Lick Creek Park is located in southeast College Station, TX, and consists of 515 acres of habitats associated with the Post Oak Savanna and Hardwood Forest vegetation zone. The park transects the valley walls of the Lick Creek flood plain, a major tributary to the Navasota River. The park contains an “alluvial hardwood forest, open marshland, oxbow meadows, upland oak forest, and sandy prairies.”(Lick Creek Park 2016) Before the park was established, it was used to pasture cattle and thus was severely overgrazed. With very few native grasses left, an abundance of invasive species took over. Poor grazing practices along with suppression of prescribed fire also caused severe woody encroachment. Since its establishment, Lick Creek Park now exhibits higher numbers native species diversity and lower amounts of invasive species. A large variety of “birds,
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Plants that were not of the target species were recorded as “other”. Using the line-intercept method our target species were the Yaupon Holley, and Farkelberry shrubs. When we used the quadrat method our target species were the Little Bluestem, Sedge, and Chasmanthium. Lastly, when we used the point-center-quarter method, our target species were the Post Oak, Water Oak, Sycamore, and Honey Locus.
White-Tailed Deer Sampling.
In addition to plants, we also collected data on the white tailed deer population. We used active trail cameras located in the bottomland forest and post-oak savannah to measure the deer population. The cameras took photos of the deer using an inferred light and flash camera. Every time a deer got into range of the camera it would take a picture of the animal. We observed the deer on 60 different distinct time series. In each time series we measured number of deer in the picture and the sexes of the deer.
Results and
Plants that were not of the target species were recorded as “other”. Using the line-intercept method our target species were the Yaupon Holley, and Farkelberry shrubs. When we used the quadrat method our target species were the Little Bluestem, Sedge, and Chasmanthium. Lastly, when we used the point-center-quarter method, our target species were the Post Oak, Water Oak, Sycamore, and Honey Locus.
White-Tailed Deer Sampling.
In addition to plants, we also collected data on the white tailed deer population. We used active trail cameras located in the bottomland forest and post-oak savannah to measure the deer population. The cameras took photos of the deer using an inferred light and flash camera. Every time a deer got into range of the camera it would take a picture of the animal. We observed the deer on 60 different distinct time series. In each time series we measured number of deer in the picture and the sexes of the deer.
Results and