BIOL 3250 Pilot Lab Solo Survey

Plant species diversity was measured along a random
unimpeded 50 metre line using a 0.5m by 0.5m quadrat at 1 metre intervals and
recorded in a field journal using a spreadsheet with 6 columns representing a
variable and 50 rows representing individual quadrats. The first column represented
the number of times a full survey was conducted, in this case the survey was
only conducted once. The second column represented the date of the study, which
was September 15th, 2020 at 1pm. The third column represented the
name of the researcher taking the measurements. The fourth column represented
the location study site, which was Firgrove Park, coordinate 43.7520° N,
79.5212° W. The fifth column represented the total number of different species
found within each quadrat which were identified based on descriptions of the
Ontario weeds gallery and assigned a specific code. Any species that had more
than 50% of its body in the border of the quadrat was account for and any plant
species with less than 50% of its body within the border of the quadrat was
excluded from recording. Finally, the sixth column represented the estimated
vegetation cover within the 0.5m by 0.5m quadrat in percentage

The codes used for the study to identify various
species of plants within the quadrats are:

-
Cirsium arvense
(Canada thistle): CT

-
Poaceae spp.
(Grass): G

-
Taraxacum officinale
(Dandelion): D

-
Trifolium spp.
(Clovers): C

-
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
(Ragweed): RW

-
Plantago major
(Broadleaf Plantain): BL

-
Digitaria sanguinalis
(Crabgrass): CG

-
Oxalis stricta
(Yellow Wood Sorrel): YS