Forest Ecology: Point Pleasant Park Field Project

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2011, Volume 32

Allison Schmidt & Christine Beauchamp

Abstract

On September 28, 2003, Hurricane Juan made landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia, devastating the city's coastal urban forest. This recent ecological disturbance presented a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of disturbance and document the physical and biological changes in the community over time. Six permanent plots were established throughout the park in 2004. In successive years, students visit the plots to measure tree diameter, estimate the percent cover of ground vegetation and make qualitative observations of the physical surroundings. The data is then used to reconstruct the pre-disturbance forest and assess regeneration in different areas of the park.

Keywords:  succession, forest ecology, disturbance

Dalhousie University (2010)