Patterns and Processes: The Interplay of Biotic and Abiotic Characteristics Observed in the Battell Research Forest

After hiking inside the Battell Research Forest, we aimed to characterize the forested landscape according to patterns observed in both abiotic and biotic characteristics throughout our walk. We aimed to explain the existence of these patterns through analysis of their intersection.

Standing on the edge of the quarry near Battell Research Forest

Standing on the edge of the quarry near Battell Research Forest

Located on the western slope of the Green Mountain foothills in Vermont’s Champlain Valley, the Battell Research Forest, approximately 0.5 square km, is, according to Northup, part of the some 60,000 acres of lands set aside in 1911 by Joseph Battell to be preserved “in their original and primeval condition.”  Although the land has undergone moderate timber extraction in the past, its natural domination by economically undesirable hemlock trees has made it mostly unattractive for logging, and it has subsequently been largely preserved. The most noticeable disturbance is a significant mining operation taking place directly at the base of the slope. Today, the area is covered with both hemlocks and hardwoods of all ages as a result of the selective logging and mining-associated human disturbance that has taken place there.

hiking up slope through some very old hemlock forests

hiking up slope through some very old hemlock forests

During the lab, we walked a 1.52 mile loop that covered a significant part of the forest’s Northeastern-most quadrant, tracking our progress as we went using a GPS device, also aided by compasses and topographic maps. The heterogeneity of the landscape was manifested at several different scales, in topography, soil type and depth, as well as species diversity, age structure, and distribution.

Based on our observations, human intervention seems to play a prominent role in the biotic composition of land, with the areas closest to the mining operation now dominated by hardwoods. Variations in slope depth and aspect were also prominent abiotic features of the landscape, but it was difficult to draw clear conclusions based on our observations in regards to whether or not these factors affected the landscape’s biotic composition.

Environmental Field Methods class under a gigantic uprooted tree

Environmental Field Methods class under a gigantic uprooted tree

This lab revealed how the complex heterogeneity of a landscape at any level is not isolated to a single scale, and instead can manifest itself on multiple scales throughout the landscape.  In attempting to draw conclusions about the complex interplay of the various factors in the landscape (both abiotic and biotic), we also discovered the challenge of attempting to extrapolate larger cause-and-effect relationships from limited field observations.

Written by Molly Rose-Williams and Paul Quackenbush.

Interpreting Heterogeneous Landscapes: Mapping the Perimeter of Middlebury College

Middlebury College’s Environmental Field Methods class evaluated the characteristics of the diverse landscape surrounding the college campus and mapped different interpretations of the landscape using Google Maps.

Environmental Field Methods students walking past Prescott House

Environmental Field Methods students walking past Prescott House

A 2.77 mile loop around the perimeter of the college revealed the heterogeneity of Middlebury’s well-known picturesque landscape. The main objectives of this lab were to: (1) thoroughly examine the spatial patterns of the landscape, distinguishing what may have naturally occurred or been implemented by humans; (2) characterize the landscape through eight features to represent such spatial patterns; (3) present themes to gain more insight and comparison.

Students engaged in an exercise on defining the threshold between two land cover classes

Students engaged in an exercise on defining the threshold between two land cover classes

Located in the heart of Vermont’s Champlain Valley, Middlebury College was founded in 1800. The forested and agricultural landscape surrounding the College has been managed by humans since the late 1700s. Part of the loop was on a section of the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) that was built in 1997.

We mapped our route using a GPS and uploaded it onto Google. During the walk, the group discussed and took note of the various landscapes and ecological features. We each used Google Maps to map our 8 chosen features along our route (4 points and 4 shapes), highlighting what we found to be the most important features associated with our chosen theme.

There were a variety of interpretations of the landscape, including “passability”, vegetation density, and others. This activity stimulated thinking about terms in landscape ecology as well as the history of natural and human disturbances in the landscape.

After collaborating with the group, it was evident that there are multiple ways to interpret the same landscape, with challenges of limited field observations, choosing a theme that was consistently represented throughout the landscape, and picking features that could be mapped comprehensively and consistently. Overall, this activity revealed the diversity and heterogeneity of a landscape, with many different uses and conditions.

Evaluating landscape patterns and fighting off mosquitos

Evaluating landscape patterns and fighting off mosquitos

Written collectively by members of Geography 315, including Jack Balaban, Tom Crocker, Sophie McClelland, Paul Quackenbush, Hilary Rich, Emily Roach, Molly Rose-Williams, and Chelsea Ward-Waller