The collection of initial data for my sampling strategy in Module 3 was fine. I didn’t have any major challenges. However, I had a minor issue with locating the quadrats during each visit to the field site.
This small difficulty that I had was about locating the quadrats on each visit. Some options I could choose to find the replicates were:
Spraying markers on the ground,
Recording GPS coordinates for each quadrat, and
Placing small wooden stakes beside the samples.
I chose to use a combination of recording geolocates and placing wooden stakes near the quadrats. I didn’t use spray paint because I was not sure if this is allowed by the City of Surrey. Additionally, I realized that by visiting the park more frequently, I became more familiar with the locations, and this made it easier to find the quadrats without looking for markers.
The data didn’t have any major surprises. However, it was interesting for me to witness how quickly the moss cover change between visits, especially in response to varying sunlight exposure. This was interesting, as I had expected a slower change in growth patterns.
I do not see a need for major modifications to my sampling strategy, because the current methods have worked well.