A Survey of the Vegetative Abundance, Diversity and Cover in Grasslands using Quadrat Measurements

Methods: The total density of various plant species, abundance and coverage was measured in a square meter quadrat for a total of 25 repetitions. The vegetation in 1/16 of the quadrat was used as an approximation of the density of the entire quadrat.Study Site: The study took place in a grassland plot outside of York University Keele Campus, located in Toronto. The weather at the time of the survey was overcast, with slight rainfall.The measurements were taken using a quadrat. Measurements were taken from varying sectors of the grassland in order to ensure observations were representative.Hypothesis: Grasslands can sustain a high density of vegetation of a variety of plant species due to the characteristic lack of presence of large shrubbery or trees. Predictions:1) As the total grass cover in a quadrat increases, the number of different plant species observed with decrease.2) The increased presence of large plant species will decrease the overall vegetation cover in a quadrat.3) As the total abundance of observed plants in a quadrat increases, so will the total grass cover increase.Attributes1)Total Abundance of Plants: Numerical2)Total Number of Different Plant Species: Numerical3)Total Cover of All Vegetation Within Plot: Numerical4)Total Cover of Grasses: Numerical