Forest Ecology

Instructor: Steven Clark            Clark Community College    Email: sclark@clark.edu

Lacamas Park Field Trip

Summary Paper

Lacamas Creek Field Trip

April 2008

Type your answers.  Do spell check.

Single space.  12 point.  Limit your work to one page if possible. 

20 points. 

1. Using your field guide, name three of the flowers we saw.  Use the common name and the Latin name.
2. Name two conifers we saw.  Use their common and Latin names. 
3. I said, “Alders and Douglas fir need disturbances.”  Why is that true?  Why can’t they grow in a deep forest where there is no disturbance? 
4. At one point we saw oak trees.  Why were the oak able to compete at that site but not at other places along our hike?
5. What biotic forces conspire to degrade a fallen log; what causes it to rot (you may need to refer to your book because I discussed this only briefly on the hike)?
6. Discuss this plant and shade?
7. What advantage does this fern have over other plants in the area?
8. What strategy allows this plant to compete in a dark forest?  Identify.
9. What role does this organism play in the forest?
10. Explain why flowers can compete here.
11. What role does this organism play in the forest?
12. From the Pojar book, tell me something interesting about this plant.  Identify.
13. Tell me two pieces of information that you felt was interesting but that I haven’t asked about on this sheet.