PowerPoint presentation for the Black team's expedition presentation

Assessing the impact of altitude on the difference in flowers between upland and downland areas in the Brecon Beacons

Transcript

2. Assessing the impact of altitude on the difference in flowers between upland and downland areas in the Brecon Beacons. Will Alston, Josh Holland, Harry Jachuck, Ben Kremer, Abby McNally, Will Meikle, Annabel Symes Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition, July 2017 Black Team
3. The Brecon Beacons National Park The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957, the third of the three Welsh parks after Snowdonia in 1951 and the Pembrokeshire Coast in 1952. It stretches from Llandeilo in the west to Hay-on-Wye in the northeast and Pontypool in the southeast, covering 1,340 km² and encompassing four main regions – the Black Mountain in the west, Fforest Fawr and the Brecon Beacons in the centre, and the confusingly named Black Mountains in the east. From: Brecon Beacons National Park - en.wikipedia.org
5. Expedition overview ▪ Day 1: Llangattock to Pyrgad ▪ Day 2: Pyrgad to Llwyn-onn Reservoir ▪ Day 3: Llwyn-onn Reservoir to Pen y Fan
6. Hypothesis
7. Hypothesis ▪ flora will vary with altitude due to varying predators, temperatures and exposure to sunlight ▪ Due to the colder conditions only tougher plants will grow at high altitudes ▪ Less flora will grow in the bottom of valleys due to a shadowing effect which will limit photosynthesis ▪ Flowers at mid attitudes will have more variety in colour, height than higher altitude flowers which live in more extreme environments (with more wind and weathering erosion)
8. Methodology ▪ We recorded the various flora using a notepad and pencil and using a table with columns entitled: altitude, colour, description Some of the books we used to identify flowers
9. Day 1 2nd July 2017 Llangattock to Pyrgad
10. Start End
11. Flowers 19°C 80m white insect pollinated flower, thistles and buttercups, wasps present 110m many white flowers next to river Ley’s whitebeam- very rare
12. - Canals used greatly for trade in past so some flowers may come from foreign countries ▪ - 120m foxglove next to river, elderflower, brightly coloured purple flower, clovers, wild daisies next to canal, flower with large petals ▪ - 130m small purple flowers
13. ▪ - 140m purple orchid and foxglove in area with little shade ▪ - 170m tall purple thistles
14. ▪ - 200m small yellow and blue flowers, foxglove ▪ - 300m Forget-me-nots at midaltitude boggy area
15. ▪ - 525m bilberry ▪ - 540m large expanses of heather
16. 540 I 520 I 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 I I I 180 I 160 140 I I I 120 I I I I I I I 100 80I I I 60 40 20 0 white insect thistles buttercups white flowers fowglove elderflower brightly cloured clovers daisies flowers with large small purple purple orchid purple thistles smal yellow small blue bilberry heather polinated flower purple flowers petals flowers flowers flowers
17. The Chartist Cave (SO 1299 1524) is a culturally significant cave, whose name derives from 1839 when Chartist rebels used the cave to stockpile weapons in advance of their march on Newport. The known length of the cave is 440m. (From: Chartist Cave – en.wikipedia.org) A plaque for Nye Bevan (SO 1093 1514), Labour MP for Ebbw Vale and founder of the NHS, saying that his ashes were scattered in the area near our first campsite near Pyrgad.
18. Day 2 3rd July 2017 Pyrgad to Llwyn-onn Reservoir
19. Start End
20. Flowers 18°C ▪ - 490m small purple flowers by side of road no shade ▪ - 430m many small yellow flowers
21. ▪ - 390m raspberries, elderflower and pink tall flower ▪ - 350m dandelions and wind pollinated grasses and ragwort
22. ▪ - 300m wasps and colourful flowers ▪ - 290m colourful small flowers
23. ▪ - 730m very few plants except for heather and cotton plants
24. 740 I I 720 700 680 660 640 620 600 580 560 540 520 500I 480 460 440 I 420 400 I I I 380 360 I 340 0 small purple small yellow rasberies elderflower tall pink flower dandelions heather cotton plants
25. Abandoned buildings (SO 0889 1480) near a small abandoned settlement (SO 0859 1474), seen in foggy weather. This is located near the disused Cwar yr Ystrad quarry (SO 0812 1406) One of the lampposts at the disused quarry
26. Day 3 4th July 2017 Llwyn-onn Reservoir to Pen y Fan
27. Start End
28. Flowers 17°C ▪ - 210m very short flowers with no petals and yellow buds and thick stems ▪ - 300m foxgloves
29. ▪ - 310m very tall thistles ▪ - - 505m lots of small purple flowers
30. 740 720 700 680 660 640 620 600 580 560 540 520 500 I 480 460 440 420 400 I 380 360 340 320 I 300 I 280 260 240 220I 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 short flowers foxgloves very tall thistles small purple with no petals flowers yellow buds short stems
31. View of Pen y Fan (886m) – the highest peak in South Wales, and used by the army for the Special Forces selection process – from Corn Du (873m) View of the Graig Fan Ddu ridge on the left, with Cribyn (795m) and Fan y Bîg (719m) – meaning “peak of the bill” – in the background. Pen y Fan is behind the ridge to the left.
32. Conclusion
33. Conclusion ▪ Flowers vary more at lower altitudes due to the more likely source of water, less extreme conditions and the sunlight is not limited. ▪ There are more thistles at higher altitudes and in stretches of bare land, this is because, like heather, they are tougher and can withstand colder conditions that are found at higher altitudes ▪ More were found near rivers and roads as the seeds were dropped out of transportation from foreign goods. ▪ More livestock were found lower down which lead to less variety of flora in those certain areas. Still, overall, the variety of fauna lower down was undisputed. ▪ Animals carry seeds and pass them around and therefore could, despite eating plants, help distribute them across the brecon beacons.
34. Thank you for listening! Do you have any questions? Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition, July 2017 Black Team