DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.4042428
title: YorkU.grassland.disturbed.Oct19-2016

description: Site Description: <br>The sampling was taken on Wednesday, October 19th, 2016 in the Danby Grassland & Danby Disturbed Area on York University Keele Campus. The observations were made between 2:30-4:30pm on a clear autumn afternoon, sunny with cloudy periods, a light breeze, and in 21°C weather. The grassland ground was covered in dead vegetation, dirt, and fallen leaves. The disturbed area was covered in green, healthy grass, and fallen leaves. Both sites had zero canopy coverage. The data was collected with lab partners Carrie Ewins, Lisa Damla, Rana Shabo, and Jenny Tang.<br>Methods: <br>Herbaceous Plants - Quadrats: A 1m by 1m quadrat was placed along a 50m transect at each site. Quadrats were alternated on the ground on the left and right of the 50m transect for the 25 quadrats used. Each quadrat was placed 2m apart. For each quadrat, the total number of exotic plants, the total number of native plants and the total number of flowers inside the quadrat were visually determined, physically counted and recorded. This method was repeated 25 times for the 25 quadrats in the each of the areas.<br>Woody Plants: A 50m transect was placed in each site and each factor was measured every 2m (replicates of 25) along the transect. The number of trees along either side of the transect was counted while standing 0.5m away from it. Any tree taller than 1.5m was counted as 1 woody plant. By looking up and making a square using our hands, canopy cover was estimated. Using this same method, and looking down, the total ground coverage was estimated. The total number of flowers was recorded.<br>Vertebrates & Invertebrates: A 50m transect was placed upon the ground at each site, around 20m away from any other lab group. Standing at the beginning of the transect, any observed vertebrate species was recorded within the radius. During this first 15min interval, the total number of individuals found was summed under abundance of vertebrates and vertebrate species. Abundance of humans were any humans not from the lab. During the next 15min interval, the number of individual invertebrates within a 5m radius of the same standing point of the transect was observed and recorded. <br>Invertebrates - Pan Traps: 6 pan traps were set out along a 50m transect, 3m apart, with the colour pattern white, yellow, blue. Each pan trap was filled approximately ¾ full with soapy water, and left to sit for 2hrs. After 2hrs, each pan trap was observed, and the abundance of invertebrates in each trap was recorded. An individual was counted whether it was in the soapy water or crawling along sides of the pan trap.<br>Invertebrates - Sweep Nets: A figure-8 was vigorously made with the sweep net while walking along a 50m transect. When the end of the transect was reached, the net was grasped at the opening to prevent any caught organisms from escaping. Invertebrates were then searched for by observation through the mesh and by picking through leaves caught in the net, in order to reveal any hiding individuals. The total number of invertebrates observed was counted and record. This was repeated 10 times.<br>Meta-data:<br>Census: The number of times that we are collecting data. Census = 1 is the first time we collected data, census = 2 is the second time we collected data, etc.<br>Calendar Date: The day the data was collected on, in 2016.<br>Campus: The University the data was collected at, either YorkU or UofT.<br>Group ID: Code which defines which group in the lab collected data.<br>Habitat: The location and environment from which the data was collected. One of either grassland, forest, disturbed, pond, or Seywell baseball diamond.<br>Latitude: Defines the precise geographic coordinate of the site. Measured with a GPS.<br>Longitude: Defines the precise geographic coordinate of the site. Measured with a GPS.<br>Elevation: Elevation of the site. Measured with a GPS, metres above sea level.<br>Rep: Short for repetitions. The amount of trials done, or the number of times a method was repeated.<br>Abundance native plants: The total number of plants that weren’t exotic plants that were inside the quadrat. What counted as a plant was determined visually by the following criteria. Only plants with a stem or trunk were counted. Plants that were alive were counted and dead plants that stood up-right were counted as 1 plant. Finally, plants were only counted and recorded as 1 plant if the plant’s stem or trunk was physically inside the quadrat.<br>Abundance Exotic Plants: The total number of plants that were exotic plant that were inside the quadrat. What counted as a plant was determined visually by the following criteria. Only plants with a stem or trunk were counted. Plants that were alive were counted and dead plants that stood up-right were counted as 1 plant. Finally, plants were only counted and recorded as 1 plant if the plant’s stem or trunk was physically inside the quadrat. Total number flowers (quadrat): The total number of flowers that were inside the 1m by 1m quadrat. A flower was counted as a plant with a stem with petals at the top of the stem. Therefore, buds or flowers that have bloomed both were counted as flowers. Flowers that were alive were counted and dead flowers that stood up-right were counted as 1 flower.<br>Abundance Woody Plants: A distance of 0.5m to the right and the left sides of the 50m transect were measured along the whole transect for every 2m along the 50m transect. Woody plants were counted as a tree, whether it was an adult or sapling. A tree was counted as anything taller than 1.5m and had a stem with bark on it. Canopy cover: A square was made using our hands and was held up to a tree canopy above. A percentage of how many leaves cover the area of the square made was estimated. Ground cover: A square was made using our hands and was looked down on. An estimate of the percentage of plants covering the ground was made by counting the amount within the square. A plant was counted as anything with a stem and was alive. Total number flowers (transect): The total number of flowers that were inside the 1m by 1m quadrat. A flower was counted as a plant with a stem with petals at the top of the stem. Therefore, buds or flowers that have bloomed both were counted as flowers. Only flowers that were alive were counted.<br>Abundance Vertebrates: The total amount of vertebrates seen in a 50m radius in a 15min interval. A 50m transect was placed upon each ground of the grassland and disturbed area and the number of vertebrates observed along the 50m radius was recorded. A vertebrate organism was counted if the organism was taller than 10cm and alive. Vertebrate Species: The number of different species observed was recorded. Species were determined visually using the criteria provided in the Biology 2050 lab manual. <br>Only living animals were counted. Abundance Human: The number of humans that were within the 50m radius along the 50m transect. Humans that were from the lab group were not counted. Humans that could be seen driving in their cars or walking within the radius were counted.<br>Abundance Invertebrates Pan-traps: The total number of invertebrates in each of 6 pan traps after 2hrs. The traps were placed in the colour order of white, yellow, and then blue (2x each colour). An individual invertebrate was counted whether it was in the soapy water or crawling along the top or side of the pan trap. An insect was counted as anything that was smaller than a baseball and had more than 4 legs and had a pair of antennas. Both dead and alive invertebrates were included.<br>Abundance Invertebrates Sweeps: The total number of invertebrates in each of 10 sweep nets, caught while walking along a 50m transect. An insect was counted as anything that was smaller than a baseball, had more than 4 legs and had a pair of antennas. Only insects that were still inside the net while counting were recorded. Both dead and alive invertebrates were included.<br>Abundance Invertebrates Observed: The number of invertebrates observed was along the same 50m transect. Invertebrates were counted and observed within a 5m radius of the transect for 15min. An invertebrate counted as an any living insect smaller than the size of a baseball. Only living organisms were counted.<br>Hypothesis<br>The total number flowers and percentage of ground covered both determine the total number of invertebrates. A higher number of flowers and a higher percentage of ground covered will results in a higher abundance of invertebrates because more flowers and ground coverage provides more resources and vegetation for invertebrate survival.<br>Predictions: <br>We predict that a higher number of flowers will result in a higher abundance of invertebrates. We predict that a higher percentage of ground cover will result in a higher abundance of invertebrate. <br><br>