FIELD TRIPS

You will investigate different Pacific Northwest forests on five major field trips. Each trip will emphasize ways to understand processes that influence forest composition and structure, i.e., what makes them the way they are? This will require integration of dendrology and autecology information and concepts. For all trips, we will meet in the parking lot behind Winkenwerder Hall and assemble for UW van transport. Bring rain gear (even if it doesn't look like rain), warm clothing, lunch, field instructions from the website, and a field notebook. Take good notes, for each field trip has an accompanying field trip report which will be due sometime after each trip.

Be on time at the parking lot (times to be announced). Field trips will last all day.

OVERVIEW OF FIELD TRIP GOALS AND LOGISTICS

The overall goal of the field trips in ESC221is to understand the "big picture" at sites that are visited by (1) discovering patterns, (2) investigating the causes of the patterns, and (3) using knowledge of species growth and reproductive strategies to uncover the causes. Students will write a report after each trip based on data and observations collected in the field. In most cases, the format of the field trip reports will be to compare two or more sites - describing the patterns that are similar and different at the sites and generate possible explanations, supported by evidence, for the causes of the patterns. A major goal of each exercise exercise is to learn how to analyze, present and interpret data. See general guidelines to scientific report writing and assignment sequence.

Links to tree species ecology information: USE FOR REPORT WRITING

Link to understory species ecology information

Link to a glossary of forestry terms.
This is especially useful for the tree species ecology descriptions, as it may contain words with which you are not familiar.