A Survey of the Plants and Animals at the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary,
Mountain Brook, Alabama
Brandon Crowe, Tiffany Hansen, Ronna Kinsella, Estelle McKee, Ellen McLaughlin,
Michelle Mount,Christina Rogers, Matthew Shook and William Lee Titsworth
Department of Biology, Samford University, Birmingham, AL 35229
METHODS AND MATERIALS
A. Topography
The Audubon Sanctuary that we surveyed lies in the Mountain
Brook neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. The five main areas that we surveyed include Shades Creek, the Shades Creek bank, the cleared grassy area, the treed lowlands, and the treed highlands. Shades Creek is a relatively small stream (10 meters wide) and creates the northeastern and southeastern sides of the property. The plot of land lies at Range 2 West and on the line of Town Line 17 south #34 and Town Line 18 South #3. The property has a rectangular shape with the approximate dimensions of 610 feet by 300 feet. The elevation of the property ranges from 650 feet above sea level to 720 feet above sea level. It makes a very steep incline in the southwestern direction. Figures 1, 2 and 3 are maps of the area.
B. Survey Methods
Quadrats were used to survey vegetation in the field, lowland woods and highland woods environments. Quadrats are randomly selected rectangular areas laid out with string. An accepted field method for determining the size of the quadrat and the dominant plants within it was used. See Fig. 1 for the location of quadrats. Identification guides, binoculars, string, field notes and meter sticks were used. For the stream studies, waders, seines, dip nets, thermometers and collecting jars were used at the site. Chemical and biological tests were done on water brought into the lab using Hach test kits for O2, CO2 and pH determinations and Lab Aids for other chemical tests. Microscopes were used for identifying microinvertebrates and the coliform bacteria tests were done using culture tubes from Carolina Biological Supply and Wards.
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