Field Data of Grassland and Disturbed Area

Methods:

In order to assess the relationship between grassland and disturbed
area, students sample herbaceous plants, woody plants, vertebrate abundance,
and invertebrate abundance by using transects, quadrats, pan traps and sweep
nets. One group, consisting of four members, were each assigned a category to
sample. All steps were conducted twice, once for each site. The latitude was
43.77163, the longitude was -79.4963, and the elevation was 176.30917. The data
is categorical.

For herbaceous plants, measurements observed within the
quadrat were recorded for abundance of native and exotic plants and total
number of flower heads.  Two transects were used to make a fifty-meter
path.  At every two meters, the quadrat was placed along the transect and
randomly alternating the quadrant left and right, this was repeated twenty-five
times for a total length of fifty meters, and twenty-five quadrats.

For woody plants, two transects were placed in order to make
a fifty-meter path. Every two meters, the individual stopped to observe and
record the number of woody plants no more than 0.5m on each side of the
transect, canopy coverage, and total number of flowers. Canopy coverage was
observed by looking up, ground coverage was recorded by looking down, and
flowers were included if they were 0.5m from either side of the transect.

For vertebrates and invertebrates, the student stood at the
beginning of the transect and surveyed a fifty-meter radius, from their
location for fifteen minutes. The total number of vertebrates, number of
different species, and the total number of humans not participating in the lab
were observed and recoded. In another fifteen-minute interval the student stood
at the beginning of the transect and surveyed a five-meter radius, and recorded
the total number of invertebrates observed.

For invertebrates, a transect of fifty meters was laid down and
starting from the zero mark, six pan traps, half filled with soapy water,
were placed down in alternating colours (yellow, blue, and white) every
three meters. After forty-five minutes, the number of invertebrates
captured were recorded. Ten sweep nets were conducted along ten different fifty-
meter transects.

Study site:

This study took place at York University on Thursday October
13th, 2016, in two areas, (1) the Danby grassland and (2) a disturbed area both
located south of Chimney Stack Road. This lab was conducted outdoors; the
weather was partly cloudy, windy, 12 degrees Celsius and occurred between 2:45pm-4:15pm.

Hypothesis:

Areas that have an increased abundance of flower heads and
plants, will have a higher number of invertebrates because there is less canopy
coverage which enable more nutrients and resources available to both plants and
animals.

Prediction 1: Grasslands would have a higher abundance of
flower heads than disturbed areas.

Prediction 2: Disturbed area would have less invertebrates
because the abundance of exotic/native plants would be lower.

Prediction 3: Higher abundance of invertebrates recorded in
grasslands than disturbed areas.

 Meta Data

Habitat:

Categorical-Each individual collected two data sets. One was
collected in grassland and the other was collected in disturbed area.

Abundance
of Native Plants:

Categorical- A one meter by one-meter quadrat was dropped
randomly on alternating sides of a fifty meter transect. Quadrats had a two-meter
distance between them. Once quadrat was dropped the number of native plants
were counted. This was repeated twenty-five times.

Abundance
of exotic Plants:

Categorical- A one meter by one-meter quadrat was dropped
randomly on alternating sides of a fifty-meter transect. Quadrats had a
two-meter distance between them. Once the quadrat was dropped, the number of
exotic plants were counted. This was repeated twenty-five times.

Abundance
of flower heads (in quadrats):

Categorical- A one meter by one-meter quadrat was dropped
randomly on alternating sides of a fifty-meter transect. Quadrats had a
two-meter distance between them. Once the quadrat was dropped, the number of
flower heads were counted. This was repeated twenty-five times.

Abundance
of woody plants:

Categorical- Individual walked along a fifty-meter transect
and stopped every two meters to count the number of woody plants within 0.5
meters of either side of transect. Woody plants were defined as any tree taller
than 1.5 meters.

Canopy
coverage:

Categorical- Individual walked along a fifty-meter transect,
stopping every two meters to look up and estimate canopy coverage.

Abundance
of flower heads (along transect):

Categorical- Individual walked along a fifty-meter transect
stopping every two meters to look down and count the number of flower heads.

Ground
coverage:

Categorical- Individual walked along a fifty-meter transect,
stopping every two meters, to look down and estimate the amount of vegetation
covering the ground.

Abundance
of humans:

Categorical- Individual surveyed a fifty-meter radius and
recorded the number of humans in that area. This was done for fifteen minutes.

Abundance
of vertebrates:

Categorical- Individual surveyed a fifty-meter radius and
recorded the number of vertebrates in that area. This was done for fifteen
minutes.

Abundance
of invertebrates (observation):

Categorical- Individual surveyed a five-meter radius and
recorded the number of invertebrates in that area. This was done for fifteen
minutes.

Abundance
of invertebrates (pan traps):

Categorical- Six pan traps were laid in alternating colours
(white, blue, yellow) and were half way filled with soapy water. Pan traps had
a three-meter distance between them. The traps were left alone for forty-five
minutes, after which the number of each invertebrate was counted.

Abundance
of invertebrates (sweep net):

Categorical- Ten sweep nets were conducted along ten
different fifty-meter transects. At the end of each sweep, the total number of
invertebrates in the net was counted.