Site Alpha Location: Gardner Massachusetts near the train tracks
Date: 03/18/17
Time: 3:45 pm
Weather Conditions: Cold and Cloudy with snow flurries on and off
Observation Transect
On March 15th 2017 I conducted an observation transect at my Site Alpha.
The purpose of a transect walk is a walk along a defined path in order to make observations about the landscape.
The path that I chose was mainly flat with a few minor dips and bumps along the way. To my left
tree's (mainly deciduous with some conifers among them) lined the way. A small rock wall also
partially lined the way. To my right, medium-sized bushes sporadically lined the way. Usually a trail
of grass, the path was instead covered with snow. However, at some points, small patches of grass
were sticking out along the pathway.
(Observation Transect Sketch)
Because of the cold weather and the icy and snowy conditions it was difficult to observe the types of plants. However, it was interesting to see that most of the tree's were deciduous trees, trees that lose their leaves in the fall. There were only a few conifers, tree's that maintain their needles all year round. The railroad tracks also led me to believe that more trees and other plants may have been cleared away in order for the tracks to be created.
I thought it was interesting that most of the trees in your observation transect are deciduous trees. Because of the placement of your transect, I think it is interesting and viable that other trees were removed in order to build the tracks.
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