I am conducting a study on pollinator abundance in areas that have been disturbed, specifically through lawn mowing, as compared to undisturbed areas. Throughout the process of collecting field data, various questions arose that I had to address.
To collect field data, I utilized 5′ x 5′ quadrants along two 25′ gradients, spending 25-30 minutes in each area. One of the initial challenges I faced was avoiding double counting individual pollinators. Since I couldn’t employ a mark-recapture or similar technique, I made sure to take detailed notes on specific individuals whenever possible. Additionally, given the limited observation area, I felt confident in tracking individual pollinators if they crossed over into another quadrant.
Another issue I encountered was maintaining consistency in the disturbance level. Initially, I mowed the lawn weekly, but it became apparent that this might not be consistent enough. Consequently, I decided to mow the lawn in the disturbed area the night before each sample collection, ensuring a more standardized approach.
In addition to these adjustments, I have decided to exclude avian species in my data collection as distinguishing them as pollinators was a difficult task.
The sample collection period coincided with a warm and active time for pollinators. I noticed that pollinator activity varied with temperature, precipitation, and time of day. These additional factors could prove relevant and interesting for potential future studies.
Overall, my study aims to shed light on the impact of disturbances, like lawn mowing, on pollinator abundance, and the challenges faced during data collection have provided valuable insights for the research.