Diversity of Life Within Meadow and Woodland Regions in Varying Disturbances

In this experimental study, the abundance of any insect organism and ant populations will be measured in highly-, semi- and minimally-disturbed areas within both woodland and meadow regions at the York University Keele campus. Quadrats have been used to measure the abundance of all insects and bait-traps, consisting of crackers and a small cup of sugar water placed on a piece of cardboard, have been used to measure the abundance of ants specifically. Areas with high human disturbance, such as a parking lot directly adjacent to the meadow and woodland studied, sampled ten times via quadrat and three bait traps set up and left for an hour before observing for organisms. The semi-disturbed area consists of a path within the woodland and meadow, and the minimally-disturbed area consists of a region within the meadow and woodland that are the most remote from humans. These areas will also be samples ten times by quadrat and three bait-traps will be set up.

本实验研究将在约克大学基尔校区（York University Keele campus）的林地与草地区域内，于高度、中度、轻度受干扰的三类区域中，开展昆虫类群与蚁群种群丰度的测定工作。本次研究采用样方（quadrat）法测定所有昆虫的丰度；同时设置以饼干与一小杯糖水置于纸板上构成的诱饵陷阱（bait-trap），专门用于蚁群丰度的测定。针对高度受人类干扰的区域（如紧邻本次研究对象草地区域与林地的停车场），通过样方法开展10次采样，并布设3个诱饵陷阱，放置1小时后开展生物观测。中度受干扰区域为林地与草地区域内的人行步道，轻度受干扰区域则为林地与草地区域内距人类活动最远的区域。上述两类区域同样将采用样方法开展10次采样，并各布设3个诱饵陷阱。