Meet My Plot!

Meet My Plot

Emily, Biology

September 7, 2011

                When I was deciding where I was going to do my plot study, I decided to choose a place where people have taken extra measures to make sure this place has been able to grow without the ‘outside world’ interfering with it.  My plot is located on the East Beltline between Burton and Lake Dr. in Calvin College’s ecosystem preserve.  When I first saw my plot I made a few observations.  I noticed there was a pond with many trees outlining it.  Also, there was algae growing on top of the pond that seemed to look like carpet across the surface.  I was able to see a turtle sitting on top of a rock in the water and a frog sitting in the foliage between some trees.  There were dragonflies, grasshoppers, and crickets that were all contributing to a different song.  There were many trees that were growing right in the water.  On a more concerning note, there were also some trees that were dying. Hopefully during this project I can come up with a reason on why this may be happening! I am excited to go back and see the changes that happen during the next few weeks.