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