Field trip prep questions, Due by noon Friday, 1.14.11:
1. Where are we going?
2. How is it different from the area of your first study? How is it similar?
3. What plants (ground cover, trees, bushes, etc.) are indigenous to this area?
4. The grass in Waimea is called Kikuyu. Where is this grass from, and why was it planted here?
5. Look into the future: if cattle ranching is no longer viable or sustainable, what is a sustainable use of this land?
6. How was the land used 500 years ago? By whom, and for how long? Was this sustainable?
7. Go here:
http://physics.hpa.edu/physics/apenvsci/videos/koaiaSE.mov
click the mouse and drag left and right. What trees can you identify?
8. The Hawaiians developed a system called "Ahupua'a". Look this up, and explain how this system would have included this area, then contrast this with the area you first studied, near the energy lab.
9. Explain how the Ahupua'a model might have changed soil utilization and plant diversity
10. Using new technology, is it possible to preserve biodiversity?
11. Seeds can be stored in seed banks and replanted if a species is lost. Why is this not possible with the biodiversity of an area?
12. Explain the context of this area in the slope, the ahupua'a, the island, the island chain, and the pacific ocean ecosystems.
13. Look this area up on google maps, and describe the surrounding area
Lab Process questions:
1. Explain why you use a randomly chosen area, but a strictly defined selection. Is this random?
2. Transects are used in all biological assessments, both surface and underwater. Why is this a standard?
3. What trends do you notice in the area regarding plant location: sunlight, wind coverage, drainage, soil type, water source, etc.
4. If this were mapped using aerial photography, what would it miss?
5. GIS is a system of mapping out resources for preservation, conservation or exploitation. What would such a system miss in this case?
Field questions: (complete in the field, due upon your return)
1. Why is the area fenced in? What is it keeping in, and what out?
2. How did this area look 1000 years ago? 250,000 years ago? 500,000 years ago?