April 30, 2019

BioCube 10 Week Four (Final)

Our last week working with the BioCube in lab was in the ISB for analysis instead of in the field. I was impressed with how much biodiversity we were able to find in the BioCube, because we were able to find almost nothing in the field. The decomposing wood broke apart and we got to observe mold and fungus growing, as well as finding numerous insects, like millipedes. I think this final section of the BioCube lab was important for in-depth analysis of the BioCube which wasn't possible in the conifer forest.
This lab section was definitely less nature-filled than previous weeks, but it was still an informative way to end the semester. I found it much easier to take high-quality photos for iNaturalist on the lab benches than in the forest, which was helpful for exploring the biodiversity of the region. It also provided a great opportunity to see what other groups had been observing in their ecosystems, which we weren't able to do at all at Foxcroft Farms. Throughout this lab module, I had so much fun learning more about the ecosystems in Massachusetts, something that we don't get to do often in the classroom.

Posted on April 30, 2019 04:31 AM by seacsullivan seacsullivan | 3 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 26, 2019

BioCube 10 Week Three

During the last week in the field, we decided to focus mostly on recording footage for the BioCube video and making associated observations. We decided to do our moment of silence first, so that the rest of the time could be used for observations and assignment work. During the reflection period, I noticed that one tree in the middle of the forest was significantly larger and had more branches than any other. The reason that I made note of this is because earlier in the week during lecture we discussed the importance of hub trees in forest ecosystems, and the role they play in the growth of new trees. Something else I observed during the moment of silence was the amount of bird calls that could be heard. In the field on the first week, we were able to find very little biodiversity. But now, weeks later, there are significantly more bird calls and insect life appearing in the forest.
After the moment of reflection, we recorded the footage for the BioCube video, and began to deconstruct the BioCube. This entailed getting copious amounts of pine needles, soil, water, and plant life into the container to bring back for analysis next week. When getting the soil for lab, we discovered much more insect life than when we were initially exploring the ecosystem in previous weeks. Although bittersweet to have our last week in the field, it proved a productive lab period, and one that will be very interesting to dissect next week.

Posted on April 26, 2019 01:43 AM by seacsullivan seacsullivan | 4 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 18, 2019

BioCube 10- April 17 2019

During our moment of silence today, Dan was delivering samples to Marissa at the farmhouse, so it was most quieter than the previous week. We were able to hear several different bird calls through the trees, as well as observe a small black bird building a nest in the small clearing of the forest. In that same clearing, we also got to observe small piles of hay, which, when disturbed, released a flurry of spiders. Because of their abundance, I decided to choose these as the species to focus on going forward. We had the opportunity to take a short survey of the clearing, and within 10 minutes, were able to count 38 individuals within a 144 square foot area.
About an hour into the biome exploration, Professor Riley visited us in the forest, and demonstrated how to excavate soil around tree roots to find more insects. Afterwards, we were able to find and trace several vole tunnels around the base of some of the conifer trees. These were particularly interesting because although it is too early in the year to see the rodents themselves, their architecture was preserved. Furthermore, we were able to find green and yellow larvae.
From the forest, we took back containers of larvae and spiders, which survived for six days without food or water. It was interesting watching the spiders avoid each other within the confined space. Overall, I found our second visit to Foxcroft Farm to be a good continuation of last weeks ecosystem exploration. I always like an opportunity to get off campus and into nature, and being able to learn more about the ecosystems around us was a great experience. Hopefully by next week, our crippled group member will be able to go into the conifer ecosystem with us to study nature more.

Posted on April 18, 2019 03:40 AM by seacsullivan seacsullivan | 4 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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