Here in the Mojave Desert, our annual vegetation collection has come to a close. Although some juvenile Desert Tortoises are still foraging out of their burrows, most of the useful annual plant material has dried up and blown away. This means we are on to the next task of entering our mountains of data sheets into a digital format! This component is actually quite rewarding because it allows one to look back on the entire field campaign, from the beginning when methods were still being developed, to the end, when our methods were refined. It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve learned a lot since you started! The Mojave never ceases to amaze me, with new plants emerging just when you thought nothing could possibly bear the heat, now rising into the 108-110 range. Although the annuals have (with the exception of a few Eriogonum species) senesced, some Cacti and a few other perennials are in full flower.
Now begins the task of using the loads of data we collected to answer the questions we asked at the beginning of the study. Some examples include: 1) Which annual plant species do juvenile Desert Tortoise target and why? 2) Is there a significant difference in species composition and biomass between our three distinct sites? 3) Is juvenile Desert Tortoise health correlated with species diversity, higher biomass, or any other parameters measured at our sites?
To answer these questions, we need to organize our data such that we can use statistical programs to detect differences in species richness, biomass, etc. We also need to determine the nutritional value of a few key species. Finally, we need to use foraging observations, collected by another researcher, to determine species targeted by juveniles.
I find this part of the project really fun, because it involves investigating trends, being creative in analysis techniques, and finally (hopefully) being able to tell a small story about juvenile Desert Tortoise behavior and/or nutritional needs as well as describing the habitats they prefer.
So begins the long, sometimes tedious, but always rewarding, data analysis phase!
‘Til next time,
Daniel
Eucnide urens