Adirondack Field Ecology
The Adirondack Field Ecology course from July 14-27 introduced me to many different fields of ecology that I never really thought about before like botany, watersheds, and entomology. Having spent some time in the Adirondacks I am familiar with the area, but I still learned many things about the area that I never knew. I have learned so much from this experience that will help me a lot in the future.
2024 Adirondack Field Ecology LVV
Botany
On the first full day, July 15th, we did our botany module. For this module we went to the VIC to meet with Steve Langdon who is a botanist. First we sat under the pavilion and Mr. Langdon showed us a cladogram that showed the order of which different kinds of plants appeared on Earth. The cladogram started with Algae and ended with angiosperms. After that he led us on a hike through the Boreal Life Trail. In the beginning of our hike he pointed out the major trees along the trail. Some of these trees were Red Spruce and Balsam Fir which we learned how one spruce’s needles are more round and the balsam fir’s needles are flat. We then went on to learn the different kinds of leaf structures such as the American beech which has alternate leaves and the striped maple which has an opposite leaf arrangement. During the final part, which I liked the most, we walked through a bog and Steve explained why certain plants can grow in the bog that can’t grow in the forest we had just walked through.
Ghost pipe plant
Photo Credit: Keely Zuber
Watersheds
For the Watershed module we went to Smitty Creek with Dr. Mel Johnson. We first learned what watersheds are and how they can be both big and small. We got to observe Smitty Creek to see the water clarity, habitats, and how much erosion has occurred in the creek. After a demonstration from Mel on how to measure the flood prone area of Smitty Creek we divided into groups and attempted to do the same in a different creek. Our groups measured the bankfull depth and then doubled the deepest point to find the flood prone area. This is important because it allows us to see if a river or stream has access to its floodplain. Using all the data collected we identified the creek on the Rosgen Stream Classification System. Finally, since Smitty Creek has very little human involvement we got to look at a section of the St. Regis River which was a formal mill and had been changed much more by humans.
Photo Credit: Keely Zuber
Forestry
The forestry module on July 16th was really cool because it allowed us to use some of the information we learned in the botany module. Dr. Justin Waskiewic, a professor of forestry, started off with our abilities to identify some of the trees along the red dot trail. He gave us an explanation of the different levels of forest such as the forest floor, shrubs, and the canopy. He also explained how the trees in the midlayer like eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and firs are more shade tolerant than the taller white pine (Pinus strobus). Justin gave really good analogies to explain how different tree species go about their life and act. For example, he called hemlock trees marathon runners because they will wait in the understory until there is enough light above them to grow taller. In groups we then calculated the height and diameter of the trees around us using a Biltmore stick. To calculate height we stood 66 meters away from a tree, holding the Biltmore stick 25 inches away from our eye to read the number on the stick. It was really cool to use another tool called a wedge prism to observe more trees quicker. The prism allowed us to tell the size of a tree by whether or not the tree seen through the prism overlapped the part of the tree seen outside the prism. We got to test out different kinds of prisms on numerous trees, but eventually it was time to move on. When we reached Church Pond Justin stopped and told us that the best way to age a tree without cutting it down was to take bore samples. We again separated into groups and bored our own trees using an increment borer. My group aged both a hemlock tree and a white pine to be around 70 years old.
Photo Credit: Keely Zuber
Geology and Soils
During the geology and soils module we covered a lot of information. First, Dr. Matt Clemens showed us examples of the three different kinds of rocks, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Matt explained that sedimentary rocks were his favorite because that's where dinosaurs. Matt also showed us the different layers of the soil and what each layer does. For example, the E horizon is the leeched area. We then went out to a pit where we could visually see the layers which was really cool and helped put the concept in perspective. Although it wasn’t a perfect example of what it should be used for, we measured the height differences between certain spots on a hill using a Jacob's staff and a compass. Lastly we went to the lake and Matt talked about why different sediments are in different parts of the lake or ocean bottom. Near the shore is more the bigger sediments like pebbles or sand because they take the most energy to transport and therefore drop out quicker. Since it is smaller and takes less energy to be moved sediments like clay and silt are further away from shore. Finally in water bodies large enough, like oceans, a point is reached where the bottom is made up of decomposing plankton since no sediment is carried that far. Matt showed this concept with a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and water in a graduated cylinder. Over time the sand would fall to the bottom first then silt and clay. The pictures below show the how the graduated cylinder changed over time.
Photo Credits: Marco Napoleone (left) and Liam Van Valkenburgh (right)
Adirondack Ecosystems
After a drive to the cascade trailhead it was time to start my first high peak. Although I was more interested in just being able to go on a hike it was also cool to learn about the conditions of the mountain. Right as we got to the trail Bethany Garretson told us that this cascade trail would likely be retired withing the year due to people walking off the direct trail which then lead to erosion. Especially since it had rained a decent amount the night before it was very clear how the rain was erosion would be a problem because the the rainwater was running right down the trail. After the challenging hike to the summit we were able to observe the slight change in the the type of plants to a more alpine vegetation. Although Cascade Mountain isn't the best place to view Alpine vegetation it was cool to see that an effort was being made to bring back alpine vegetation near the summit by keeping people out of certain areas.
Photo Credit: Liam Van Valkenburgh
Small Mammals
We started the small mammals module on the evening of the 17th. We first met in the classroom and discussed the ethics of doing research with small mammals and animals in general. Dr. Dan Bogan taught about the kind of traps we were using, Sherman traps, and what they normally catch. The most likely animals we would catch were moles, mice, voles, and shrew although there was a chance of red or flying squirrels. We tuned the traps to ensure they would capture the mouse if one walked into it. The last thing before going out to set the traps was to make bait which was a ball of peanut butter and oats mashed together. The first place we were setting traps was in a meadow near the sawmill. We set 24 traps at each location. At the beginning and end of where we set traps we marked the ground with two pink flags next to each other. Each 10 meters another flag was placed and two traps were placed within a reasonable distance of each flag. We repeated the same process and placed another 24 traps in a more wooded area near the rope course and let the traps set overnight.
We returned closer to 8:00 in the morning to check the traps. In the meadow two traps were tripped and had small mammals in them. Dan showed us how to remove the animals from the traps using a plastic bag and then weigh, measure and observe them for certain characteristics. Using the data we collected we determined the first animal to be a smoky shrew and the second as a meadow vole. In the more wooded second location we trapped four animals all of which were North American deer mice. They were distinguished from the similar looking white footed mouse because of its tail color. With all of our data collected we returned to the lab and talked a little bit about what the data meant. Since we only had one night of trapping it is difficult to do a full experiment. Dan gave us a bunch of different kinds of beans to sort out and count to simulate what it would be like with more data. Lastly we also played a game which simulated how a small mammal would eat while being nervous about being hunted and showed us what the concept of giving up density truly represents.
Photo Credit: Liam Van Valkenburgh
Herpetology
The Herpetology module like the small mammals module started the night before on July 18th. We started in a pond across the street from the campus and Dr. Val Titus had all of us just watch and observe what was going on around the pond. After that we had time to go and try to capture some of the frogs from around the pond and ask Dr. Val about herpetology or science in general. We didn’t see as many frogs likely due to the colder weather, but one was still captured and a few others were seen.
The next morning we met up in the classroom and Dr. Val and she went over the different kinds of salamanders, frogs, turtles, and snakes that live in the Adirondacks. She also showed us all the different traps that can be used for animals such as dip nets, minnow traps, and drift fences. Since we weren't going to be able to collect data for many days the best way to find them was to make a few transects and do herp walks along them. Once in the woods near the pond we were at the night before we measured a fifty meter transect and had 4 people demonstrate what should be done on a herp walk. Two people on each side lifted wood, rocks and dug in the ground in search of herps until the groups met in the middle. After the demonstration we separated into groups of four and did our own 100 meter transects. We always found at least 2 animals during each transect, but it was clear that certain areas were more productive than others. The most common species found were the red backed salamander and the spring peeper, but some other toads, snakes and salamanders were found. We observed where each animal was found so that we could then make inferences with that information at the end.
Photo Credit: Liam Van Valkenburgh
Ornithology
The ornithology module started on the 21st with a visit from Mark Manske, owner of Adirondack Raptors who gave a presentation mainly on owls, but also on raptors in general. Even though I was told there were owls in the room I was a little taken back by the size of the Eurasian eagle owl that was in the room. As Mark Manske was talking about the characteristics of the owl it was cool to learn about their amazing ears and the grip strength of their talons it was also fascinating to watch the owls just doing what they do right in front of me. After sometime it was my turn to hold Percy who was a burrowing owl Not only had I never held an owl before I had never seen an owl so small before. Mark also told some really interesting stories that allowed us to see what he does on a daily basis at Adirondack Raptors.
The next morning we met up with Brian McAllister, an ornithologist, who is an avid bird watcher and teaches many ecology courses. He started with a basic overview of birds, migration, their characteristics and how they've been effected by humans. There are some bird species that are adapted differently which we got to see with the red crossbill which asymmetrical beak allows it to feed on the seeds in pine cones easier. Certain birds have become more accustomed to humans as well like the Canada jay which often feeds out of peoples hands although none were around while we went birding. Another part that I found interesting was how Brian said that most of the migratory bird species of the Adirondacks arrived roughly ten days earlier likely due to climate change. Birds are very intelligent for being relatively small and having small brains, but it has been found that during times when bird is doing a lot, like mating in the spring, its brain will grow and then shrink in the winter. Also in the winter birds that stay in the Adirondacks, like the black capped chickadee, have the ability to lower their heart rate and breathing. In the after noon we went to the VIC and did a point count where we counted the birds you can hear and see from a fixed single position for five minutes. My group heard a black capped chickadee and a red eyed vireo as well as saw a pileated wood pecker.
That night we went to the VIC on an owl prowl with Brian. He recapped the calls that certain calls owls make on the trail and right after his demonstration calls a barred owl responded. We couldn't see the owl right away, but over time we were able to hear the owl's calls change from its normal call to its territorial call. After a few minutes of calling back and forth the owl flew right over our heads which was definitely the coolest part of the day.
Photo Credit: Liam Van Valkenburgh
Barred owl (left) Boreal Life Trail (Center) Eurasian Eagle Owl (right)
Entomology
The entomology module started on the night of the 22nd at the VIC where we did a moth lighting with Dr. Janet Mihuc, an entomologist at Paul Smiths. A moth lighting is a way of sampling moths by having them attract to a light so you can observe them. In our case a bed sheet was hung under a light so the moths would land on the sheet and we were able to look at them. Although many moths were attracted to the light, what interested me the most was the winged dobsonfly because its larvae, the helgramite, I had seen before, but never knew what it became.
The next day we met up with Janet again and observed the number of pollinators with bee bowls. Bee bowls are bowls with soapy water in them and are colored blue, white, and yellow so they attract pollinators. The soap reduces the surface tension of the water which then traps the bugs in the container. While we let the bee bowls sit we went to Barnum Brook and used D nets to find microorganisms that are in the leaf litter and bottom of the brook. We sifted the material and collected it. Back at the lab we sorted through the microorganisms we collected and counted them by genus. We were able to observe much of what we collected under a microscope which was cool because many of the animals were too small to fully see. Toward the end of the module we collected the bee bowls. We counted the pollinators in the bee bowl and saved the bees for Janet to add to her collection. The data we collected showed that most of the pollinators on campus were flies. It also showed that the pollinators preferred recently mowed areas and the yellow cups the most.
Photo credit: Keely Zuber
Aquatics
The aquatics module, led by Kayleen Snyder, started on July 24th with a trip in the canoes on Lower St. Regis Lake. We paddled beyond the point to a deeper part of the lake which is around nine meters. There we each did three Secchi disc readings. This reading shows the transparency of the water or in other words how far a person can see into the water. The more biomass there is in the water the lower the Secchi disc reading because the biomass clouds the water. A crystal clear lake is not necessarily a healthy lake, it is actually healthier for a lake to have some biomass. In Lower St. Regis Lake we got an average Secchi disc reading of 1.86 meters. We also took two plankton samples by dropping plankton collection nets to double the depth of the Secchi depth readings, 4 meters. Lastly we recorded the dissolved oxygen and temperature for every meter of depth until we reached the bottom. We then paddled over to Spitfire Lake where we again took three Secchi disc readings and two plankton samples. The mean Secchi reading on Spitfire lake was 3.4 meaning the plankton collection nets were dropped to around six meters.
After a lunch break we got back to the lab and looked at our water samples for signs of plankton under microscopes. Although it took some time to focus on the plankton with the microscopes we did find species like Staurastrum and Aulacoseria. Overall the samples from Spitfire Lake had more plankton in them which is interesting since Spitfire had a deeper Secchi disc reading. When looking at the temperatures collected on Lower St. Regis Lake we could see the first four meters were all in the 20s and then it dropped off quickly between five and six meters. Lastly it balanced out again at around 9 ℃ below eight meters. These three ranges in temperature show the epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion. The data received for dissolved oxygen showed a similar trend where it dropped of 8 ppm to 0.4 ppm in the 4 to 6 meter range.
Photo credit: Mel Johnson (left) Liam Van Valkenburgh (right)
Plankton sample being taken (left) Sample under microscope (right)
Fisheries and Their Environment
My group started the fisheries module, which was led by Dr. Ellen George a professor at Paul Smiths, during the afternoon of July 25th. Overall this module was probably my favorite because I love to fish. We started off by setting minnow traps in a shallow area of Lower St. Regis Lake. Minnow traps have a narrow passageway in so the fish can get in, but it is hard for them to find the same way out once inside. We set two traps, one with turkey giblets flavored cat food and the other was chicken flavored cat food for bait. We had to hypothesize which bait would attract more minnows and I chose the chicken. We then went to the beach on the lake to set a fyke net. Fyke nets are traps used for larger fish that funnel fish into an enlarged minnow trap. We let all three traps sit overnight.
The next morning we met up in the classroom with Ellen. She first went over the different characteristics some fish have like gills, scales, and fins. We then discussed the parts of a fish's body such as the gills, mouth, and lateral line. The lateral line is a line of nerve endings that allow fish to sense things around them without seeing them. We went over how the shape of certain body parts are different depending on the fish. For example, a trout would have a terminal or forward facing mouth because it eats prey in front of its body. On the other hand lake sturgeon has an inferior or downward facing mouth because it eats off the bottom. These differences also occur in the body shape, coloration, and fins of fishes.
We then went to check our traps that we set the day before. First we checked out minnow traps and unfortunately found zero minnow in either trap so we moved on to the fyke net. The fyke net had many different species in it. We used the fish characteristics we learned earlier to identify each fish. The Species we captured were yellow perch, black crappie, pumpkinseed, rock bass, golden shiner, and brown bullhead. Ellen told us the three letter fish codes that are used to abbreviate the names of each species to make recording data easier. We then measured each of the fish in millimeters before releasing them back into the lake. In the afternoon we did more activities with identifying fish and what region of New York they are from. Lastly Ellen told us about some of the major invasive fish species in the United States right now and how they have been able to take over
Photo Credit: Liam Van Valkenburgh and Brianna Snyder (right)
Black Crappie (left) Brown Bullhead (center and right)
Fisheries Map
Reflection
These two weeks have been really fun. Not only did I get to do things I've always wanted like a high peak and fish in the Adirondacks, but it also helped me figure out what I'm interested in for college and as a profession. This was an experience I never thought I would have especially before college and it truly got me more interested in ecology. My favorite module was definitely the fisheries module because I learned more about the fish the I am trying to catch every day.
