This week in lab we walked all over campus and made our way to Tatnall Square Park looking at bushes, shrubbery, trees and flowers. This post will show and discuss three different trees, flowers and bush/shrubbery we encountered on our trip. In the trees section I will discuss Yoshino Cherry, Cabbage Palm and Magnolia trees. In the flowers section I will talk about Heather, Snapdragon and Marigolds. In the bush/shrubbery section I will review Sago Palm, Itea and Loropetalum.
                
Going from left to right, we have Prunus yedoensis (Yoshino Cherry), Sabal palmetto (Cabbage Palm) and Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia). In Japanese culture, cherry trees symbolize the ephemeral nature of life. They have been historically observed and are celebrated for their beauty. A historical fun fact for the cabbage palm is in 1776 Charleston patriot William Moultrie built a fort out of palmetto trunks and defended it against the British military. They are also remarkably resistant to cold, fires, salt spray and flooding. The magnolia tree is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. The flowers from the tree have been dated back almost 20 million years ago! The magnolia has plays, movies and novels named after them.
                    
Going from left to right, we have Calluna (Heather), Tagetes (Marigold) and Antirrhinum (Snapdragon). Heather grows in acidic soil and depending on the part of the world you live in, it is considered a food source or a weed. Marigolds are planted next to some crops as to deter animals and pests from eating the crops. They give off a pungent smell which wards off these animals and pests. Snapdragons are a toss up flower. Scientist have trouble with their taxonomy due to their genetics. They are also an example of incomplete dominance.
             
Going from left to right, we have Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm), Itea (Itea virginica) and Loropetalum chinense (Loropetalum). Sago Palm is very toxic to pets. The seeds of Sago Palm contain cycasin which is the most toxic. Itea is a plant commonly planted for its beautiful fall foliage. Loropetalum is a low maintenance shrubbery. It is known for its green, copper and red tones.



*Pictures Courtesey of Google Images
*Information Courtesey of Wikipedia

          On September 10, 2012, Dr. Rood took our class to the Ocmulgee River to do some basic testing. We were unable to measure elevation levels because we were missing a level. We did get to take clam counts and make a better educated guess to where they prefer to inhabit. We also did a water velocity test with an old soda bottle we found laying in the river bed. The above pictures shows the area we walked around, the approximate sites of the clam excavations and a similar path to which the soda bottle traveled for out velocity calculation. The above picture is not quite what the river looked like upon the day of our visit, in which the water was more shallow and revealed more islands.
           The water velocity calculation we used involving getting to two different locations, in the direction and opposite the direction of the flow, were we knew the distance from each other and then placing the bottle in the water and timing it from beginning to end. Once we had the time, we divided the distance by the time elapsed and came up with our water velocity for that segment of the waterway.
           The clam counts involved a filter type of device, let's call it a screen, that we would shovel sand into and then rinse until all the sand was pushed through the screen leaving behind the material that was too large to be pushed through the filter. Once the sand had been washed through, we took count of the clam shells that were remaining in the screen. We did this at three different locations and counted the largest clam population was where there was more water. Thus, leading one to assume, that clams prefer the water content to the sandy content.
            Unfortunately, we did not get to attempt the elevation determining section of the lab as we did not have a level for the string. My understanding of the experiment is that you have two poles, with lengths marked on them, connected by a string with a level on that string. You then would stick one pole in the ground and then carry the other pole along your line transect and stick it in the ground. You want a close to exact measure for how far you stuck each pole in the ground and make them even. You then make sure the level was reading even and observe the difference of measurement each stick was at the mark of string.
           The following insert is a Distance Vs. Elevation chart recreated from data given to me by Dr. Rood. This is what the data from the elevation transect would be used to create.

Here is a link to Hurricane Andrew that troubled Florida in 1992.

Isopleth maps are used to show areas that have similar qualities such as elevation, rainfall and other items. The map uses lines or color to distinguish the areas. Below is an example of such.

Dot Density maps are used to display an impression of density for a given area. They are not meant to give an exact quality but a general consensus. 

Choropleth maps use distinct shadings or patterns to display changes in an area. They are used to display data that can be distinguished quickly.

Proportional Symbol maps are used to display differing quantities of a specific item done by varying the size of a given symbol. The following maps shows cow sales in Maryland.