I started my experiment in the deciduous woodland, we laid a twelve metre transact across a deciduous path ensuring that it was straight to prevent incorrect results. We than laid a half metre quadrat, and placed it at 0 metres. we then looked inside the quadrat and worked the percentages of what we saw inside the quadrat. We repeated this by using the half metre quadrat for the 4m, 8m and 12m. As before, we worked out the percentages of what we saw in each of the quadrats, all the percentages resulted in being over 100 percent as expected.
Afterwards we worked out the soil pH, this was done this by putting a spatula of soil in a test tube and then adding barium sulphate, a universal indicator and some distilled water. It was then shaken, and left for two minutes. While we waited, we saw a slight colour change in the tube, a pH identification chart was used to find out what the soil pH level was.
We then worked out the soil moisture; we did this by using the soil moisture testing, we got the soil moisture meter and dug it into the soil and it gave us a soil moisture reading. We soil test the temperature we did this bye holding the thermometer in the air and waited till it stopped moving. We also worked out the light reading by using a light meter, this was done by pointing the light meter up in the air.
Our next task was to work out the ages of the trees, this was done by measuring 1.5metres from the ground, and then calculating the circumference of the tree. This was repeated on 10 different trees. The above procedure was then repeated in a coniferous woodland and path. The writing My first hypothesis I am going to investigate is: ” Where there are trees the temperature will be lower, there will be less light, less soil moisture and different soil pH and fewer plants will be growing on the ground cover. ”
I think that where there are trees the temperature will be lower because all the trees intercept the sunlight and heat so the temperature will lower. Also as there is less light the temperature will also be lower. As there will be less light, the temperature will be lower as the sun gives energy to the earth, which then becomes heat. There will be less soil moisture as the canopy will act as an umbrella and intercept the rain so that it does not reach the ground. The rain will be evaporated from the leaves of the tree into the atmosphere. As a result of this, there will not be very much plant, growing, as they need sunlight, water and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis to take place.
In this piece of writhing I am going to describe I am going to describe transects in a deciduous wood. Looking at my pie chart’s of a deciduous wood on page. I found dead bracken in two of the four quadrats ranging from 100% -130%. There was dry bracken in two of the four quadrats ranging up to 90%-100%. I also found small and big twigs in 80% in 0 meters, 30% in 8 metres and 30% – 40% In quadract four 12 meters. I also found acorn in all four quadrats roaming from 20% – 40%. I also found 20% of dry leaves in one-quadract 0 meters, 20% of leaf litter and 90% of dry soil in quadract.
In the deciduous woodland across a path I found dead bracken all three for the four 4metres, 8metres, 12metres transect ranging up to 25% – 120%, and bracken in transect 4metres up to 25%. We also found small and large twigs in transects 4metres, 8 metres and 12meters ranging up to 15 – 70 %, we found a lot of moss in transect 0metersup to 40% and some in transect 8metres 5%. We also found some weed in transect 0metres up to 30%. We found very little leaf litter in transect 0metres and 8metres about 8 – 6% and 10% of green leaves in transect 12metres. I was surprised to see quite a lot of bracken in a path.
I discovered that the highest amount of ground cover in the deciduous woodland was dry bracken was found in 2 of the four quadrats ranging up to 100% – 130% I also found twigs in three of the four quadrats across the woodland. Across the path I had found green leaves, which was not seen, in any of the quadrats in the path or woodland. The total amount of grass across the path was 10%.