User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I conducted an area-based haphazard sampling experiment. I was sampling species diversity and vegetation cover in the garden. I didn’t have trouble with implementing my sampling strategy and i feel that I chose the most efficient strategy for the area I studied. I was surprised to see the abundance of fowler’s toads (Anaxyrus fowleri), this is most likely due to breeding season being late March- early June with the tadpole stage taking 50-65 days (Ontario Nature) meaning that there are many young toads living on land now. This could also be a factor to why there is an abundance of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) in the area since they are predators of toads. Another factor explaining the high toad density in the garden is the high vegetation cover, this supplies toads with an environment with suitable protection from predators, such as birds or rodents, and also lots of food, such as insects. I think that I will adjust my strategy by sampling a larger area so I can get a more in depth understanding of species diversity in the area rather than vegetation cover.
