I am conducting a study on pollinator abundance in areas that have been disturbed, specifically through lawn mowing, as compared to undisturbed areas.
- How many replicates did you sample?
For this study I sampled 10 replicates per gradient, with two gradients being sampled in total.
- Have you had any problems implementing your sampling design?
I noticed that timing of sample collection is very important. I completed most of my sample collection in June and July when temperatures were hot and pollinators were abundant. Later in the summer and getting into the fall the pollinator numbers dropped off significantly.
I have also found it challenging to identify individual species during sample collection, to mitigate this, I have broadened my species list.
- Have you noticed any ancillary patterns that make you reflect on your hypothesis?
The time of day seems to affect sampling results. For example, pollinators seem to be more abundant during the hottest part of the day. Wind and rain also impacted pollinator abundance
yes great to see you following the rule of 10,with 10 replicates in each stratified sample gradient
Yes learning about some of the challenges (example, the temperature changes and impact on pollinators) can mean that there is room for Future Studies improvements, in Discussion
All good observations!