Ecology Lab 2 danby woodlot dataset #4.xlsx

Meta data
Tree number – 10 pairs of trees were
randomly selected, as long as they belonged to the maple tree family.
Diameter at Breast height (DBH) in meters
(m) – Adult trees diameter were measured using a transect tape.  The height of which the diameter was taken
was approximately breast height. The measurements were taken to the accuracy of
the transect tape which was to the hundredth meter.  The reading on the tape was recorded via
sight of the sampler.  Adult maple trees
were classified to having a minimum diameter of at least 0.20 meters. Height of
which the diameter was measured is at 1.30m
Canopy Coverage in percentage (%) – The percentage
of which the leaves covered the skies was measured by using the samples hands
to create a box and determine how much of the sky was visible.  This is pure estimation based; on how many
maple leaves from the adult tree covered the skies.  Any leaves from other trees that were in the created
box were neglected.  All adult trees had
maple leaves, no tree was leafless.
Distance to Sapling in Meters (m) – The
distance from adult maple trees to sapling trees were taken from breast height
to breast height in meters, closest to the hundredth meter.  Sapling trees were classified as any maple
tree that was less than 0.20 meters in diameter.  Saplings of the adult maple tree were chosen
by random, as long as the sapling fit the diameter classification and were
maple trees.  Only maple sapling trees
were included.
Diameter at Breast Height of Sapling tree
in meters – Maple sapling trees DBH were measured using transect tape. Readings
were recorded by the sight of the sampler, closest to hundredth of a
meter.  Sapling trees were classified as
being under 0.20 meters in diameter. Height of which the diameter was measured
is 1.30m   
Site Description: Danby Woodlot, York
University Keele campus.  Approximately
20 students and 1 teaching assistant were in the woodlot.  There was barely any wind for the duration of
the sampling from times 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Sun was not easily visible due to
the canopy of all the trees in the woodlot; temperature was approximately 30
degrees Celsius. The woodlot had numerous species of trees, lots of insects and
lots of branches on the ground.
Methods: 10 pairs of randomly selected subjects
were chosen only if they belong to the maple tree family.  Pairs were chosen based on one being adult the
other being a sapling.  By using transect
tape we were able to measure the diameter and distance of adult and sapling
maple trees closest to the hundredth meter. Measurements must be taken at
approximately breast height which was set at 1.30m from the ground. Maples
trees had to be classified; adult maple trees as above 0.20 m in diameter and
sapling maple trees as less than 0.20 m. Canopy coverage was determined by making
a rectangle with the fingers and approximating the amount of coverage that the
leaves would occupy in the rectangle.

Hypothesis: The prediction for this data
set was that adult maple trees with a greater DBH would yield a greater canopy
coverage percentage because bigger diameter trees would be taller than the
smaller ones, thus creating more leaves for coverage.  We predict that the greater the distance the
sapling tree is from the adult tree the greater the diameter will be because the
further away the sapling tree is, the more light the sapling tree will receive
due to the lack of coverage from the adult tree.