Cliff Stephens Park.
Thursday September 3rd.
Temperature: 89 degrees F.
Wind: WNW 9 mph.
Sunrise-sunset: 7:10-7:50
Clouds: very few small fluffy white clouds.
Precipitation: 61 %.

Cliff Stephens is a small park located near Moccasin Lake Park (where we had been the week before). This parks defining features are a lake surrounded by an abundance of trees and a Frisbee Golf course. We started the day in the parking lot and after a short briefing we were broken up into groups. Each group was given a different set of tools used for biological sampling as to practice these field skills.

Our first station was site 3, under the canopy.
First we laid down a 30 meter transect to conduct our sampling around. Then we used the Cruz-All to average the amount of trees at size 20. We found 8 trees around our transect at size 20. Next we used the Densiometer along the transect to find the average canopy cover at 90%. Finally we took a soil sample and found it to be loamy sand as it barely held together while being pushed through our fingers.

Our next station was site 4, also called under the canopy.

Here we followed the transect laid by the previous team and discovered using the densiometer that the average canopy cover was 60%. Next we found the DBH (diameter at breast height) of the trees along our transect. The largest was 153 cm and the smallest was 125 cm. To finish up we then used the Clinometer to find the height of the tallest tree near our transect to be 46 feet. 

The following station was site 2, open area.

Here we followed the first of two transects dropping pin flags at 10 meter intervals and recording what they touch.

Flag 1: St. Augustine grass, a type of weed, dirt.

Flag 2: St. Augustine grass, dirt.

Flag 3: St. Augustine grass, dirt.

Next we dropped a Quadrat at 10 meter intervals along the second transect to measure the abundance of plants and animals.

Drop 1: 70% weeds, 10% grass, 20% dirt.

Drop 2: 50% grass, 5% weeds, 45% clover.

Drop 4: 50% grass type 1, 50% grass type 2.

Finally we measured the soil texture and found it to be silt loam as it held together for about an inch after being pushed through our fingers.

The final station was site 1, by the water.

Here we took a fresh sample from the lake using the drift net. We found a small yellowing grass in our sample. The water sample was then tested for each of the following:

Turbidity: 46.0 NTU.

Salinity: 50 %.

pH: 6 - slightly acidic.

Temperature: 89.6 degree F.

Illumination: 642 Lux.

From here the class reconvened for a quick briefing before being dismissed. Overall i would call this a successful lesson in biological sampling.