Microclimate-Team+4

__**Our Super Dooper Awesomly Blossoming Fantastical Microclimate by Sean Sullivan, David Sims, Joe Del Conte

Location media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.05548,-75.567987&spn=0.002094,0.003396&z=18&output=embed" width="425" height="350" align="right"**__ Latitude: 40.055528 Longitude: 75.568166

Moving from the beginning to the end of our transect line the vegetation changes dramatically. At the beginning, there is almost entirely common grass with a few spots of dirt as you move along the line. Next, as you approach the tree, the vegetation grows longer and becomes more varied, including vines, various types of thorny plants, and several flowers. Finally, our transect line ends at a mature tree. To the north, about twenty five yards away, is the faculty parking lot, as well as the school about eighty five yards away. To the east is the remainder of the parking lot as well as some thick vegetation located about forty yards away. About sixty yards to the south is a “wasteland” left over from some reconstruction. Finally, about twenty yards to the west is a line of trees as well as a highway about three hundred yards in the distance.
 * __Brief Description__**





Figure 1, View to North (top left), East (Top Right), West (Bottom Right), South (Bottom Left)

There were many common characteristics among the various samples across our transect line, most notably the recurrent appearance of common grass, plantain, knotweed, and crickets.
 * Commonalities:**

Figure 2: Samples 1-4 taken on September 9th, Samples 5-10 taken on September 14th between 8:00 and 8:30 am.
 * **Sample** || **Temp. (C)** || **Light Intensity (Lux)** || **Dew Point (C)** || **Relative Humidity (%)** || **Absolute Humidity (g/m^3)** || **Soil Temp. (C)** ||
 * 1 || 21.7 || 142 || 16.1 || 70 || 13.8 || 19 ||
 * 2 || 20.1 || 176.4 || 15.9 || 59 || 14.3 || 19 ||
 * 3 || 24.3 || 115.36 || 16.8 || 68 || 15.1 || 20 ||
 * 4 || 27.8 || 102.54 || 17.1 || 62 || 14.8 || 19 ||
 * 5 || 25.6 || 88.31 || 17.2 || 61 || 16.1 || 19 ||
 * 6 || 28.9 || 83.31 || 17.6 || 55 || 15 || 20 ||
 * 7 || 26.3 || 89.72 || 17.2 || 64 || 15.3 || 20 ||
 * 8 || 24.9 || 96.13 || 17.6 || 65 || 15.8 || 19 ||
 * 9 || 27.1 || 89.72 || 18.3 || 71 || 16.1 || 20 ||
 * 10 || 23.3 || 79.81 || 17.1 || 73 || 15.2 || 20 ||
 * Averages || 25 || 106.33 || 13.6 || 64.8 || 15.2 || 19.5 ||

**Microclimates:**
__Microclimate 1__ This microclimate consisted of mostly common grass with a few weeds like crabgrass, clover, beggarweed, and common chickweed. These areas also had the highest average light intensity of 117.986 Lux, drawing the animal life in the most abundance to it rather than our other two microclimates. More specifically, we found geese and many crickets in this area. __

Microclimate 2:__ This microclimate had a lower light intensity than microclimate 1, but had the highest dew point, temperature, and absolute humidity. These abiotic factors seemed to contribute to taller plant life, but supported less above ground animal life. The most notable animal life that we found was the bumble bee, which was feeding on some of the weeds that had blooms.

__ Microclimate 3:__ The animal life in this zone was different from all the other zones. The relative humidity in this zone was the highest and the light intensity in this zone was the lowest because this zone was at the base of the white ash tree. In addition to the white ash tree, this microclimate had almost identical plant life to the previous two microclimates. We found an Eastern Tent Caterpillar, as well as a black-capped chickadee.


 * Relationship Between Abiotic and Biotic Factors:**


 * Microclimate 1**
 * Common Grass- This was found in all of our microclimates because they all provided enough light and moisture for growth.
 * Knotweed- Common knotweed is able to thrive in this microclimate because it is successful in even the worst soil.
 * White Clover- White Clovers are often found in lawns and our first two microclimates are similar to a lawn, creating a suitable habitat for the clover.
 * Crabgrass- Crabgrass is found in our first two microclimates due to its ability to adjust and survive in a very large range of climates.
 * Plantain- Plantains are able to grow in our first two microclimates due to their tendency to grow where irrigation is inconsistent.
 * Cricket- Crickets find cover under the plant life in microclimate one allowing them to hide from the predators among our first microclimate.
 * Geese- Geese are found among our first microclimate due to their tendency to graze in fields, and microclimate one is similar to a field.


 * Microclimate 2**
 * Common Grass- This was found in all of our microclimates because they all provided enough light and moisture for growth.
 * Knotweed- Common knotweed is able to thrive in this microclimate because it is successful in even the worst soil.
 * White Clover- White Clovers are often found in lawns and our first two microclimates are similar to a lawn, creating a suitable habitat for the clover.
 * Plantain- Plantains are able to grow in our first two microclimates due to their tendency to grow where irrigation is in inconsistent.
 * Crabgrass- Crabgrass is found in our first two microclimates do to its ability to adjust and survive in a very large range of climates.
 * Smartweed- Smartweed is able to grow in our second microclimate because of its need for a moist environment created with the high humidity in this microclimate.
 * Bristlegrass- Bristlegrass can be found in this microclimate because of the high humidity.
 * Horseweed- Horseweed can be found in this microclimate because of the warm soil temperatures in this area.
 * Shepherds Purse- Shepherds Purse tends to grow in shaded areas with high humidities such as this microclimate.
 * Bumble Bee- Bumble Bees can be found in areas with mid range temperatures and mid to high range humidities such as those of our second microclimate.

www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/ www.allaboutbirds.org/guide www.arborday.org/trees/treeGuide www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/etc/etc.htm
 * Microclimate 3**
 * Common Grass- This was found in all of our microclimates because they all provided enough light and moisture for growth.
 * Smartweed- Smartweed was able to grow in our third microclimate because of its need for a moist environment created with the high humidity in this microclimate.
 * Bristlegrass- Bristlegrass is found in this microclimate because of the high humidity.
 * Horseweed- Horseweed can be found in this microclimate because of the warm soil temperatures in this area.
 * Shepherds Purse- Shepherds Purse tends to grow in shaded areas with high humidities such as this microclimate.
 * White Ash Tree- White Ash Trees are very flexible in the range of the conditions that they live in, allowing it to live in many areas.
 * Eastern Tent Caterpillar- This particular breed of caterpillar is often found in trees (like the White Ash in this microclimate) in their distinctive tent-like nests.
 * Black Capped Chickadee- The Black Capped Chickadee was found in our third microclimate because these birds nest in trees, like the White Ash Tree in this microclimate.
 * Websites Used:**

**Organisms****:**