The Effect of Sunlight and Crowding Level on Moss Coverage.

On Wednesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 21 at York University between 14:30 and 17:30, an experiment was conducted in the woodlot to determine the effect of level of crowding and sunlight on moss coverage (all type of moss species were observed). A group of four students from BIOL 2050 Lab 3 conducted the experiment using 4 quadrats (1m x 1m) and 4 transects (30 meter long). The weather was between 10°C and 15°C with little to no wind in the two days the experiment was done. First, the student laid out the transect randomly from the edge of the forest until the transect reached thirty meters into the woodlot. Then, every five meters a quadrat was placed on the woodlot ground. Second, the student recorded whether or not there was any moss present. If no, the student placed a zero for moss coverage and if yes, the student would place the percentage of moss that was present in the quadrat. Third, for each quadrat the student recorded if the moss is surrounded by other plant species. The level of surrounding by using a scale of 0-3 (0=open, 1=some plants nearby, 2= quite a few plants nearby, 3= very crowded bunch of plants within 50 cm). Fourth, the student used both of their indexes and thumbs to make a square like shape, holding it up above where the quadrat laid, and the percentage of sunlight that was coming into the woodlot was recorded. Each student collected 20 to 30 data each, then all of the data was combined. Group 3 members: Mary H, Shaneil H, Gamsayini K and Prachi M.