DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.3984171.v1
title: yorku.grassland.disturbed.October4-2016.csv

description: <b>Meta Data:</b> 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. <b>Researcher # 1- Herbaceous plants</b> <b>Prediction:</b> There will be a greater abundance of native plants than exotic plants found in the grassland as compared to the disturbed area. <b>Hypothesis:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b> 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 1m<sup>2</sup>. 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. <b> </b> <b>Researcher #2-Woody Plants</b> <b>Prediction: </b>It was predicted that there would be more woody plants in the grassland than in the disturbed area. <b>Hypothesis: </b> 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. <b>Methods: </b>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. <b>Researcher #3-Vertebrates and Invertebrates:</b> <b>Prediction:</b> It was predicted that there would be more insects in the grassland than the woodlot. <b>Hypothesis:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b>The 3<sup>rd</sup> 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. <b>Researcher #4- Invertebrates</b> <b>Prediction: </b>It was predicted that there would be a greater abundance of invertebrate species within the grassland environment. <b>Hypothesis: </b>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. <b>Methods: </b>The 4<sup>th</sup> 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. <br>