Ecological variation of plant and animal species in impermeable and riparian environments at York University

Methods:

In order to assess the relationship between species
abundance and habitat, 2 tape measures were used to create a 50 meter transect
near a pond and an impermeable area respectively. 4 different surveys were
conducted along the transect.

The first survey was conducted on herbaceous plants.
Every two meters along the 50 meter transect, a quadrat was placed, alternating
between left and right of the transect, for a total of 25 replicates. Total
number of native plants, exotic plants, and flowers were visually counted
within each quadrat. The same procedure was conducted both near the pond and
the impermeable area.

The second survey was conducted on woody plants. Every
two meters along the 50 meter transect, the trees within 0.5 meters of either
side were counted, for a total of 25 replicates. The canopy cover of each tree,
total vegetation ground cover, and total number of flowers were visually
counted. Only trees that were taller than 1.5m in height were counted. Canopy
and ground cover was visually estimated. The same procedure was conducted both near the pond and the impermeable area.

The third survey was conducted on vertebrates and
invertebrates. Within a 50 meter radius starting at the beginning of the transect
tape, visual aerial observations were made for 15 minutes. This procedure was
repeated for a 5 meter radius starting at the beginning of the transect. Vertebrate
abundance, number of different vertebrate species, number of different invertebrate
species and human abundance were recorded. The same procedure was conducted both near the pond and the impermeable area.

The fourth survey was conducted on invertebrates. 6 pan
traps (solo bowls filled halfway with soap water) alternating between white, yellow
and blue in colour were placed 3 meters apart from one another along the 50
meter transect. Total number of invertebrates caught in the pan traps were
counted after 45 minutes. During the 45 minutes, sweep nets were used along the
50 meter transect for 10 replicates. Abundance of invertebrates found in the
net after each sweep was counted. The same procedures were conducted both near the
pond and the impermeable area.

Study Site:

This study took place at the Southwest corner of York
University Keele campus on October 6th, 2016 between 2:30PM to 5:00PM. The
weather was hot and sunny and the temperature was 23⁰C. The study was conducted
near a  pond located at 43.77061⁰N, -79.506627⁰W
at an elevation of 151.321945 ft and an
impermeable area located at 43.768235⁰N, -79.50731⁰W
at an elevation of 137.745789 ft. A 50 meter transect, pan traps, sweep nets,
and  1m2 quadrats were used as
equipment. Visual counts were made to measure each attribute.

Hypothesis:

There will be a greater abundance and diversity of plant
and animal species near the pond compared to the impermeable area. This is
because the relatively undisturbed nature of the pond area is more suited to
support greater abundance and diversity of plants and animals.

Predictions:

1) The abundance and diversity of native and exotic
plants and total number of flowers will be greater near the pond, compared to
the impermeable area because there is a water source and soil near the pond that
is permeable, which support vegetation.

2) The abundance and diversity of vertebrates and
invertebrates will be greater near the pond, compared to the impermeable area because
there is more soil and vegetation, which provides nutrients and shelter.

3) The abundance of invertebrates will be greater near
the pond compared to the impermeable area because there are more flowers.
Pollinating invertebrates are attracted to flowering plants.

Group Members:

Avani Abraham, Vanessa Guo, Monica Matta, Krysten
Zarivnij

Meta-data (attribute & description):
CENSUS:
Each group in each lab section
samples each block only ONCE, order of sampling is organized by lab ta to
ensure at least one group samples each block over three separate weeks
Corresponds to the sampling week.
Week5=1, Week7=2 and Week8=3
(categorical data)
GROUP_ID:
The unique group identifier within
each lab. Group_ID was the word “lab” followed by the first 2 digits
corresponding to the lab section, then the word “group” is followed by the two
digits corresponding to the group within the lab section. The TA assigns a
group number within each labs section.
(categorical data)
CALENDAR.DATE:
Month and date of data collection in
2016
(discrete
data)
HABITAT:
Grassland is defined as an open area
at least 250m by 250m in size with few trees, a disturbed open space similar to
grassland in size but with more mixed vegetation and more trails/pathways for
people such as a university open commons, a forest is a woodlot on campus, a
near-pond is defined as a small body of water at least 100m in diameter on a
campus- sample near shore of pond and an impermeable area is a paved or gravel
area with mostly impermeable materials like gravel.
(categorical data)
CAMPUS:
The York university Keele campus and
University of Toronto Mississauga Campus participated in this study.
(categorical data)
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE:
A GPS unit was used to record the
Geographic location of each plot in UTM coordinates. Precise coordinates are
used as a reference for future students who revisit study site.
(continuous data)
ABUNDANCE IN QUADRATS:
A 1m x 1m quadrat was used to
measure the abundance of variable of interest in study site. Quadrats were used
to determine the abundance of vegetation along a 50m transect. Quadrats were
placed on alternating sides 2m apart along the 50m transect.
(discrete data)
TOTAL.NUMBER.FLOWERS:
Flowers observed in quadrats were
recorded as a total number of independent flower heads. Each flower was
considered independent if it has its own stem.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.WOODY.PLANTS (GRASSLAND):
In grassland and disturbed areas,
this could be very low to 0 if there are few shrubs, use same transect tape you
set up for quadrats, count with 0.5m on both sides of tape, near pond, place
transect alongside longest dimension of pond and same near shore. Woody plants
were considered any vegetation observed with bark/woody stems.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.WOODY.PLANTS (FOREST):
In forest, record total number of
trees within 0.5m on either side of transect within forest. We define a tree
here as > 1.5m.
(discrete data)
CANOPY.COVER:
At every other meter, estimate
canopy coverage (look up). A quantitative measure was used to describe how much
canopy covered the observers view. A percentage of the coverage was recorded as
a decimal value.
(discrete data)
GROUND.COVER:
At every other meter (alternating
with canopy coverage), estimate vegetative ground cover (look down). A
quantitative measure was used to describe how much ground covered the observers
view. A percentage of the coverage was recorded as a decimal value.
(discrete data)
TOTAL.FLOWER.NUMBERS:
Every 5m, record total number
flowers within 1m of transect tape. This is a very coarse, landscape-level
estimate of floral density within this region of your campus.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.VERTEBRATES:
Abundance of animals such as
squirrels, birds, etc. were recorded. Vertebrates were observed within 50m/5m
of the beginning of the 50m/5m transect for 15mins. A tape measure was used as
a guide for the 50m/5m transect.
(discrete data)
VERTEBRATE.SPECIES:
Any vertebrate species that looked
different was considered a unique species and counted independent of similar
looking species. Abundance of unique vertebrate species.
(discrete data)
ABUDANCE.HUMAN:
Abundance of humans were recorded.
Humans were observed within 50m/5m of the beginning of the 50m/5m transect for
15mins. A tape measure was used as a guide for the 50m/5m transect.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.INVERTEBRATES.PANTRAPS:
Total abundance of insects captured
using pan traps placed along a 50m transect at ground level.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.INVERTEBRATES.SWEEPS:
Total abundance of insects captured
using sweep nets used along a 50m transect at ground level.
(discrete data)
ABUNDANCE.INVERTEBRATES.OBSERVED:
Total abundance of flying insects
observed within 5m of the beginning of the 50m transect. Recorded as a single
value in the first row of your data sheet as a total sum.
(discrete data)
INVERTEBRATE.SPECIES:
Any invertebrate species that looked
different was considered a unique species and counted independent of similar
looking species. Abundance of unique invertebrate species.
(discrete data)