Student Research Reports
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AMAZING LIFE UNDER THE TREES
Organization(s):Estonian Learning Expedition
Country:Estonia
Student(s):Lucie Starcevska (Czech Republic);
Darja Silan, Jasmina Mlakar, Gregor Cerar, Nika Cebin, Betka Burger (Slovenia);
Rasyte Gaidiene, Vidute Berteškiene (Lithuania);
Marina Balažnec (Croatia);
Valle Morel, Reine Klettenberg (Estonia)
The report is written by teachers, who participated as a students!
Grade Level:graduate
GLOBE Educator(s):Reine Klettenberg
Contributors:Supervisor: Jennifer Bourgeault (USA, facilitator/tutor)
Johanna Raudsepp
Laura Altin
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Biometry (including Tree Height), Land Cover Classification, Soil Characterization, Soil Temperature
Presentation Poster:
View Document
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:03/08/2023
Climate change is happening and it is affecting the biodiversity in the world. This motivates
our research into how the climate influences the forest environment in this area. With close
observation, we can monitor change over time in landcover.
Our research recorded the current state of the forests and woodlands in Käsmu, Estonia by
looking at the canopy cover and ground cover to determine: What kind of differences in land
cover can be found in three close locations with the same MUC code?
Data was collected using the Canopy Cover and Ground Cover protocol, MUC code, soil
temperature and species identification. We observed soil pits dug by other researchers. We
calculated percentages of the ground cover and canopy cover and graphed the data.
The canopy cover (70%) and dominant species (spruce) of all three locations are similar.
Due to microclimate and soil type differences, the understory was different in all three
locations. Beaver Site 2 has more biodiversity than site 1 in the ground cover species. Soil in
Site 2 was very wet with thick humus and peat approximately 50cm. Due to the soil
structure, such as more clay, and moisture content and small depressions, there is more
biodiversity in Site 2 than 1. Site 3 has the most biodiversity because it is near the edge of
the forest with humus and peat layers of 20cm. Different species of other ecosystems are
moving into the forest such as Tussilago farfara, Ribes sp., and Aegopodium podagraria.
The temperature profile of the soil was the same at all three locations.
In future, with the influence of climate change on these sites, the composition of the
ecosystem, both the canopy and ground cover and the species diversity, may change. We
have a record of this time to compare to and we suggest returning to these locations with the
same researchers to monitor possible differences.
key words in the paper: MUC, land cover, biodiversity