User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I visited my site for the third time on July 23rd, 2019 at 1511 hours to collect initial data for the small assignment submission. I chose the Stratified Random Sampling technique to select 5 plots that were then sampled for Common Fern Moss using 1m2 quadrats. My reasoning behind choosing Stratified Random Sampling is that my backyard is not homogeneous- it receives higher amounts of sunlight in specific areas and there also seems to be a reoccurring pattern in the locations where my dog urinates. I believe this technique of sampling would help avoid underrepresentation of the vegetation in my yard. I took 1m2quadrats comprised of a golf driver and a measuring stick and gave my best estimation of the percentage of cover of Common Fern Moss relative to the entire area of the quadrat. I then took the percent cover values of each replicate and calculated the average percent cover of Common Fern moss. This was done to make somewhat of a generalization about its abundance in my backyard. The response variable is percent coverage of the Common Fern moss relative to the quadrat area and the predictor variable is the absence or presence of grass. One difficulty I ran into during sampling was the tough decision on whether or not to include ‘Density’ in a table on my datasheet. Moss is a very tricky plant to measure or count individuals within a species, as the individual stems are hidden in the soil, small and can be closely surrounded by other stems. I originally visited the site thinking I could find a way to measure the abundance of the individuals using a count method. However, I came to the conclusion that the most efficient way to sample moss in this experiment was to use percent cover. The data received from this type of data collection showed that two plots closer to the South fence had a higher percent cover, and this did not come as a surprise to me as these areas receive less shade relative to the other plots, and are areas with bigger patches of dead grass. I plan to continue using this method of sampling as I continue working on my Field Research Project, however I hope to modify my approach by finding another measure of abundance that is time efficient and more accurate. By adding another common measure to the data collection process, I believe that my data will become more representative of my site and will allow for a more in-depth final report.
