User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I am going to be studying the distribution/abundance of various species of moss (Bryophyta) within the study area and the direction in which they are growing on trees (can they accurately demonstrate cardinal points). I will be collecting distributional data from the “peninsula in the woods”. Although it is, as a whole, a forested area, there definitely are micro-environments which vary significantly from one another. Here is a summary of what I’ve observed:
Area 1: Dense
Sunlight is minimal. Trees at an average of 30cm from each other. Shorter grass. Ground fairly flat. Visible moss and fungi growth.
Area 2: Open
Sunlight is moderate. Trees at an average of 1-2m from each other. Flat land. Tall grass commonly flattened by wildlife. Visible moss and fungi growth.
Area 3: River bank
Sunlight is abundant. Various distance between trees. Ground slanted towards the river. Visible moss and fungi growth.
I hypothesize that moss grows on the Northern face of trees, making it an accurate and reliable source for navigation. Considering my hypothesis, I predict that:
- There will be an abundance and noticeable amount of at least one species of moss in the studied area.
- The majority of moss studied will be pointing North.
I believe that the categorical response variable is moss and that the categorical predictor variable is the direction of growth. My experiment is not a manipulative experiment, I won’t be modifying predictor variables to observe the results. I will be conducting a natural, tabular experiment where I will observe the areas as they are, and collect data.
Very interesting topic, I have always been fascinated by seedless nonvascular plants. It is clear that moss is the response variable, however, perhaps another variable to consider is the species of moss. Different species may prefer varying amounts of sunlight. Is it possible there are areas with too much sunlight to avoid being dried out? The hypothesis is well stated, with the predictions it is clear what the experiment is trying to achieve.
For the predictor variable, in addition to the direction of growth, perhaps a secondary attribute could be the abundance of growth. Large vs small and the total area covered on the tree trunk. Overall your experiment is well thought out and your predictions are falsifiable. The type of moss can be identified in the field and the direction of growth can be determined using a compass, the variables are easily measured. Canopy cover will have a huge effect on how much sunlight reaches the forest, therefore, this may be something to consider if growth is not always north.