User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I had a lot of trouble implementing my initial sampling strategy. Originally, I intended to systematically observe forb density and richness (0.5m by 0.5m quadrats) along transects extending down the slope from the uplands, through the riparian zone, and ending at the South Saskatchewan River. However, the varying steepness of the study site would not allow me to descend straight down the hill in many locations. This forced me to navigate to the subsequent plots from various angles and paths (in the interest of preserving the integrity of the transects). Knowing the amount of time that this would take when scaling my replications up to statistically valid levels, I opted to change my sampling method to a haphazard one while out in the field. I would select an appropriate location (which was, obviously, subjective) and lay the quadrat down before examining the forbs too closely at that location (in an attempt to mitigate some of my bias).
Something that I found surprising in my data was how a close examination of the forbs at each quadrat revealed how low in abundance they could be. I found myself, often times, looking at shrubs and saplings (of which I am excluding from my study). When this occurred: I would choose a location to sample based on it containing high abundance of broad-leaf foliage, begin examining the species, learn that they were mostly shrubs (such as Alemanchier alnifolia, or Rosa acicularis), then have to move on to the next quadrat without having any data related to my study of forb density. Having this preliminary data is useful because it does indicate that, when moving forward with my formal data collection for the study, I will need to ensure I have a high level of replications in order to capture the forb diversity in the area.
I do not intend on continuing the sampling strategies I implemented for module 3. I am planning on moving towards a simple random approach to laying down quadrats throughout the region. While transects are a good approach to this site (in theory), I believe that they are too difficult to implement in the study area. In addition, I would like to ensure that I am controlling my own bias and ensuring that the statistical analyses I would like to use are not compromised. Therefore, I, having had some more time to think about it, will be randomizing the coordinates for my replication locations. I acknowledge that randomizing individual quadrats will have the same navigational challenges as transects. However, I also believe that generating coordinates to unnavigable quadrats, needing to discard those points, and generate new coordinates is more favorable than breaking the integrity of systematic placements of quadrats in a transect (or severely restricting the locations that I can chose to generate unbroken transects).
