Ecology experimental design

We conducted the experimental study at York university Stong pond grassland at two different timings one at 8:00 pm (morning) and the second at 8:00 am (night). The study was conducted for 7 days, but not on the days that had rain because there were be fewer insects on those days. During the study we used 15 pitfall traps for each time of day (total of 210 treatments), which can be assemble by digging a small hole in the ground and placing Styrofoam cup inside it with soapy water, then cover the cup with foam bowl making sure there is some space for the insects to get inside and placing nail on either side of the bowl to secure it in place. The 15 pitfall traps were placed in three random location (5 pitfall for each location) in the grassland every 5 meters from each other for a total of 25 meters by using a transect. When placing the pitfall traps, we observed the plant density at those area by using a scale from 1 to 4, (1= no plant density, 2=low plant density, 3=some plant density and 4=high plant density). After assembling the pitfall trap and recording the plant density for each of them, we took our first recording of abundance and diversity of insects after 12 hours at 8:00 am for the morning result. Each person from the group went out to the site of the pitfall at time they are schedule for and recorded the number of insects in each cup at that time. They also recorded the highest temperature of the day for both morning and night treatments by using the website weathernetwork.com, and the different recognizable taxonomic units of insects they could identify in the cup by observation.

本实验于约克大学（York University）思邦池塘草原（Stong Pond Grassland）开展，设置两个采样时段：其一为当日20:00（作者标注为"晨间"），其二为次日08:00（作者标注为"夜间"）。实验周期为7天，但排除降雨日，因降雨当日昆虫活动量显著降低。实验期间，每个采样时段均布设15个陷阱诱捕器（pitfall trap），总处理组共计210组。其布设方式为：在地面挖设小型坑洞，将盛有肥皂水的泡沫塑料杯置入坑中，随后用泡沫碗覆盖杯口，预留供昆虫进入的空隙，并在碗体两侧钉入钉子以固定位置。每个采样时段的15个陷阱诱捕器均通过样带法布设：在草原内选取3个随机点位，每个点位布设5个诱捕器，相邻诱捕器间距为5米，单条样带总长度为25米。布设诱捕器时，研究人员采用1至4分的评分法记录对应区域的植物密度：1分代表无植物覆盖，2分代表低植物密度，3分代表中等植物密度，4分代表高植物密度。完成诱捕器布设与对应区域植物密度记录后，针对当日20:00布设的诱捕器组，研究人员于12小时后的次日08:00开展首次昆虫丰富度与多样性调查，以获取该时段的采样结果。小组成员按照预定时间前往对应诱捕器布设点位，记录当前时段每个杯内的昆虫数量。此外，研究人员通过weathernetwork.com网站获取两个采样时段当日的最高气温，并通过目视观察记录杯内可识别的昆虫分类单元（taxonomic unit）种类。