User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Preparation for collecting data took almost as long as data collection itself. First, I made tables in Excel with which to collect my data, but ended up forgetting to include two rows for boreal climax species (birch and aspen). This was not a significant issue as I had included blank rows in the table which I used for this purpose. Then, using google’s random number generator, I determined which 6 blocks I was going to collect data from within. I then I used the random number generator again to determine the origin point of the transect axes. When this was finished I knew exactly where I was going to collect my data from before I went out. Finally, I made a 1x1m collapsible square out of thick cardboard and bolts to use as a frame to define my plots, much like the squares made of PVC tube and elbows in the video.
I was fortunate to have a friend come out with me and perform a lot of the recording as I called out my observations. Finding the blocks and starting points for the transects was occasionally difficult, but my gridded map and the GPS on our phones helped. We then strung a tape line down the transect axis and placed the plot square into the first position, recorded the relevant variables, measured the rose bush height with a measuring tape and calculated their average height, then moved the plot square to the next position. This was repeated until the transect was complete, at which point we found the starting point for our next transect and repeated the process. In total, 120 replicates were sampled over the course of 4 hours.
The main difficulty I encountered was determining which category certain variables fell within, especially about light and moisture. On several occasions I found myself wanting to assign a variable a value between two discrete categories by adding a .5. I did not do this. Aside from that, occasional game trails were encountered in the undisturbed areas, and I considered whether or not they may make an impact on the distribution and size of rose bushes. In the end I made a note of the game trails but did not alter the designation of the block they were found in.
My companion commented that solitary rose bushes seemed on average larger than those found in close proximity to others. I did not notice this pattern, but I will look for this when I analyse the data. If there is a discernible relationship, it may indicate intraspecific competition.
All in all, collecting the data was a relatively straight forward event due to planning it out ahead of time. No significant obstacles or set-backs were encountered.
