Think like a caribou, winter tracking near roads, animal behaviour
Overview description: Think Like a Caribou: This project has involved two different activities: Students are given a challenge to "Think Like Caribou" when following and mapping tracks from caribou from the southern lakes herd. Students used differential GPS, ariel photos and compass to keep a log of the location of the tracks they follow. The log also records the habitat tracks pass through, cratering sites and bedding sites. When this log is transferred to computer and displayed in map format over the ariel photo, students are able to get an understanding of how the landscape is used. Students have also been asked to determine how frequently an area is used by caribou. They have run parallel transects of 2.5 kilometers in length. All intersecting caribou tracks are plotted on the transect at the intersect location. Maps are generated indicating intensity of caribou use in the area. As in many studies and field activities, one set of findings led the ES 11 class into related fields of inquiry.
Overview description: Think Like a Caribou: This project has involved two different activities: Students are given a challenge to "Think Like Caribou" when following and mapping tracks from caribou from the southern lakes herd. Students used differential GPS, ariel photos and compass to keep a log of the location of the tracks they follow. The log also records the habitat tracks pass through, cratering sites and bedding sites. When this log is transferred to computer and displayed in map format over the ariel photo, students are able to get an understanding of how the landscape is used. Students have also been asked to determine how frequently an area is used by caribou. They have run parallel transects of 2.5 kilometers in length. All intersecting caribou tracks are plotted on the transect at the intersect location. Maps are generated indicating intensity of caribou use in the area. As in many studies and field activities, one set of findings led the ES 11 class into related fields of inquiry.
Caribou from the Southern Lakes Herd have been killed by traffic. It appears that the animals have been attracted to salt on the road. Salt is mixed with crushed gravel to keep it from freezing into large lumps. This mixture is applied to the road when the temperature warms above -5o C , At these temperatures, ice and snow become slippery. This mixture represents a salt supply many times greater than natural supplies for caribou. Caribou are attracted to licking this gravel when the roads are icy. As a result a number of caribou have been killed and vehicles have been damaged. ES students have collected samples of this gravel and analyzed the salt content through chemical analysis. Students have been exploring other ways of storing the crush so that salt does not need to be used.
Community interest or concern Duration of study and numbers involved Protocols followed and resources. ES11 students had conducted a number of analysis to compare results. They have evaporated given amounts of melted snow and weighed the salt remaining, they have conducted a double replacement reaction and weighed the precipitate and they have measured the conductivity of the melted samples and compared these values with prepared salt solutions. Contact person and more detailed information Rob Florquitz Dept of Environment, Bob Sharp, Alain Dalaire |