I reconfigured my sampling strategy for my sampling design to incorporate random sampling of the wetland. My data revealed a slightly different outcome from my previous sampling in that the sampling results of the disturbed area of the upland showed a lower density of the dogwood species. Many quadrats in this treatment had zero individuals, making a graphical correlation unnecessary. Instead, I will use a table to show the data of the two treatment areas I sampled randomly and incorporate my observations of other vegetation found in the quadrants that will highlight the differences between the two treatments.
The outcome of the data was unexpected, and I thought there would have been more dogwood in the disturbed treatment area. When reviewing the data along with my observations, I believe the explanation for the dogwood distribution to be highly correlated with a moisture regime across the landscape. Because a walking trail intersects the two treatment areas, I am speculating that the human foot/bike traffic has impacted soil compaction in the area. There may be a correlation in why the dogwood distribution is sharply cut off between the two treatments. I also noted during my sampling that perhaps the treatment area where the dogwoods are found is not the upland but a riparian zone. The dogwood in this treatment is distributed among taller grasses and other riparian shrubs, indicating higher soil moisture. Since the disturbed treatment is only 10 feet deep and contains invasive weeds, this area might be undergoing restoration, ecological succession, or microclimatic conditions have altered the vegetative community.