More Here or There?

Have you ever suddenly wondered about something? I have, many times in fact. Then finally I wondered about something and thought of a way to figure it out. The way I accomplished this was by following the “Scientific Method!” This is what I did:

  1. Question: Are there more animal burrows and mounds in a forest or a clearcut?

  2. Hypothesis (what you think): I should think there would be more burrows and mounds in a forested area because it is more dense and has more places to hide.

  3. Materials I Used:

    • Paper

    • Pencil

    • Ruler

    • Digital Camera

    • Tape

  4. For my procedure I made a plan. My plan was to first mark off an area 13ft. by 20ft. in a forest and 14ft. by 20ft. in a clearcut.  Second I recorded the date, amount of burrows and mounds in the area and their size.

  5. Observations: I noticed that in the forested area there were not many burrows that I could find. However that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Also I only found about 3 mounds! I felt like calling out to the animals “where are you all hiding?!” 

  6. In the forested area I found 11 mounds and burrows. In the clear cut I found 29 all together. Wow! 

  7. Conclusion: The clear cut had the most burrows and mounds; crazy isn’t it?! Why do you think it was the clear cut? I think it might be because there are lots of downed trees so there’s more protection. However that’s just another Hypothesis. Who knows, you might be the one to find that one out! Good luck!

Krystle (Me) measuring a burrow

Krystle measuring a burrow again with a wide view of the experiment site. 

Would you like any more information on burrowing animals?  Click on the links below: