Macha Cauchois
Transect Investigation
Aim:
To compare abiotic and biotic matters in three different sites on Doi Inthanon.
Hypothesis:
I predict that as we go up the mountain, the soil temperature will decrease as will the light intensity. I also predict that the depth of leaf litter, tree circumference and tree height will have no correlation with the altitude as we go up higher on the mountain.
Method:
Soil temperature:
- Place a soil thermometer in the soil, 5cm under the ground
- Wait for 30 seconds for the thermometer to measure the temperature
- Take out the thermometer
- Read off the reading and record it
Tree circumference:
- Use a tape measure and put it round the tree at eye’s height
- Measure the circumference and record it
Leaf litter depth
- Take a ruler and put it into the ground up to the soil level
- Measure the height up to where the leaf goes to
- Record the readings
Tree height
- Measure the height of the person who will be measuring the height of the tree
- Take a tape measure and measure 3m away from the tree diagonally from the tree, and not on a slope
- Stand 3m away from the tree and point the clinometer up to the top of tree
- Read the degree stated on the clinometer and record it down
- Using trigonometry, calculate the height of the tree using the height of the person, the distance from the tree and the angle stated on the clinometer
