yorku.pond.impermeable.oct18-2016

CAMPUS ECOLOGY META-DATA

Location

This survey was conducted on Tuesday,
October 18, 2016 from 3:11 pm to 4:07 pm. The weather conditions were cloudy,
windy, light rain and 24 degrees Celsius.  The data was collected through
a number of methods in both the pond and impermeable area habitats.

The field site was located on the York
University-Keele Campus on a pond (43.771, -79.507) near The Pond Road and
Nelson Road and impermeable area (42.771, -79.506) near Nelson Road. The pond
was approximately 120 m by 80 m wide with a diameter of 100 m and trees
surrounded its perimeter. The elevation was 151.321945. The impermeable area
was approximately 100 m by 20 m wide and a parking lot surrounded its
perimeter.  

Methods

Survey 1 - Herbaceous
plants

Data for native and exotic plants was
collected using a 1 metre (m) by 1 metre quadrat in both the pond and
impermeable area.  The quadrat was randomly placed every 2 metres along a
50 metre transect. Within each quadrat, the abundance of native plants, the abundance
of exotic plants and the total number of individual flower heads were counted
and recorded. This process was repeated 25 times in each habitat.

Survey 2 - Woody plants

Data for woody plants was collected using
a 50 metre transect in the pond and impermeable habitats. A woody plant was
determined to be a tree that was 1.5 metres or greater in height. The total
number of trees within 0.5 metres of the transect was counted and recorded.
Furthermore, an estimation of the canopy coverage, vegetative ground coverage,
and the total number of flowers were recorded by walking along the transect.
The estimation of the canopy coverage was done by creating a rectangle using
your thumb and index fingers. The coverage within this rectangle was estimated
and recorded as a percentage. The same method was done for vegetative ground
cover. The total number of flowers was determined by counting the total number
of flowers in the rectangle. These variables were measured every 2 metres. This
process was completed until 25 replicates were achieved in each habitat.

Survey 3 -
 Vertebrates and Invertebrates

The data for vertebrates was collected
using the point survey method.  The abundance of vertebrate species and
the identity of each species within a 50 metre radius of our location in the
pond and impermeable area was recorded. This was done during two fifteen minute
surveys (one survey per habitat).  In addition, the abundance of people
within 50 metres of the pond and impermeable area for a total of 15 minutes was
recorded.

Survey 4 - Invertebrates

The data for invertebrates was collected
using pan traps and sweep nets. For pan traps, data was collected by placing 6
solo bowls of different colours (white, yellow and blue), filled with 60
millilitres (mL) of soapy water, along the length of the transect. These bowls
were placed while alternating colours in both the pond and impermeable area.
After approximately one hour, a count of the total number of
insects captured was recorded. For sweep nets, data was collected by walking
along the 50 metre transect in the pond and impermeable area for 1-2 minutes.
 While walking, the sweep nets were waved in the air to collect insects.
 At the end of this period, the total number of insects was counted and
recorded.  This was repeated 10 times.  The abundance of insects was
also collected by observing the number of insects within 5 meters the pond and
impermeable area for 15 minutes.  

Data Column Headers and
Key to Variables

Census:
Census refers to the week during which surveying and sampling was done. Census
1 refers to the first (of three) sampling weeks.

Calendar Date: Calendar date is the day on which the surveying and sampling was done.
For Census 1, the data was collected on October 18th, 2016.

Campus:
The university campus where the survey was conducted.

Group ID:
The group ID consists of the lab number and group number (lab02group02). This
was used to identify who collected the data.

Habitat:
Habitat refers to the location in which observations were made. The pond is
defined as a small body of water at least 100m in diameter on campus, the
sample was collected near the shore of the pond.  The impermeable area is
defined as a paved or gravel area with mostly impermeable materials (e.g.. water
can not permeate these areas), the sample was collected at the edge of a
parking lot.

Lat:
The latitude of the location of the field site.

Long:
The longitude of the location of the field site.
Rep: The replication number of each
variable.

Abundance of Native Plants: The total number of native plants within a 1m by 1m
quadrat, repeated 25 times in each habitat.

Abundance of Exotic Plants: The total number of exotic plants within a 1 metre by
1 metre quadrat, repeated 25 times in each habitat.

Total Number of Flowers (Quadrat): The total number of independent flower heads within a
1 metre by 1 metre quadrat, repeated 25 times in each habitat.

Abundance of Woody Plants: The abundance of shrubs and other plants observed 0.5
metres from both sides of the transect tape.

Canopy Cover: An
estimation of canopy coverage at every other metre of the transect in
percentage (%).

Ground Cover: An
estimation of vegetative ground cover at every other metre of the transect in
percentage (%) (alternating with canopy coverage).

Total Number of Flowers (Transect): The total number of independent flower heads within
0.5 metre of the transect, repeated 25 times in each habitat.

Abundance Vertebrates: The abundance of vertebrate animals observed within
50 metres (a measuring tape was used as a guide) of the pond and impermeable
area for a total of 15 minutes.

Vertebrate Richness: The number of vertebrates observed within 50 metres of the pond and
impermeable space for a total of 15 minutes.

Abundance Human: The observation of the number of people within 50 metres of the pond
and impermeable space (excluding people within our lab group) for a total of 15
minutes.  

Abundance Invertebrates (Pan Traps): The total abundance of insects captured via 6 pan
traps.

Abundance Invertebrates (Sweeps): The total abundance of insects captured via 10 sweep
nets. The sweep net used had a 32 centimetre diameter.

Abundance Invertebrates Observed: The total abundance of flying insects observed within
5 metres of the pond and impermeable space for a total of 15 minutes.

Hypothesis and
Predictions

Survey 1 - Herbaceous
plants

Hypothesis: Regions near the pond will have a lower abundance of
exotic plants and a higher abundance of native plant species and total number
of flower heads compared to that of the impermeable region.  

Prediction: If regions of the pond have a lower abundance of
exotic plants and a higher abundance of native plant species and total number
of flower heads, then the viability of these plant species is better supported
for in a pond habitat compared to that of an impermeable habitat.  

Survey 2 - Woody plants

Hypothesis: Regions of the pond will have a higher abundance of
trees and therefore greater canopy coverage than regions of the impermeable
area.  

Prediction: If the regions of the pond have a higher abundance of
trees and a greater canopy coverage, then the environment and resources (such
as water supply) required for growth and survival of such woody plants is
greater in regions near a pond compared to regions of the impermeable area.

Survey 3 - Vertebrates
and Invertebrates

Hypothesis:  The presence of both vertebrate and invertebrate
species will be greater in the pond region when compared to the impermeable
region.  

Prediction: If the pond region has a greater presence of both
vertebrates and invertebrates, then the resources provided in this environment
are essential to the survival and longevity of the individuals amongst these
groups compared to the resources provided within the impermeable area.  

Survey 4 - Invertebrates

Hypothesis: There will be a greater number of invertebrates in the
pond habitat compared to the impermeable habitat.  

Prediction: If there is a greater number of invertebrates in the
pond habitat, then the higher number of varying plant species near the pond
play a critical role in the survival of these organisms.

Details of Data

The data obtained in this experiment is
continuous as the data was recorded numerically for abundance of native and
exotic plants, total number of flowers for quadrat and transect, abundance of
woody plants, canopy and ground cover, abundance of vertebrates, invertebrates
and humans, and vertebrate richness.  

Equipment Used

Quadrat: 1
metre by 1 metre in area

Pan Trap: 6
plastic bowls (2 white, 2 yellow, 2 blue), 17.5 centimetres in diameter and 4.5
centimetres in depth

Soapy Water:
720 millilitres of a water and soap mixture

Sweep Net: 32
centimetres in diameter with a handle of 90 centimetres

Transect: 30
metres in length