Ecology Lab 2 Grassland Dataset (Pond distance vs vegetation percentage)

This
ecological experiment which was done at York University grasslands, Monday,
September 20/2016, at 2:30 P.M, Studies the relationship between the vegetation
percentage (ratio of plant individuals to grass) and the distance from the
pond. The study was done using a 1meterx1meter square quadrat which was
randomly thrown 25 times.

Methods

A
1meterx1meter square quadrat was used for this experiment. The quadrat was
randomly thrown 25 times (n=25 trials) in the grasslands beside the pond and
the total number of plant individuals, number of plant species, vegetation
percentage, and grass percentage in the quadrat box were counted, calculated
and recorded on a piece of paper. The data was then transformed into an excel
sheet and uploaded on “FIgshare.com”.

Hypothesis

There is a
correlation between the distance the individuals are from the pond and the
percentage vegetation (vegetation density).

Prediction

The
quadrats that were randomly thrown closer to the pond will have a higher
vegetation percentage than the ones thrown further away from the pond.

Meta-data 

Trial
number: the number of trials that the quadrat was randomly thrown to collect
the data which was 25 times therefore n=25 trials.

Canadian
Goldenrod (yellow) Heath Ester (white),
Butter and Eggs, Common Thistle (thorn), Late Purple Aster, small tree: Plants
species found in York Universities grassland fields. Please refer to a plant
atlas for more information about these plant species.

Number of
plant species: The different types of plant species that were seen in the
quadrat box.

Total
number of plant individuals: The total number of plants in the square quadrat
were counted. This included all species of plants in general and included any
type of plant. i.e. how many plants in general in the box.

Vegetation
percentage (vegetation density): The percentage of plants compared to grass in
the square quadrat. In other words, the ratio of plants to grass in the
quadrat.

Grass
percentage (grass density): The percentage of grass compared to plants in the
square quadrat. In other words, the ratio of grass to plants in the quadrat.