your answers using your Word Processing Program. Be sure to proofread your answers for both grammar and spelling.
When you have completed the drafts of your answers, use this link to open the BIO 125 WebCT Forest Field Trip Report Form
Caution: If you are using a PC you must use the RETURN key when typing your report. Do not use the ENTER key because it will immediately abort your project and you will have to begin again.
