ABUNDANCE OF NATIVE SEEDLINGS INFLUENCED BY INVASIVE (BUCKTHORN) AND LIGHT

The data was collected on October 14, 2015 and October 21, 2015 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Danby’s Woodlot located at York University on Keele Campus. A group of 5 members participated to collect this data are Farkhanda, Ratiba, Olivia, Reena and Huda. Five members were divided into two groups Farkhanda, Huda, and Ratiba was in one group and Reena and Olivia was in another group. Before the data collection a member from each group recorded the time, temperature, weather condition, and related information about woodlot was written down. The temperature for both days was at 12 degree Celsius and 10 days degree Celsius. In woodlot it was cold and windy both days. To start with data it was measured in 100m transect using the tape from random edge in the middle of the woodlot. The sample was taken from every 5 m starting from 0 m and it was labeled as station in following order. At each 5 m station the sample was taken at 1,2,3 station on the right side by Olivia and Reena and on the left side of transect Farkhanda, Huda and Ratiba recorded the station 4,5, and 6. A 2x2 meter tape was used to make quadrats to collect the sample for each station 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. There were 20 stations and total of 120 quadrats were used in order to collect the data. In each quadrat first the abundance of native seedlings was determined and the number of native seedlings was counted. Mostly native sapling was Acer and the abundance of the buckthorn was determined in each quadrat was counted and recorded on the data sheet. Lastly the percentage of light was recorded in each quadrat by using the hand square and held up from random position in the quadrat. The percentage of light is not covered by tree it’s how much it covered the ground. The same information was collected for the other variable.