yorku.grassland.disturbed.October4-2016.csv

Meta Data: The experiment was carried out on October 4, 2016
and the weather was 19 degrees Celsius with sunny skies with winds of 13-18 mph.
The experiment was conducted at Boyer’s Woodlot located near Ian Macdonald Blvd
(Latitude 43.78, Longitude -79.50). The latitude and longitude were recorded by
using an online GPS. The habitat is a grassland which is an open area
at least 250m by 250m in size with few trees. The disturbed open space is
similar to the grassland in size but with more mixed vegetation and more trails
for people. The abundance of native plants and abundance of exotic plants were
recorded by placing a 0.5 x 0.5m quadrat every
2m on a 50m tape. These variables are continuous and recorded as total
number of individuals. The total number of flowers is a continuous variable and
was counted by using the same quadrats and the total
number of independent flower heads. The abundance of woody plants is a
continuous variable and was counted 0.5 m on both sides of transect tape in
grassland and disturbed areas. Canopy cover is a continuous variable and was
estimated in percentage at every 2 meters of the transect. Ground cover is a
continuous variable and was also estimated in percentage at every 2 meters. The
abundance of animals is a continuous variable and is the total number of
animals observed within 50m of your location using tape as your guide for 50m
for a total of 15 minutes. The vertebrate species is a categorical variable and
is the different types of species listed as 'recognizable taxonomic units' such
as birds. The abundance of human is a continuous variable and is the total
number of people seen not from the lab within 50m of your location using the
tape as a guide for 15mins. The abundance of invertebrates pantraps is a
continuous variable and is the total abundance of insects captured with 6 pan
traps. The abundance of invertebrates sweeps is a continuous variable and is
the total abundance of insects captured with 10 sweep nets. The abundance of
invertebrates is a continuous variable and is the total abundance of flying
insects observed within 5m of your location for 15mins. Invertebrate species is
a categorical variable and is the total number of different kinds of species
that are 'recognizable taxonomic units' such as bees, etc.

Researcher
# 1- Herbaceous plants

Prediction: There will
be a greater abundance of native plants than exotic plants found in the grassland
as compared to the disturbed area.

Hypothesis:
It is expected to be more exotic plants than native plants in the disturbed
open area and more native plants than exotic plants distributed in the grassland
due to landscape reconstruction and maintenance work that was done in the
disturbed area and not the grassland area.

Methods:

The field study was conducted from 2:40 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. At
the start of the experiment the length and width of the quadrat apparatus was
measured with a measuring tape. The dimension of the quadrat was 1m by 1m and
the total area of the quadrat was calculated to be 1m2. The quadrat
apparatus was first randomly placed along a 50 metre transect and the number of
total flower heads, exotic plants and native plants were recorded within the
grassland area. Every time a field sample was conducted, the quadrat was placed
2m apart from each other alternating on either sides of the transect. The
abundance of the exotic and native plants were observed by dividing the quadrat
into 100 grids and counting the amount of exotic and native plants in 1 grid.
This value was multiplied by 100 to give an estimation of the total number of
individual exotic and native plants seen within the quadrat. At the same time
the total number of flower heads was measured by individually counting the
number of flower heads on each flower bearing plant in the quadrat. All of the
plants grown from the root within the interior of the quadrat were counted giving
the total abundance or each exotic and native plants. For the disturbed open space
the same method was used for counting the total number of exotic, native, and
flower heads. Twenty-five trials were performed each for the grassland and
disturbed open space along the transect in field study.

Researcher #2-Woody Plants

Prediction: It was predicted that there would be more woody plants in the
grassland than in the disturbed area.

Hypothesis:   It was
hypothesized that the abundance of woody plants would be greater in the
grassland than in the disturbed area because the disturbed area is subjected to
man-made forces such as landscaping and mowing. 

Methods: The second researcher collected their data by using the transect method
of surveying. The survey was conducted from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm. The
researcher used two transects in order to measure a total length of 50m. The
experiment was conducted within a grassland area as well as a disturbed area
for a total of 25 individual counts or replicates within each different
habitat. The researcher walked along the transect and for every 2 m
recorded the number of trees that was within 0.5 m of the transect. A tree
was defined as a woody plant that is greater than 1.5 metres in height. If
there was no tree within the specified distance then zero was recorded. At each
point, the canopy coverage was measured by looking up while raising our fingers
in a rectangle and estimating the amount of coverage made by the leaves of the
tree. Using the same method, the vegetative ground cover was measured. In
addition, the total number of flowers was recorded and consisted of the total
number of flowering plants that were also within 0.5 m of the transect tape.

Researcher #3-Vertebrates and
Invertebrates:

Prediction:

It was predicted that there
would be more insects in the grassland than the woodlot.

Hypothesis:
It was hypothesized that there would be more insects in the grassland
because there are more flowering plants which attract insects that are looking
for a food source.

Methods:The 3rd
researcher completed four 15 minute surveys on vertebrate and invertebrate
species; two surveys in the grassland and two surveys in the disturbed open
space. To conduct this experiment, the researcher stood northwest of Lumbers building
and placed two sets of 30 m transect measuring tape to go up to a distance
of 50 m. At the beginning of the transect, the researcher surveyed a 50 m
radius observing the number of different vertebrate species, abundance of
vertebrate species, and abundance of humans in 15 mins. Within the grassland,
only one species which was birds, for example seagulls, sparrows, etc. were
observed as the vertebrate species. Within the disturbed open space, only birds
(pigeon) was observed. After, the abundance of invertebrates was observed in 5
m radius for another 15 mins. The different types of invertebrates observed
were bees, etc. The time was recorded on my phone timer. The same sets of
procedures were done in the disturbed open space.

Researcher
#4- Invertebrates

Prediction: It was
predicted that there would be a greater abundance of invertebrate species
within the grassland environment.

Hypothesis:  There will be a greater abundance of
invertebrate species in the grassland compared to the amount of invertebrates
found in the disturbed area, because the grassland environment has flowers that
would attract the invertebrates there.

Methods: The 4th
researcher worked on the abundance of invertebrates found in the Pan traps, and
in the sweeps within both the grassland environment and in the disturbed area.
This researcher conducted the invertebrate experiment from 3:20pm-4:20pm.
First, the researcher went to the edge of the grassland environment which was
northwest from the Lumber building and a transect tape was positioned in the
grassland habitat. The transect tape was measured to 50 meters in length. Next
the first Pan trap was placed at the 1 meter mark along the transect tape and
after every 3 meters another Pan trap was placed down in the grassland
environment, until there was a total of 6 Pan traps in the grassland. Each Pan
trap was 5 cm depth and a 18 cm diameter. Next Pan traps were filled half way
with soapy water. The colour of the Pan traps was randomly positioned in the
grassland in the following order which was white, yellow, and blue. The same
steps that were done in the grassland, took place in the disturbed area. Both
the grassland and disturbed area had 2 white, 2 blue, and 2 yellow Pan traps. In
both the grassland and disturbed area the researcher walked along the 50 m
transect tape a total of ten times, so there were 10 replicates done in each habitat.  The sweep had a diameter of 31 cm. After each
sweep, the researcher counted the amount of invertebrates that were captured in
the sweep in both areas. For an hour, the researcher counted the
number of invertebrate species that were found in each of the Pan traps within
the grassland and disturbed area.