Ecological Report
- Submitted by: thawk3
- Views: 108
- Category: Science
- Date Submitted: 11/16/2015 06:28 PM
- Pages: 5
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Introduction:
Lick Creek Park is College Station’s principle regional park located in the southeastern corner of the city on Rock Prairie Road. It was established in 1987 as part of a land negotiation to create a city industrial park. The park is made of 515 acres that are home to many flora and fauna. It was once a heavily grazed pastureland that is now protected because it is home to the endangered orchid, Spiranthes parksii. Lick Creek Park is a major tributary of the Navasota River. The park is currently used as a trail for hiking, cycling, bird watching, equestrian activities, and nature studies. The climate of the park is temperate with warm summers and mild winters and an average precipitation of 37 inches per year.
There are two major regions of Lick Creek Park, the Post Oak Savannah and the Bottomland Forest. In the Savannah, the dominant species are the Yaupon, Post Oak, Little Bluestem, Eastern Red Cedar, and the Black Jack Oak. The primary soil type in the Savannah is sand with shallow soils. There is more available light in the Savannah because there is less canopy cover, causing the major vegetation to be grasses and shrubs. In the Bottomland, the dominant species are the Yaupon, Water Oak, Willow Oak, Sycamore, and the Cedar Elm. The main soils type in the Bottomland Forest is sandy loam that is much deeper than the soil of the Savanna. The bottomland has higher water availability because there is seasonal flooding. Due to the lower direct light, deeper soils, and higher water content, the vegetation consists mainly of trees.
The objective of this study is to compare abiotic and biotic factors and their effects on the different abundances of species between the Post Oak Savannah and the Bottomland Forest. The bottomland forest will have more trees and fewer grasses than the Savannah because of the amount of canopy cover, amount of precipitation, available light, and depth of soil.
Methods:
Three methods were used to measure the...
Lick Creek Park is College Station’s principle regional park located in the southeastern corner of the city on Rock Prairie Road. It was established in 1987 as part of a land negotiation to create a city industrial park. The park is made of 515 acres that are home to many flora and fauna. It was once a heavily grazed pastureland that is now protected because it is home to the endangered orchid, Spiranthes parksii. Lick Creek Park is a major tributary of the Navasota River. The park is currently used as a trail for hiking, cycling, bird watching, equestrian activities, and nature studies. The climate of the park is temperate with warm summers and mild winters and an average precipitation of 37 inches per year.
There are two major regions of Lick Creek Park, the Post Oak Savannah and the Bottomland Forest. In the Savannah, the dominant species are the Yaupon, Post Oak, Little Bluestem, Eastern Red Cedar, and the Black Jack Oak. The primary soil type in the Savannah is sand with shallow soils. There is more available light in the Savannah because there is less canopy cover, causing the major vegetation to be grasses and shrubs. In the Bottomland, the dominant species are the Yaupon, Water Oak, Willow Oak, Sycamore, and the Cedar Elm. The main soils type in the Bottomland Forest is sandy loam that is much deeper than the soil of the Savanna. The bottomland has higher water availability because there is seasonal flooding. Due to the lower direct light, deeper soils, and higher water content, the vegetation consists mainly of trees.
The objective of this study is to compare abiotic and biotic factors and their effects on the different abundances of species between the Post Oak Savannah and the Bottomland Forest. The bottomland forest will have more trees and fewer grasses than the Savannah because of the amount of canopy cover, amount of precipitation, available light, and depth of soil.
Methods:
Three methods were used to measure the...