Method for penetrability:
For the penetrability test we used a knitting needle and a ruler. We stuck the knitting needle into the ground every half meter. When it gets pulled out we measure the needle from the bottom to where it has been level with the ground. This shows us how much it has been trampled on or if people are sticking to the path. If they are sticking to the path the ground will be soft as the people haven’t been compressing the soil down. This is why it helps me to answerer my aim. We would then move on to the next 0.5 of a meter and do it again. This is how we recorded our results:
Penetrability of the soil
24cm, 16cm, 22cm, 15cm, 27cm, 17cm, 10cm, 0.1cm, 0.1cm, 0.1cm, 0.1cm, 0.1cm, 8cm, 16cm, 10cm, 18cm, 11cm, 13cm, 8cm, 11cm
Method for height of vegetation:
For the height of vegetation we measured the highest vegetation in each half meter with a ruler. We recorded our results like this:
Height of tallest plant
21cm 24cm 14cm 16cm 13cm 10cm 11cm 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm 3cm 5.5cm 5cm 3cm 6cm 5cm 6cm 6cm
This will help me answer my analysis as it will show whether people are trampling on the edge of the path or on the path.
Analysis for vegetation cover:
There is no % vegetation cover on either path at Brockhole or Loughrigg Terrace. At the Brockhole sight there is 100% vegetation cover on the left hand side of the path. This is from quodrat 1-6 and then it goes from 75% at quadrat 7 and 0% at quadrat 8 until quadrat 12. On the right hand side it is 10% at quadrat 13, 1005 at quadrat 14, 70% at quadrat 15, 20% at quadrat 16, 65% at quadrat 17, 70% at quadrat 18, 70% at quadrat 19 and 75% at quadrat 20. The right hand side is also a picnic area. The picnic area has also just had flooding problems so it will be a lot more muddy than usual. The average % vegetation cover for Brockhole is 57.15%. The average % vegetation cover for Loughrigg Terrace is 73.25%.
Analysis for penetrability:
The average value for penetrability at Loughrigg Terrace is 1.97. The average value for penetrability at Brockhole is 11.75. I have found out by looking at my graph of penetrability that at Loughrigg Terrace the Eastern side has not been trampled on as much as the Western side.
The path itself has a width of 1.5 meters. The whole 1.5 meters has been trampled on so much that the needle could not go through at all.
The penetrability on the western side has been trampled on as much as the Eastern side. This is because of the forest on the Western side. The path that people are supposed to walk on is approximately 2 meters wide. The needle can be put through the path but only 1cm for just 2m. When we did this test the needle could have either hit a rock, gone down like it is supposed to or it could have gone down at a slight angle which would make it an unfair test. As I have already explained earlier on that the Western side is woodland so people will not be walking on it as much as the Eastern side of the path as this side is just open ground with a small fun area were you are able to build your own wall.
Analysis for height of vegetation:
I have found out that at Loughrigg Terrace the Western side has the highest vegetation at 23cm tall. The overall tallest vegetation is at the Eastern side of the path. At Brockhole the highest vegetation is on the Western side of the path. It is 24cm tall. Between Loughrigg Terrace and Brockhole, Brockhole has the highest vegetation. This is because people might not want to walk as low down as Brockhole and their may be sheep or any other kind of cattle to eat this vegetation and the national park cannot afford to hire a gardener to go higher up in the mountains to cut the vegetation in Loughrigg Terrace.