BIOL2050 WK6 and WK7

The first dataset for the BIOL2050 design lab was conducted in the Osgoode Woodlot on Tuesday October 13, 2015 between 2:45 and 4:45 PM with windy, damp and cloudy weather and a temperature of about 14 degrees Celsius. The second dataset for this lab was conducted in the Boyer Woodlot on Tuesday October 20, 2015 between 2:45 and 4:45 with windy and rainy weather with a temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius. The objective of this experiment was to test whether there is a correlation between the amount of canopy coverage and the abundance of arthropods present underneath that canopy cover. This experiment was conducted by E.Chau, S.Govindaswamy, S.Lam and A. Riyat. First for dataset 1, an area with a low canopy cover (0-35%) was identified. The canopy coverage in the area was determined by standing at the base of the tree and glancing up towards sky and looking through a rectangle you make by joining the index and thumb from both hands. The amount of foliage that made up your field of view through the rectangle in comparison to open sky was given a percent value (ex. Half sky and half foliage was given a 50% canopy coverage value). Once an area was found, five red, five yellow and five where pans where laid out underneath the coverage area and filled with soap water. Following this, an area with medium canopy cover (35-65%) and an area with high canopy cover (65-100%) were identified and five pan traps of each of the three colors where laid out. The pan traps where collected after two hours and the results recorded. The same steps where repeated at a different location a week later for dataset 2.