I used a stratified systematic sampling method. My 3 stratifications were A: high elevation (200-210m), B: mid elevation (100-110m) and C: low elevation (0-10m). I used Gaia GPS to map out a transect lines along the contour of the mountain and I also used this app to make sure my quadrants were in the correct elevation range. At the start of each transect line, I walked 2m to the left of the line, placing a 1m x 1m quadrant (my sampling unit). I then walked back to the transect line and walked up 10m along the transect line, then walked 2m to the right of the transect line and placed a second quadrant. I had 10 replicates at each elevation level. I was originally going to walk 5 meters from the transect line, but I found that the elevation did not stay within the range at some of the quadrants so I changed it to 2m. Overall, I found my sampling method easy to implement and it helped me reduce any bias in my quadrants. I wanted the quadrants to be far away enough so root systems were not overlapping, which is why I chose 10m.
I noticed at the mid elevation range, the species distribution was more even. Although there were a couple dominant species, most had a similar number of individuals. The evenness contributed to a higher Shannon Diversity Index at the mid elevation compared to the low elevation. Initially, I expected the diversity to be greater at the low elevation, so this finding has made me reflect on my hypothesis and re-evaluate my assumptions. While planet density was greater at the low elevation, this was primarily due to a couple of dominant plants, including one classified as a weed. This weed, which was not present in any of the quadrants at mid elevations, may be contributing to the lower diversity, as it seems this weed spreads easily, and may be outcompeting other plants for resources. I was originally considering environmental factors, however this observation has led me to reflect more on how competition levels at different elevations can also play a factor in species diversity.