Undergraduate Spotlight: Perspectives on paleoecological field techniques

 

(Dr. Briles and Erin prepping the rafts for launch.)

Fieldwork is, at least for me, the highlight of the entire scientific process. After spending much of last year utilizing GIS analysis to pick out my my field sites, it is a delight to go and see these beautiful high elevation lakes in person, and not just from aerial imagery and elevation DEMs. Although fieldwork comes with a certain type of excitement, it is not without its planning, packing, travel, and in most cases grappling with the elements. One of the considerations of choosing to work with high elevation and most times alpine lakes, is the climate of these overall remote areas. It isn’t always easy in close to freezing temperatures and spontaneous thunderstorms. So, one can only imagine the extra strain that this adds to the set up, and extraction processes. With that said, one of the most important, yet usually overlooked, parts of field work are the helping hands.

 

(Dinghy Captain Shelley at Mirror Lake in late July.)

 

(Kade and Erin at Cottonwood Lake)

For much of my field work this summer, I have relied on the help of friends, and most importantly undergraduates volunteering their time and energy to be apart of the process. It isn’t always pretty; there is a lot of lugging of equipment to and from the truck, making and hauling anchors, rowing, and cleaning. All while dodging temperature swings and unexpected precipitation. I can personally attest to the various projects that I have helped with from my undergraduate career at SUNY Oneonta. The days can be long, but I always felt it was worth it. The opportunity to help on current research projects is so insightful and helps to cement many of the concepts that seem so theoretical within the classroom.

I’d like to give a chance to introduce several of my undergraduate field helpers, and allow them each to reflect on why this research is important to them.

Erin Jaynes

 

Zara and I met through our mutual involvement in the Geography department at the University of Colorado Denver. I am an undergraduate student majoring in geography with a focus in environmental science. My primary interests are in ecological studies based on vegetation patterns and geomorphology in general. Being a physical geographer, I value any opportunity that allows me to gain experience in the field. I have assisted others with the process of extracting sediment from lakes in the past and was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in retrieving several additional core samples. Zara guided me and other students in several different methods for coring lakes. We used a Livingston Piston Corer to extract sediment from deeper water (about 7.4 meters), we used a Kline Short Corer to retrieve samples from the upper sediment layer of Cottonwood lake and observe the mud-water interface. The coring process itself required a lengthy set-up time and some physical labor, but in the end we were able to extract several cores that seemed to exhibit evidence of disturbance events.

Given my interest in vegetative ecology, I really valued the opportunity to assist Zara with her thesis research. Zara’s topic involves studying past climatic events in order to reconstruct a picture of avalanche occurrence in the past. These occurrences will then serve as potential indicators of future avalanche events. With the completion of this research, we will be able to get a clearer picture of the affects of climate change in order to better prepare and protect back country adventurers.

Kade Beem

 

My name is Kade Beem. I am an undergraduate at University of Colorado Denver. I am a Geography major with a minor in Environmental Science.

Before this excursion, I had little prior knowledge in Paleoecology, so this was an entirely new experience for me. In my studies, I have discovered an interest in soil and soil degradation and this experience further solidified my continued interest and study in soils.

I have found, in previous fieldwork experiences, that adaptability, flexibility and patience are keys to successful excursions. These principles rang true at Cottonwood Lake as well. While incredibly fun, there were obstacles that we had to overcome as a team in order to successfully obtain the sediment samples.

Utilizing this paleoecology technique has been critical to my studies. I look forward to the further analysis of the samples we extracted to expand my knowledge in the field of Paleoecology and Geography as a whole.

Eric Wahlberg

 

My name is Eric Wahlberg. I would like to share with you a little about myself as well as an inspiring moment I had over the past weekend doing fieldwork. As an undergraduate geography major who has always had a solid interest in and respect for the method of science, but who has had more experience in the arts, I come new to the hands-on approach to gathering data in the field. I have been aware of and become familiar with the scientific method but have had little opportunity to take part in it, it simply has not come up for me. Until two days ago. Doing the actual data gathering for the purpose of taking a step toward supporting or dismissing my individual hypothesis has been quite rewarding. Rather than looking on from a distance where I felt unqualified to add my thoughts, I was part of the noble process of science. The specific technique of coring the sediment at the bottom of Lily Pond reminds me of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes deducing what happens by way of incredible resourcefulness and ingenuity from clues that seem non-relative... on the surface. Seeing the evidence, charcoal sediments, of past events, perhaps 4,000 years BP, blew my mind and I now look forward to analyzing the sediments to learn what may have taken place in this area so many years ago. I continue to learn from professors graduate students, specifically Zara, as well as a handful of others, why asking questions about the past and coming to answers through the method of science is so vital to our now global civilization. Taking part in my recent fieldwork with my science-minded peers has steered me in another direction, one that I wish to follow for my life.

In conclusion, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me thus far, and those that will continue to help me in the future. This type of research seems to create a unique community with like minds working towards our common research goals. Without everyone who has helped me, loaned gear, expressed their interests, or encouragement I wouldn’t be where I am now.

Thank you!