Observing Plant Successional Changes in Old-Field Succession in
Gatineau Park in Old Chelsea

By Ghummaz Bhatti
4909040

Bio 2129 Section A2

Demonstrators:
Paul Sokoloff
Laura Robson

November 11, 2009

Department of Biology

University of Ottawa

Abstract
Patterns of plant successional change in Gatineau Park, Old Chelsea, were studied quantitatively. The relations between different successional stages of plant communities and abiotic factors were descried. To test these, we went to the fields, and worked on two transect in groups of 4. We counted the trees and measured the diameter at breast height (dbh) for tree with a dbh value greater than 2cm. The dbh measurements (cm), percentage of fern cover and percentage of …show more content…

We fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Table 6 shows no statistical significance. We fail to reject the null hypothesis. Figure 1. (a) Transect relative abundance (%) of tree species at site 3a (transect 2) of Gatineau Park in Old Chelsea with a dbh ≥ 2 cm based on pooling over quadrants, where n=3. (b) Transect relative abundance (%) of tree species at site 3A (tracnsect 2) of Gatineau Park in Old Chelsea with dbh ≤ 2cm based on pooling over quadrats, where n=3.

Table 1. The t-test results comparing quadrats1+2, 1+3, and 2+3 at site 3a transect 2 at Gatineau Park in Old Chelsea for mean dbh > 2 (cm,+SD) of sugar maple. Values for mean, standard deviations (+SD) and t- test are presented. Sugar Maple | Quadrat | t-test | Statistical Conclusion | | Quadrat | Mean | Standard Deviation | 1 + 2 | 0.704 | fail to reject null hypothesis a | | 1 | 10.643 | 6.1752 | 1 + 3 | 2.409 | rejects null hypothesis b | | 2 | 9.25 | 6.172989 | 2 + 3 | 1.727 | fail to reject null hypothesis c | | 3 | 5.761818 | 3.386015 |

Footnote:

a – alpha (α) = 0.05, critical t = 2.02, degrees of freedom = 37 b – alpha (α) = 0.05, critical t = 2.04, degrees of freedom = 28 c – alpha (α) = 0.05, critical t = 2.045, degrees of freedom = 29
Note: Mean (+SD) and t stat for red pine, and a third tree species not presented due to insufficient