User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I completed my data collection over two days (August 3rd, 2020 and August 4th, 2020), totalling approximately 11hrs10mins. Forecasts were similar throughout both days, averaging around 23°C with moderate to high degrees of sunshine. In the week leading up to my data collection there was only approximately 1.5mm of precipitation. I subdivided my chosen area into three subareas, and implemented systematic sampling. Across each subarea I collected data from 10 quadrats (2.4m x 2.4m), with 5 distinct soil moisture readings and percent slopes within each quadrat, as well as a tally of the number and types of trees present and their respective DBH measurements. I didn’t encounter any major problems throughout the data collection process, however navigating the terrain in some sections was challenging as was identifying certain trees.
Initial inspection of the data suggests that soil moisture, on average, was lowest at the bottom of the hill at mild percent slopes, mid-range at the top of the hill at high percent slopes and finally, highest at the midpoint of the hill at moderate percent slopes. These findings are contrary to my hypothesis but are partially representative of the results from the preliminary sampling exercise. In both cases, soil moisture was highest at moderate degrees of slope. In terms of tree size, the trees were, on average, largest at the bottom of the hill, and decreased in size as percent slope increased moving up the slope. Tree frequency showed a similar pattern, with frequency being, on average, highest at the bottom of the hill, with decreasing numbers as percent slope increased moving up the slope. These findings are also inconsistent with my hypothesis since I hypothesized that tree frequency and size would be inversely correlated.
