Signs of humans: It is extremely evident that our plot was used by humans in the past. This was made clear to us because of the several feet of barbed wire we found running along the North to Southwest border of our plot. As well we determined that our plot was along the edge of a farm due to the change in composition of forests along each side of the Burns Trail changing from a early successional forest to a late successional forest. Furthermore, the topography on each side of the trail changes from being relatively flat opposite our plot that transitions into a steady slope once you enter our plot ending in a stream that leads into lake Champlain.
400 years ago: In the past this plot would have looked extremely different then it does today. The main difference is that it most likely would have been a pasture land or a field used to cultivate crops. The remnants of barbed wire are still left on the plot where there was a boundary line most likely separating farms.
2111: It is doubtful that this plot will change drastically over the next year. With the recent amount of wind blown trees that have fallen down, there will be a slight shift in canopy cover allowing for saplings to use the extra light to increase there growth. However, for the most part the older trees in the over story will continue to dominate the landscape.
Management Recommendations: The most important recommendation is to make sure that the stream that runs out to lake champlain remains clean. Also, it is extremely important to maintain the composition of the current forest. This is unique because this is one of the older growth parts of Niquette bay in relative comparison to the rest of the park.
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