Brainstorm in the Oak Grove

 ABI 198-Section B

4/11/25

    Hey ecosystem enthusiasts! We had a class meeting full of creative ideas on potential projects we could pursue. Although it was a different meeting location than the classroom, we mainly made it to the Oak Grove site with no issues! We spent some time doing observations and met back up to discuss some interesting interactions we saw. We also talked in groups about what we wrote down on the idea repository Excel sheet and added some new thoughts.

Here are our brainstorming/synthesis minutes:

12:10 pm- Met at Oak Grove

12:20 pm- Self-guided observations 

12:45 pm- Group discussion about observations

-A big interest of the group from previous sites that is relevant to California is how fires affect the diversity and growth of plants. Another potential research idea brought up today was about Adela Trigrapha and studying male antennae length and how it correlates with attracting mates. There is not much research on these moths so we would introduce new information on the topic. From today's session leaf coverage beneath the oaks sparked interest as insects typically seek cover and lay eggs underneath the leaves. To add onto this, students thought of an idea where we could test ant behavior such as forage patterns, and how it is affected by placing them on different kinds of bark as well as temperatures that would simulate different seasons.

1:25 pm- Individual brainstorming

1:35 pm- Small group discussion

1:40 pm- Big group discussion of ideas

-During our meeting, we were interrupted by a few loud planes that paused our conversation. The idea of noise pollution was discussed as to how it may affect biodiversity in areas such as a site close to freeways. A new interest brought up was how pesticides affect insect populations. 

2:00 pm- Depart from discussion

Photos from Oak Grove

Meeting Location: Oak Grove

Honey Bee Pollinating Flowers

Carpenter Bee Pollinating Flowers

Lizard camouflaged in leaves and twigs.

Calla Lillies with different wilting patterns

Interesting Observations: 

- Fewer animals to view potentially because of more human activity

- Difference in where Oak tree split (some low to ground versus high up on tree)

- Difference in vegetation amount that grows underneath tree based on the type of Oak tree.

Week 2 Progress

Although we had some lost time during this previous Wednesday's field trip, our team pulled together during Friday's session to bring plenty of ideas from their observations to the table. We were able to continue a discussion of experiments where everyone contributed or added to some fun ideas! Our class is nowhere near short of potential possibilities and our idea repository continues to grow. For our final field observation for the upcoming Wednesday session, we agreed to continue our exploring at Bobcat Ranch, introducing a new species we have not observed yet during our previous field observations, cattle! Thus, ending our week 2 on a successful note. 

Reminders:

Continue adding ideas to the idea repository Excel sheet. Keep tracking your progress outside of class by adding to the weekly reflections! Our upcoming Wednesday's field trip will give us lots of observation time so be sure to pack lunches that you can eat on the go to maximize our time exploring the site and discussions! Of course, bring lots of water and sunblock. 

Agenda for Wednesday

10:00 am- Meet at Mann Laboratory's parking lot and depart to the site.

10:30 am- Arrive at Bobcat Ranch.

10:30-11:30 am- Introduction to the site by the property manager. 

11:30-11:45 am- Gather into our specific species interest groups and discuss research papers that interest us and what we want to observe around the property. 

11:45 am-1:00 pm- Field Observations.

1:00-1:20 pm- Discuss observations and potential research ideas to present for Friday's session.

1:20 pm- Depart in vans back to campus.

2:00 pm- Arrive back at Mann Lab's parking lot.

Activities: Complete the following by Wednesday's field trip

Research the species that live in Bobcat Ranch. During Wednesday’s field trip, we will break into four groups based off of interests of birds/ reptiles, insects, plants, and mammals. Pick a species you are interested in and find a research paper online to add to Zotero. In the reading-discussion channel, give a short summary of the paper you chose and what interests you about the study. This will give us good ideas to narrow down what we want to explore and observe at Bobcat Ranch in our groups!