BIOL2050 Lab 2, Dataset 1: Measuring the Abundance of Different Plant Species in York University Grassland Using Quadrats

<b>Variables</b><b><br></b>"Total # of Plants"- A counted estimate as seen by the naked eye of the total abundance of plants within a quadrat.<br>"Total # of Different Plant Species"- Counting the number of different plant species found within a quadrat after careful examination by the naked eye.<br>"Total Cover of All Vegetation (%)"- Estimating the percentage of vegetation found within a quadrat (opposed to sparse areas of bare soil) as seen by the naked eye.<br>"Total Cover of Grasses (%)"- Estimating the percentage of grass found within the quadrat (out of the percentage of vegetation already present), again using the naked eye.<b><br></b><b><br></b><b>Method</b>The dataset was collected on September 21, 2016 in a grassland area at York University (Keele Campus, Toronto). A square quadrat was used to measure the abundance and variety of plant species present within the grassland. After numbering the 4 sides of the quadrat, a random number generator was used to ensure random placement 25 times within the grassland. All measured variables were examined and estimated using the naked eye.