DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.4059882.v1
title: YorkU.forest.oct252016

description: The overall study examines the relationship of plant species and invertebrate and vertebrate species in relation to their surrounding environment. Comparisons and data were collected at the pond and an impermeable habitat at York University, Keele Campus. The forest was located at latitude 43.768756, longitude -79.5079, and elevation 126.30201m. Four different survey methods were conducted and specifically for this week’s data collected on Oct 25th, 2016, the relationship between the total number of flowers along a transect were analyzed by noting the abundance of woody plants, canopy cover and ground vegetation cover.<b><br></b>Methods<b><br></b>Four survey methods were used to compare and analyze the plant species, as well as the invertebrate and vertebrate species in a forest area.<b><br></b>In the first survey of herbaceous plants, two 25m transect tapes were place end-to-end in a straight line to form a 50m sampling transect. Students began at one end of the 50m transect line and proceeded towards the other end. A quadrat was thrown perpendicularly, approximately 0.5m away from the transect every 2m – beginning on the left, the quadrat was thrown in alternated direction (left, right, left, right, etc.) Students observed and recorded the abundance of native plants, abundance of exotic plants, as well as the total number of flower found in each quadrat. This process was carried for 50m of transect tape. The procedure was carried out in the forest area.<br>In the second survey of woody plants, using the same 50m transect tape laid down in the first survey, students were observing and recording the abundance of woody plants (trees), canopy cover, ground cover and total number of flowers. Data was collected at 2m intervals along the transect and noted only the trees that were 0.5m away from the transect. If a tree was present in a 0.5m distance, then a canopy cover percentage was recorded, if not, zero was recorded. At each 2m interval, students also noted the percentage of ground cover in the surround area as well as the total amount of flowers at each interval. <b><br></b>In the third survey of vertebrate and invertebrates, using the same 50m transect tape laid down as mentioned in the first survey. At the 50m mark along the transect, the parameter was assessed in order to determine the abundance of vertebrates, the number of vertebrate species and the abundance of humans. At the 5m mark along the transect, the surround area was assessed for 15 minutes in order to determine the abundance of invertebrates present. <b><br></b>In the fourth survey of invertebrates, six pan traps containing soap water were strategically spaced at 3m intervals, in an alternating color pattern along the left side of the length of the transect. The number of abundance of invertebrates was collected as continuous data and represents the total number of insects found in each of the pans. The pan traps were laid out in this manner to collect the abundance of invertebrates for both the site near the pond and the impermeable areas. The continuous data for pan traps in each of the two scenarios were only collected after ten trials of sweep net abundance tests were conducted along the same 50m transect. Along the transect, ten trials of the sweep net tests were conducted to verify the abundance of invertebrates. Each sweep net transect measuring 50 meters was considered a trial. The abundance of invertebrates were collected at the end of each trial as continuous data by counting the total number of insects found inside the sweep net.<b><br><br></b>Hypothesis <br>In a forested area, there will be a positive correlation between the number of invertebrates found in the pan trap and the number of invertebrates captured in the sweep nets.<b><br></b>Predictions<br>It is expected for us to capture a similar amount of invertebrates in the pan traps and sweep nets. The disturbances caused by the sweep nets will also result in an increased amount of invertebrates that fall in the pan traps. As the sweep net captures insects and interferes with the surrounding vegetation, invertebrates are more prone to move around. This will result in a larger number of individuals found in the pan traps. <br>Metadata<b><br></b>- It took approximately 1.5 hours to complete all sampling techniques in the forest area- Weather conditions at approximately 3pm around the forest were cloudy, calm and 7°C- Due to the fall climate, the forest area had a reduced amount of vegetation- Forest was located about 1km away from the engineering building- Abundance Native Plant: a numerical, quantitative measure of the number of native plants found approximately 0.5m from the transect tape. A native plant is one that is indigenous to a given area in geological time. To count the total number of blades of grass present per quadrat, the number of blades found in 1/100th the area of a quadrat was counted, then multiplied by 100. Each blade represents a single native plant. - Abundance Exotic Plant: a numerical, quantitative count of the total number of exotic plants found with the quadrat – each quadrat was thrown 0.5m away from the transect line. Each single stem sprouting from the ground within the quadrat is counted as one plant. An exotic plant is a plant species that has been artificially introduced to a geographical area by an external factor. - Total Number of Flowers: a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of flowering buds found in a quadrat. Each flowering brand was counted as a single flower.- Abundance of Woody Plants: a numerical, quantitative measure of the number of woody plants found approximately 0.5m from the transect tape. A woody plant was considered if the height of the plant was over 1.5m.- Canopy Cover: a numerical, quantitative measure calculated in a percentage of the amount of cover the woody plant was covering. A zero was recorded if no woody plant was measured at the interval.- Ground Cover: a numerical, quantitative measure calculated in a percentage of the amount ground cover at each 2m interval along the transect. - Total Number of Flowers (Survey Method 2): a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of flowering buds found along the transect. A flower was considered if the stem was approximately 0.2m away from the transect on either side.- Abundance Vertebrates/Invertebrates: a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates are organisms that possess a backbone/spinal column. Invertebrates are organisms that lack a backbone/spinal column.- Vertebrate Richness: numerical, quantitative data of the total number of different vertebrate species represented in an area- Abundance Human: a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of humans present not including the students enrolled in BIOL 2050 Lab 07- Abundance Invertebrate pan traps: a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of invertebrates collected in the pan traps laid at 3m intervals along the transect- Abundance Invertebrate sweeps: a numerical, quantitative data of the total number of invertebrate collected in the sweep net walking along the 50m transectThe pan traps for the forested area followed the color order: yellow, white, and blue in the same repeated pattern.- While the pan traps were left out to collect data in the form of invertebrates near the forest area for about 20 minutes, - Pan traps started at the 12m mark on the transact