A Study on the Abundance and Distribution of the Plant Rhamnus Cathartica at York University

The objective of this study is to examine the abundance of the plant Rhamnus cathartica (European Buckthorn). The abundance of the plant was measured through the following variables: diameter at breast height (DBH) of adult tree, canopy coverage of adult tree, distance of adult tree to nearest sapling and the DBH of the sapling. The instrumentation required for this study is transect measuring tape. The study took place in a woodlot at York University on the 21st of September 2015 at 3:00 pm. A parameter of 30 feet was set from chosen starting point inside the woodlot. The soil condition was damp and little sunlight can be accessed from the ground. The field site was littered with various trash, fallen branches and trunks of multiple trees. The study took place at approximately 18° with clear skies and sunny condition. The study was conducted by Aziza, Paula, Sahar and Shahana. The data showed that the average DBH of adult trees is 3.6 inches and average canopy coverage is 81%. The average of the distance of the adult trees to the nearest saplig is 2.63 ft while the average DBH of the sapling 0.37 inches.