**Important Note***
During data collection and initial observations, I mistakenly mixed up Zone 1 and Zone 2. For clarity, the correct zones and descriptions used in my analysis and final paper are as follows:
Zone 1: Greenspace Along the Road
Zone 2: Greenspace Along the Riverbank
Zone 3: Residential Streets
I initially struggled to determine the best way to summarize the data I collected in a way that would be clear and intuitive for the reader. While my primary focus was on the relationship between lichen abundance and sunlight exposure, it became clear that other factors, such as tree age, proximity to water, human/animal activity, and canopy cover, also played significant roles. After exploring various graphing options in Google Sheets, I decided to use a bar graph. The x-axis represents the four cardinal faces of the tree (North, East, South, and West), and the y-axis shows mean lichen abundance for each zone (Road, Riverbank and Residential). This approach helped me effectively highlight the main patterns in lichen distribution across tree faces and zones.
Summarizing data across strata without losing site-specific nuances was another challenge. For example, residential areas showed heavier shading, which might confound the results compared to open greenspace along the road.
The results were surprising. North and East trunk faces had the highest lichen cover, with West having less lichen cover and south having the least lichen coverage. The variation in overall lichen abundance between the zones was striking. Zone 2 trees had noticeably more lichen than those in residential areas. Additionally, individual trees often displayed different proportions of yellow and gray lichen, which also varied by zone. These findings suggest that sunlight alone isn’t the only factor influencing lichen growth—differences in bark texture, tree health, and microclimatic conditions may also play important roles.
This complexity has opened up new questions. For instance, could smoother or rougher bark encourage specific lichen types? How does proximity to water amplify or inhibit growth? It’s clear that lichen abundance is influenced by a combination of environmental factors, and future studies could explore these interactions more deeply.