ENV 220 Characterizing Community Structure Plants Lab Report

Characterizing Community Structure: Plants Lab Report Joshua D. King 02/04/2024

Abstract An abstract is generally written after the lab has been completed. In this section, write a one or two-paragraph summary related to the lab activities that were completed. The abstract should include the following elements:  Objective : the main point or central question of the lab  Methods : a brief statement on what was done during the lab  Results : a brief statement on what was found  Discussion : a brief statement of what was concluded  The objective of this lab was to learn how to use transect lines and quadrats over a ground study to determine species population size, diversity, and richness.  To begin this lab, an area of study within a habitat was chosen. The chosen location was within the Spring Creek Greenway in southern Texas. After preparing travel plans, a checklist was created outlining all needed materials and supplies. These items were secured and travel to the site began. Upon arriving on location, a particular area within the Spring Creek Greenway was chosen that offered surrounding tree cover but enough opening for sunlight to penetrate the ground canopy. Once securing our position, I began to start laying out the transect line that was 300cm’s in length. This consisted of two flags with a string stretched between them. Using this transect line, all species that fell within the line were recorded and identified. After recording all findings, the transect line was removed and placed in a new location. After re- securing the 300 cm transect line a second study was taken, recording all the species in the second area. After recording these findings, the transect line was removed and a quadrat of 1m² was placed using 4 flags and string. The individual species that fell within this quadrat were then counted and recorded as a percent coverage. After recording all the species in the quadrat, all materials were cleaned up and the lab was concluded. 1 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

 Goggles  8 Orange Flag Markers  String, 200ft  Measuring Tape, 150cm  Paper  Marker  Scissors  Calculator with natural logarithm function  Camera  Methods  Transect Method 1. Gather string, scissors, and 2 orange flags. 2. Measure and Cut 3 m (300 cm) of string. 3. Attach one end of the string to an orange flag and the other end to the other flag. 4. After attaching the string to the flags, place one flag into the ground. 5. Following a straight line, stretch the string and place the second flag into the ground. 6. Make sure the string is as straight and close to the ground as possible. If needed, make sure to go straight through a shrub or directly around a tree. 7. Identify the different species of plants that are touching the transect line. Take a photo of each species to include and identify for later reference. 8. Count the individual plant species touching the transect and record the data in Data Table 1. If no or little plants are touching the transect, use your tape measure as a right angle to the line and count the species touching the tape. 9. Move the transect line from this location to a 2 nd location at your current site. 10. Repeat the above steps for a second transect and record these results in Data Table 2.  Quadrat Method 1. Gather string, scissors, a marker, four orange flags, and the tape measure. 2. Measure and Cut 4 m (400 cm) of string and mark 100 cm increments from the beginning of one end. 3 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

3. Tie the string to an orange flag and place the flag in the ground at some point next to Transect Line 2. 4. Run the string perpendicular to the transect line and place the second flag at the first marked increment line. 5. Use a piece of paper to help form a right angle and now run the string at a right angle to the first segment. 6. Place the third flag at the second marked increment on the string and again use the paper to run the string at a right angle to the second segment. 7. Place the fourth flag at the third marked increment and then tie the string back to the first flag from here. 8. Identify and photograph the individual species of plants found within the quadrat. 9. Estimate the amount of coverage within the quadrat for each plant species and record this as a percentage in Data Table 3. 10. Clean up materials.  Calculations 1. Calculate total number of individual species. Sum of all individuals =N. 2. Calculate pi for each species. Pi=ni/N where ni is total number of an individual species. 3. Calculate pi² for each species. pi²=pi x pi. 4. Calculate the Simpson index. Sum of all pi² values. 5. Calculate piln(pi)=pi x ln(pi). 6. Calculate the Shannon index. Negative sum of all piln(pi) values. 7. Calculate total percent ground coverage found in the quadrat. Sum all percentages. Results Activity 1 Data Table 1: Transect 1 Species Description Number of Individuals (n i ) p i = n i N p i 2 p i ln p i Lactuca serriola 20 0.36 0.13 -0.37 Oxalis dillenii 5 0.09 0.008 -0.22 Atrichum 6 0.11 0.012 -0.24 4 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Data Table 2: Transect 2 Species Description Number of Individuals (n i ) p i = n i N p i 2 p i ln p i Lactuca serriola 24 0.35 0.12 -0.37 Oxalis dillenii 7 0.10 0.01 -0.23 Atrichum angustatum 3 0.04 0.0016 -0.13 Chloris verticillate 21 0.31 0.096 -0.36 Cerastium fontanum 13 0.19 0.036 -0.32 Total Number of Individuals (N) 68 Shannon Index -1.14 Simpson Index 0.2636 6 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Data Table 3: Quadrat Species Description Percentage of quadrat covered Lactuca serriola 75 Oxalis dillenii 50 Atrichum angustatum 20 Lophatherum gracile 0.5 Chloris verticillate 85 Cerastium fontanum 5 Geranium molle 0.75 Total ground cover percentage 236.25 7 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Figure 2: Cerastium fontanum Baumg 9 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Figure 3: Chloris verticillata Nutt 10 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

12 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Figure 6: Lophatherum gracile Figure 7: Oxalis dillenii Jacq 13 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

References Carolina Distance Learning. (2018). Characterizing Community Structure: Plants. www.carolina.com/distancelearning Post Lab Questions 1. Species richness is the total number of species present in an area. If two communities have similar species richness values, which community is considered to have higher diversity? Out of two communities with similar species richness values, the community that shows the highest relative abundance of these species would be considered to have higher diversity. 2. Explain what representative sampling is. What is the purpose of representative sampling in evaluating a community? Why is repeated sampling important in this process? Representative sampling is the process of sampling a subsection of a population and to assume the results will be a representation of the population as a whole. The purpose of representative sampling in evaluating a community is to understand the population, diversity, and richness. Repeated sampling is important because small sample sizes can miss rare organisms. 3. Explain why random sampling is important in conducting population studies. Are there times when random sampling would not be appropriate? If so, why? 15 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

Random sampling is important when conducting population studies because it helps to minimize the introduction of biases. 4. Why would using transect lines or quadrats not be appropriate for examining a population of deer? What types of organisms might be best to sample using quadrats and transect lines? Transect lines and quadrats would not be appropriate for examining a population of deer because deer traverse over large areas of ground. The organisms that would be best sampled through transect lines and quadrats is insects, plants, and small reptiles or amphibians. 16 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company