Blog Post 6: Data Collection
Field Data Collection Activities
For my field research project focusing on dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) in different environmental conditions, I recently completed the first round of data collection. I selected three distinct locations within the forested park near Mississauga, ON, and implemented a sampling design to observe the impact of soil moisture and human activity on dandelion growth.
Replicates Sampled: I conducted my sampling across three locations, with five replicates per location, totalling fifteen samples. Each replicate consisted of a 1m² quadrat where I measured the height of dandelions, counted the number of flowers, and recorded the general condition of the plants.
Challenges Faced: One significant challenge I encountered was maintaining consistency in measuring human activity levels across the different locations. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I had some difficulties clearly defining and measuring this variable, which impacted the consistency of my data collection. Additionally, the varying weather conditions over the data collection period added another layer of complexity. On some days, the soil was noticeably drier or wetter than on others, which may have influenced dandelion growth.
Another challenge was the natural variability in the park environment itself. Despite trying to select locations with similar characteristics, I found that subtle differences in sunlight exposure and soil composition also seemed to play a role in dandelion growth, which added another potential confounding factor.
Ancillary Patterns Observed: While conducting my observations, I noticed that dandelions in the shadier, wetter areas (Location 1) seemed to exhibit more yellowing of leaves than those in sunnier, drier locations (Location 3). This pattern was unexpected and has led me to reflect on whether soil moisture alone is the most critical factor affecting dandelion health, or if perhaps the combination of low sunlight and high moisture is leading to stress in the plants.
Additionally, while I hypothesized that moderate conditions would lead to the healthiest growth, the data collected suggests that dandelions in the driest location (Location 3) were not as stunted as I anticipated. Instead, they showed robust flower production, which might indicate that these plants are more resilient to dry conditions than I initially thought.
Reflection on Hypothesis
Given these observations, I am considering refining my hypothesis to account for the interaction between sunlight exposure and soil moisture, rather than treating soil moisture as the sole variable. It appears that dandelion growth is influenced by a combination of factors, and the simplistic initial hypothesis might need to be expanded to consider these interactions.
Moving forward, I plan to adjust my sampling strategy slightly to focus more on these ancillary patterns. For instance, I will take more detailed notes on sunlight exposure at each location and possibly incorporate a new variable that captures this interaction.