1. A Study of Factors Affecting Biological Diversity Based On The Auburn Forest and Nokomis Forest Auburn Nokomis Collin Li, Eric Tom, Benjamin Park, Cindy Li, Kevin Chan, Christina Bogdan AP Environmental Fall 2010 Mr. Citron

2. Introduction Trees influence soil type, water runoff and drainage, provide food and habitat to a multitude of animals, and they may also impose distinct microclimates. The presence or absence of certain trees may serve as a direct indicator of overall forest health. Tree species diversity, or tree biodiversity, varies with different environmental factors, which can then impact the overall health of the ecosystem Invasive species, precipitation, climate, and elevation all play a factor in biological diversity. Hence, the latitude and longitude play an important role in the biodiversity of a forest. The purpose of this project is to determine the health of Auburn Forest and compare the climate, precipitation, and elevation to that of the Nokomis Forest.

3. Methods Data was collected on an atypical site (Auburn Forest) and trees were counted in a plot (FIG) Different species were recorded using My World GIS for a single plot in the Auburn Forest(FIA) Different species were recorded using My World GIS for 20 plots in the Auburn Forest (FIA) Different species were recorded using My World GIS for a single plot in the Nokomis Forest (FIA)

4. LatitudeLongitudePlotSpeciesCount 1 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabAmerican Beech4 2 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabBalsam Fir1 3 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabBlack Oak1 4 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabOther Oak2 5 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabPaper Birch2 6 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabRed Maple16 7 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabRed Oak16 8 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabSugar Maple2 9 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabWhite Ash1 10 44.146-70.224Auburn Land Lab White Oak 1 11 44.146-70.224Auburn Land LabWhite Pine2 Data

6. Auburn Forest FIA

8. Nokomis Forest FIA

9. Elevation Precipitation Temperature Auburn receives more precipitation than Nokomis, providing more moisture for plants. Nokomis has a slightly higher 30 year average surface temperature than Auburn. Auburn has a higher elevation than Nokomis.

10. Conclusions The invasive species Red Oak greatly decreases biodiversity in the atypical Auburn forest. An abundance in a particular species suggests low biodiversity. If the Red Oak was able to dominate the atypical plot, the seeds may spread to other plots and cause the biodiversity of Auburn forest to decrease drastically. Biodiversity increases with a larger sample size. Precipitation is a dominant factor for biodiversity compared to temperature and elevation.

11. Works Cited Barnett, Chuck, Karen Waddell, Jim Menlove, and Carol Perry. "FIA DataMart: FIADB Version 4.0." FIA DataMart. USDA Forest Service, 15 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Jan. 2011.. Maloney, Pat. "Maine Forest Facts." Www.mainetreefoundation.org. Main Project Learning Tree. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.. State of Maine. "Facts & History: Wildlife & Plant Life." Maine.gov. InforME, 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2011.. State of Maine. "Fig - Resources." Maine.gov. State of Maine. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.. "Tree Encyclopedia." North American Insects and Spiders / Tree Encyclopedia. Red Planet Inc. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.. Urban, Michael J., Ken Laustsen, Pat Maloney, Donald Sprangers, and Gerry Saunders. "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: What's in Your Woods?" Seeing the Forest for the Trees: What's In Your Woods? Earth Exploration Toolbook, 12 Oct. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2011..