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Ecology homework help.
Introduction
 
Non-native, alien, species often have a devastating impact on native species. This is especially true when the non-natives become invasive and overwhelm the native species through increased competition or predation. In this lab, we investigate the effect of non-native plant cover on native species diversity in coastal sage scrub. Coastal sage scrub (CSS) is a community characterized by a diverse assemblage of plants many of which are endemic to southern California. Some species are shallow rooted and survive the summer by dropping their leaves and going dormant. Other species are deeply rooted and survive the summer drought by accessing ground water deep in the soil, and by conserving water by closing their stomata, pores in the leaves that allow for the diffusion of CO2 in, but also allow H2O to diffuse out. We have lost most of our CSS habitat to development, and in the remaining patches, invasive non-native grasses and annuals often outcompete the native species after disturbance, which results in the conversion of shrublands to non-native grasslands.
 
Restoration attempts reverse the conversion of CSS by removing non-native species and introducing native species through planting or seeding. In one sense, you can think of restoration as instant succession. However, restoration is tricky, and projects often fail, or require constant maintenance to remove non-natives.
 
The purpose of this lab is to investigate the relationship between invasive species cover, and native species diversity in restored and un-restored CSS habitat. We will compare the following:

Invasive vs. native cover in restored and un-restored areas of CSS.
Invasive cover vs. species diversity in restored and un-restored CSS.
Native species diversity in restored and unrestored areas CSS.

 
Species ID
 

bare ground
all non-native species including all grasses
bush sunflower: yellow conspicuous flowers; inflorescent head
buckwheat: characteristic amble inflorescence (three branches); flowers not yellow as in bush sunflower
black sage: poodles-like inflorescence; square stem; opposite leaves
laurel sumac: leaves like taco shell with big red veins in middle of leaf
California sage: 3 parted threadlike leaves; smells good
mulefat: conspicuous big shrub; easily recognizable; serrated leaves
solanum: white flowers, anthers with a yellow crown
Verbinacea: with little purple flows
Opuntia: unmistakable cactus
coyote bush: large bush with really dark green fine leaves
goldenbush: no live flowers, yellow if present; toothed leaves hairy seeds
white sage: whitish looking bush
Marah: a climber with medieval looking fruits; AKA manroot or wild cucumber
monkey flower: opposite leaves, creamy flowers; looks like sage but has no inflorescence, has orange flowers
elderberry: a tree with opposite compound leaves, blueberry-like fruits
everlasting flower: a herb with flowers in all individuals
blue fiestaflower: herb with purple flowers
toyon: large shrub with red berries (Hollywood); unlike taco plant, leaves are serrated
POISON OAK-OAK LIKE LEAVES, DO NOT TOUCH
gooseberry: small shrub with dangling purple flowers
lemonadeberry: like oak but has berry like fruits rather than acorns
oak: large tree with acorns

 
Materials
 

30-m line transect
data sheet
native plant guide
clipboard
writing utensil

 
Methods
 

Working in groups, you will establish a 30-meter line transect with a measuring tape (about 100 feet). You will record:

The cover of non-native species along the transect.
The identity of each native species and its cover along the transect. So, your transect will look something like this:

Complete at least three (3) transects per site (restored and un-restored CSS habitat). Your data sheet should look like this (illustrative purposes only, see provided data form):

 

Transect
Species
Start (m)
Finish (m)
Cover = finish – start

1
4 – buckwheat
0
3
3

1
20 – toyon
5
6
1

1
4 – buckwheat
10
15
5

1
23 – lemonade berry
20
25
5

1
16 – monkey flower
28
30
2

 

Enter your data into Excel, exactly as it is entered on the data sheet and upload to Moodle.

 
Data Calculations
 

Download the Class Diversity Data from Moodle.
Process the data so that you can determine the following attributes for each transect:

Count the number of individuals of each native species.
Add up the total native cover.
Add up the total non-native cover.
Calculate the species richness, S.
Calculate the Shannon diversity index, H’.

Construct rank abundance curves to compare species richness between restored and unrestored sites. The rank abundance curve is a very useful tool because it makes information on species richness, evenness, and diversity accessible at a glance.

Calculate the abundance (number of individuals) of each species in restored and unrestored sites.
Rank the most abundant species as 1, the second most abundant as 2 and so forth. Plot the rank of each species on the x-axis and abundance on the y-axis.

Use a scatter plot (linear regression) to test the effect of non-native cover on species diversity, i.e. graph the diversity index for each transect against the non-native cover.

 
Statistical Analyses
 

Conduct the following statistical tests:
Determine if there is greater diversity of natives in restored or un-restored areas.
Determine if there is a difference in native cover and non-native cover within restored areas.
Determine if there is a difference in native cover and non-native cover within unrestored areas.
Determine if there is a difference in native cover between unrestored and restored areas.
Determine if there is a difference in non-native cover between restored and unrestored areas.

 
Specific requirements for the final paper
 
Results: Below is a list of specific figures that need to be included in the final paper.

A rank abundance curve of the restored site.
A rank abundance curve of the unrestored site.
A scatter plot of the diversity indices with respect to non-native cover.

 
 
 
 
Data Sheet

Transect
Species
Start (m)
Finish (m)
Cover = finish – start
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
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