For my independent research project, my hypothesis that I investigated was “if the time of day and weather vary (in terms of a temperature, wind, and precipitation), then pollinators will display different behavior.” The materials I utilized in the field included a plant identification guide to ID wildflower species, a clock to time 10-minute intervals, writing utensils to note the number of pollinator visits, and a camera to record evidence of plant and pollinator species encountered. Before beginning the research, we scouted out meadow locations with lots of wildflowers and decided on the Nash Fork and Little Laramie campground in the Snowy Range.
The weather on the first day (July 19) was rather windy and a little colder compared to the second day (July 20.) There was no precipitation on either day, but from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. I did notice a decrease in cloud coverage and an increase in temperature. I conducted this study by using the stationary count sampling method, which involves choosing a small area and focusing on recording visits from pollinators that land on a single species of plant in that area. In the field, I took pictures and used identification guides to note the species of pollinators and plants I was observing. Then I put my data into an excel sheet to start making graphs in order to visualize any correlations that could prove or disprove my hypothesis.