It was time to get back to work after a relaxing day off. Once again, we got to spend a beautiful morning in the field! We placed 5 screen-topped pitfall traps in each of our mesocosms to capture spider prey. The screens allow the prey that spiders feed upon to fall through, but are too fine to allow spiders in. This way we can compare the relative amount of prey in each mesocosm to see if our treatments have any effect on prey. For example, you could assume that mesocosms with greater numbers of spiders would have fewer prey available due to the greater number of predators.
A screen-cup pitfall trap for collecting spider prey.
The support folks at Toolik are among the most creative problem solvers I've had the pleasure to work with. We needed to wash out some sample cups and funnels from pitfall traps, but with our wash stations this requires hauling 15 gallons of water from the shower house to our lab. Although I was reluctant for photographs the first time I rode it, the 3-wheeled bike-cart handled beautifully as my water transport vehicle. Despite the off-centered turning and the feeling that you are going to roll the cart on every turn, it was a sweet ride. The fact that it didn't have breaks made it even more fun! The rest of our afternoon was spent setting up even more Berlese funnels for the large number of soil samples we will be taking tomorrow and Wednesday.
The 3-wheeled bike-cart that we use for transporting water jugs.
40 Berlese Funnels awaiting soil samples in lab 7.
Looking for Marmots
After dinner, I signed out one of the camp mountain bikes and peddled a little ways south on the Haul road. I climbed an access road to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline where marmots are often seen. The view from this area is spectacular, so even though the marmots were a no-show I enjoyed my hike along the pipeline. Apparently the ravens weren't expecting me either. At least they were home, but they didn't appreciate me getting too close to the nest they had built on the pipeline.
The marmots weren't home, but the view was tough to beat.
View from under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 130 miles from Prudhoe Bay.
A raven perched on the pipeline above his or her nest.