Lab 3: A study on the amount and diversity of insects found in the York University Danby woodlot and grassland

Meta Data <b>Pan Trap Colour:</b> There were 18 pan traps of 3 different colours; 6 yellow, 6 white and 6 blue. The colours were placed alternately along the 10m transect line. <b>Habitat: </b>The pan traps were placed in two different habitats. Nine pan traps were placed in the Danby Woodlot. The woodlot was a small area of many trees, dirt, leaves, and twigs. Nine pan traps were also place in the Danby grassland. The grassland was an open area covered with grass and some vegetation. <b>Number of Insects:</b> The amount of insects that were caught in a pan trap after an hour and a half. This discrete variable was counted by the ecology student. <b>Different Number of Recognizable Taxonomic Units (RTUs):</b> This discrete variable was calculated by the ecology student's differentiation of insects' morphological features. <b>Methods:</b>In order to collect this dataset, 9 pan traps were placed, a metre apart, along a 10m transect line in the Danby woodlot and Danby grassland. This gave a total of 18 pan traps. The pan traps were placed in alternating colours; yellow, white and blue. The pan traps were filled with detergent, which consisted of water and soap. After 90 minutes, the total number of insects and the number of different RTUs were calculated by the ecology student. After recording the data, the detergent was discarded from the pan traps. <b>Study Site:</b> This study took place on Thursday, September 29, 2016 at York University in the Danby woodlot and grassland. It was 14 degrees Celsius, cloudy, little precipitation, and windy. <b>Hypothesis:</b> There are more insects and more RTUs in the grassland than in the woodlot due to the higher amount of resources and nutrients. The yellow pan trap will also attract more insects due to its vibrant colour. <b>Predictions:</b> 1) The abundance of insects is higher in the grasslands compared to the woodlot because of the open area and resources. 2) The amount of different RTUs is higher in the grasslands compared to the woodlot because of the open area and resources. 3) The yellow pan trap will collect more insects compared to the white and blue pan traps. <b>Group Members:</b> Shunelle Prasad, Michelle Urman, Kiana Malak Hosseini

元数据：
诱集盘（pan trap）颜色：本次实验共使用18个诱集盘，分为3种颜色，黄色、白色与蓝色各6个。诱集盘按交替顺序布置在10米样带上。
生境：诱集盘被设置在两种不同生境中。其中9个放置于丹比林地（Danby Woodlot），该区域为以树木、泥土、落叶与枯枝构成的小型成片林地；另有9个放置于丹比草原（Danby grassland），该区域为覆盖草本与部分植被的开阔地带。
昆虫数量：指经过1.5小时诱集后，单个诱集盘内捕获的昆虫总量，该离散变量由生态学专业学生完成计数。
可识别分类单元（Recognizable Taxonomic Units, RTUs）数量：该离散变量由生态学专业学生通过昆虫的形态特征进行区分计算得到。
采集方法：为采集本数据集，研究人员在丹比林地与丹比草原的10米样带上以1米为间距各放置9个诱集盘，总计18个。诱集盘按黄、白、蓝的交替顺序排布，内部装入由水与肥皂配制的洗涤剂溶液。90分钟后，由生态学专业学生统计捕获的昆虫总数与不同可识别分类单元的数量。完成数据记录后，将诱集盘内的洗涤剂溶液丢弃。
研究场地与时间：本研究于2016年9月29日星期四在约克大学（York University）的丹比林地与草原开展。当日气温为14摄氏度，天气多云，降水稀少且伴有大风。
研究假设：由于草原拥有更丰富的资源与营养物质，草原中的昆虫数量与可识别分类单元数量均高于林地；同时，鲜艳的黄色诱集盘将吸引更多昆虫。
研究预测：1） 相较于林地，草原的昆虫丰度更高，原因在于其开阔的生境与充足的资源供给。2） 相较于林地，草原的可识别分类单元数量更高，同样归因于开阔生境与充足资源。3） 相较于白色与蓝色诱集盘，黄色诱集盘将捕获更多昆虫。
小组成员：Shunelle Prasad、Michelle Urman、Kiana Malak Hosseini