For my research project I wanted to show the response of non-native plant density in relation to distance from a linear disturbance. I first created one line graph that showed the data of all of the transects (and the averages) in one diagram, however I realized that this appeared crowded and may be difficult for the reader to interpret. To combat this, I separated the data for each transect into individual graphs. This allowed for the the data to be more readily interpreted at a glace. Additionally, I created a graph that depicted the average values of plant density at each discrete distance to show the overall trend in plant density in relation to distance. I considered only presenting the graph showing the average data, however, I decided to include the graphs of the individual transects as well as I felt it would be useful to the reader while reading the results/discussion section as I discuss discrepancies along some of the transects from what was predicted. Also, as there were only 10 transects in which data was measured, I felt that it was practical to show all data in this format. A graph was chosen (versus the use of a table) as I felt that it would allow the reader to easily observe the trend in density as it increased or decreased in y-value.
The outcome of the data was as expected overall, although some variation from the expected result did occur along some transects. Further research on plant distribution and factors impacting plant density will be conducted to help explain these variations.
Example graph from the Figure:
