All good things must come to an end.

8/2/2012

     On our last full day, we went to see Old San Juan.  It was a site to see.

     In conclusion, I learned alot from this trip.  Here is a rough list of things I learned :

Tagging techniques

Tag making
Following protocol/directions
Logical reasoning behind protocol
Team work
Data entry/check
Species Identification
Navigation through forest in the dark
     Compass, map
Finding established plots
Measuring radius of plots
Understanding relevance of census (data obtained)
Learning to develop questions relevant to area (abundance of lizards/snails/frogs/etc…)
Taking measurement
     In addition to all of this, seeing a new place and meeting new people was very cool.  It was also enlightening to learn that research such as what I participated in is going on.  I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

It is coming to a close...

7-23-2012

     On what was supposed to be our last night doing the big grid, we ran into some complications.  A storm rolled in and the lightning caused us to quit when we were less than half way finished (Safety First).  It was interesting to be in the forest during an intense down-pour, but getting back to the station was a relieve.
     The next day, we did what is known as Plant Apparency.  We broke off into two groups of three and took readings on the entire big grid during the day.  It was much easier to navigate during the day, but it was an intimidating task.  Finishing was very rewarding; it was the first time that study had been done on the entire big grid in one day.  There were a number of things we checked for.  Plant habitat architecture, canopy gap, number of rocks/leaf litter/dead wood/ etc. were all quantified for comparison of each plot.  This allows for cross referencing with snail data to see which plots have higher biodiversity and suggests reasons why.
     The next day we went to a place that goes by many names, one being "Cloud Forest".  It was quite a hike, but it was worth it.  It looked like a place right out of "Lord of the Rings".  Although it had an almost eerie look, it was very relaxing and comfortable (when we were not hiking up hill).  That night we finished up the big grid that was postponed due to the storm.
    Today has been all about data entry and setting up another experiment that will determine the decay rate of snail shells and their impact on the decay rate of surround plant material.
   

07/19/12

Monday July 16 was the third run of the Big Grid, it did go a lot faster than the those times we did it. Getting the directions down in the dark, in the middle of a rain forest can we a bit overwhelming at times. Especially when you can not find the plot your looking for lol! After being out there a couples of times you start to get the hang of reading the map and finding the plots a lot easier. I was in a group on the third run with just students. We found our way pretty easy! I was proud of myself considering it was in the rain forest and in the dark lol!

The next day we took off, then decided to take off another and now we are being forced to take off another day because we are under a Tropical Wave.

7-19-2012
     There is not a lot to report.  Tuesday and Wednesday we focused on data entry and things we could get done around the station.  This day is a continuation of the same.  We are under a tropical wave, so it would be dangerous to go into the field. 

Snail eat snail world...

7-17-2012
     Today went very well.  It was the big grid, so I expected to finish late.  We actually finished around 1:00AM.  Excellent navigation by my partner and most of the snails being tagged helped with this.  It was a very interesting night.  My phone was charging, so I could not get any photos, and I wish I could have.  We saw a snail (Oleacina glabra) eating another snail (Caracolus caracolla). That was quite a site.  In addition to that, there was a scorpion eating a centipede!!!  If only I had my camera...

7-15-2012
     Tonights work went very quickly.  We did the "CTE".  It is very nice getting back to the station so early 10:15(home time), 11:15 (Puerto Rican time).  We did get to see a Screech Owl perched on a tree, which was amazing.  They are very small!!
The main reason I am making this post is that we are on generator power right now.  I expect that I will be capable of posting tomorrow, either the generator will be running or the electricity will be prepared. However, on the off chance we don't have power I wanted to keep you posted.

7-15-2012

    Yesterday was all about making up for lost time.  Because we had a day off, we had to be sure to get plenty done.  We did the entire "Big Grid".  We divided into 2 two-man groups and 1 three-man group.  I was a member of the three man group.  We were the last to finish and made it back to camp around 3:45AM.  Even though it was a long night, it was really cool.  My partners and I were able to see a Puerto Rican Boa Constricter, which my professor has yet to see.  He was eating a lizard, which is sad because I like lizards but that is how nature works.  It was very exciting.  I was also able to touch a land crab. It was an amazing night!

Below is a Coqui frog, known for the sound it is making in this video.