Human Interference/Anthropocene effects on Insect Abundance

The experiment was conducted on dates Tuesday, October 13th, 2015, and October 20th, 2015 at the Danby Grasslands at York University. With 6 replicates on each date. On October 13th, conditions were windy, cloudy, with temperature that fluctuated between 15 degrees celsius, and 11 degrees celsius. On October 20th, the conditions were cloudy and overcast as well with temperature somewhat constant at 12 celsius. The purpose of the experiment was to see the relative effects of human interference/disturbance gauged by articles of litter, with health of a grassland, gauged roughly by insect abundance. The tested hypothesis is that the closer to/more affected by human interference a transacted area is, the less insect abundance there would be. The study was conducted by laying a transact from the outskirts of the woodlot (near human interference) to the center, where there would be the least amount of observable interference. Each 5m from the outside to the inside was categorized from 1 - 6, 1 being closest to human interference, and 6 being closest to center of the grassland. A sweepnet was used to capture and record insect abundance in each 5 meter area along the transact, sweeping motion was consistent, side to side, for a duration of 2 minutes per 5 meter section. 12 replicates were taken, each replicate containing a 30 meter transact, split into 6 different 5 meter areas.