User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The four sites I selected each have a different tree density: site 1 has low density, site 2 has sparser density but denser than site 1, site 3 has a mixture of low and high density in different areas of plot, site 4 has high density. Sites 1-3 has an elevation of around 810masl and site 4 has an elevation of 860m. Each site was selected randomly by throwing a stick and choosing the site based on where the stick landed. Once the sites were chosen a 10m by 10m quadrat was set up using 4 wooden stakes and a 50 m rope to wrap around each stake to clearly outline the quadrat. GPS points were taken at each wooden stake in order to map the sites later. I then took field observation notes on the area and where the site was located based on the surrounding areas. Then I walked along transects within the quadrats in order to ensure that I counted all the trees in the site. When walking along the transects, I recorded how many spruce trees were dead and alive as well as the other trees and bushes in the site. One issue I had while implementing this sampling design was when I got to Site 4 with the higher tree density, it was hard to make a perfect 10m by 10m square and also difficult to get through the trees and ensure that I counted all of the ones I needed to. I noticed that the site with higher density had more dead trees than the sites with lower tree density, which provides evidence to prove my hypothesis as correct.
