Dataset of Milkweed using Transects

This dataset was completed by an ecology lab team which included myself, Ava, Katherine, Adamo , and Ashley. A transect, which was 668 inches long, was placed in the Danby grassland at York University's Keele campus on Sept 22 2015. The temperature was around 21 degrees Celsius, and the weather was clear and sunny. The study took place from approximately 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Along the transect and within a 1 meter radius, each milkweed plant was identified and examined and the data was recorded. A member of the team would count the leaves, while another measured the height and distance between the selected milkweed and the next closest one using a transect measuring tape. These measurements were recorded in inches. Following these measurements, a member would observe how many other plants were within 50 cm of the milkweed and based on their observation, a rating of the crowdedness was assigned to the individual. A total of 50 individual plants were examined and had their data recorded. The lowest number of leaves observed was 7, while the most was 23. The average number of leaves was 13.4. The shortest plant was 6 in, while the tallest was 21 in with an average of 13.6 in. The plants with the least distance between them overlapped and therefore had a distance of 0 in, while the furthest apart individuals had a distance of 81.5 in. The average distance was 13 in. Most plants had a crowding rate of 3 which is the most crowding. Next most was 2, then 1, then 0 which is next to no crowding.