YorkU.Impermeable.Pond area data Collection.Oct17-2016

<b>Meta data: </b> Census: represent the sampling week. Which may be either week 5 = census 1, week 7 = census 2 or week 8 = census 3 Calendar date: its a continuous variable which represents the date that the data collection took place. Campus: represents the campus and the university that the data collection took place. Group-ID: Represents each group’s significant number, which is used for identification within different groups. Habitat: it’s a categorical variable that represents the location used for data collection; either impermeable or pond area. Rep: which represents replicates and indicates the total number of times a specific measurement was conducted. Abundance.native.plants: it’s a continuous variable, which shows the total number of native plants counted in side the quadrat area that are originally grow in that location. Abundance.exotic.plants: it’s a continuous variable that shows the total number of plants counted that are not originally from that location and they normally grow somewhere else. Abundance.woody.plants: It’s a continuous variable that shows the number of trees counted that are 1.5m or higher in height. Total.number.flowers (quadret): It’s a continuous variable, which shows the number of individual flowers counted from different species within the quadrats. Canopy.cover: It’s a continuous variable that shows the coverage leaves and branches take up in a certain frame. Ground.cover: It’s a continuous variable, which shows the area in which small plants such as mosses, grass and low shrubs grow. Total.number.flowers (transect): It’s a continuous variable, which shows the number of individual flowers counted from different species along the 0.5 range of 50m long transect. Abundance.vertebrates: It’s a continuous variable, indicating the total number of vertebrates visualized and counted in the range of 50 meters radius from transect for 15 minutes. Vertebrate.species: It’s continuous variable, which shows the number of different species of vertebrates visualized in the range of 50 meters radius from the transect, for 15 minutes. Abundance.invertebrates.observed: Its a continuous variable, which shows the total number of insects observed in the range of 5 meter radius from the transect, for 15 minutes. Abundance.human: Its a continue variable, which shows the total count of people who are not members of the lab present in the 50m range from the transect, for 15 minutes. Abundance.invertebrate.pantraps: it’s a continuous variable, indicating the total number of individuals visualized and counted in the bowl, after 40 minutes. Abundance.invertebrates.sweeps: it’s a continuous variable, indicating the total number of individuals visualized and counted in the sweep net. <b>Methods: </b>The data was collected on a foggy, moderately windy day with a temperature of 17°C, on Monday October ,17th 2016. The impermeable and the pond area of York University campus were chosen in order to collect data; using the same procedure for both. The coordinates of the impermeable land had a latitude of 43.768235, longitude of -79.50731 and an elevation of 137. 74579.The coordinates of the pond area had a latitude of 43.770577, longitude of -79.50663 and an elevation of 151.32195. This was done with the collaboration of Mera Sritharan; separating the data collection to four distinct parts. A 50 meter transect was placed in parallel with other students transects. Firstly, a quadrat was placed randomly every 2 meters, for 25 times, along the transect. This process took roughly 20 minutes. The number of native and exotic plants and flowers were measured by dividing the quadrat to parts and sum the areas covered. For the second part of the data collection, the number of woody plants was measured every 2 meters along the transect within the range of 0.5 meters. For each tree, the ground and canopy cover was measured again by dividing the visual area to parts and adding the areas covered. In addition, the total number of flowers was measured by direct visualization. This process took 20 minutes. For the third part, the first 15 minutes was spent to walk a 50m radius around the transect and the abundance of vertebrates, the different types of species and number of humans was measured through visualization and counting. Another 15 minutes’ interval was spent to measure the abundance of invertebrates visually. Lastly, 6 bowls with three different colors of blue, yellow and white were placed, 3 meters apart, with alternating colors; filled with soapy water up to an inch. The number of invertebrates was measured 40 minutes after placement. Then, the sweep nets were conducted along the 50m transect, repeating it for 10 times. The numbers of invertebrates were measured by counting the number of insects caught. <b><br></b><b>Hypothesis: </b>There would be a higher abundance of plant species in the pond area compared to the impermeable area. This is due to the difference in the components that make up the environment. The clay, pebbles and gravel that make up the impermeable area can’t provide essential elements for proper survival and wellbeing. Also the pond area is not affected by human disturbances thus allowing plants to thrive in that area. <b>Predictions: </b>There would be a larger diversity of plant species in the pond area compared to the impermeable land because the pond area has a wide range of resources (nutrition and pollination) for which different plants can thrive from. The impermeable area on the other hand does not provide any nutrition, means of pollination and that is due to the nature of impermeable area which prevent liquid to pass through it and since water is essential for any plants to survive the lack of water retention makes it imposable for any plants to survive and live in the impermeable area. <br>