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Plant density on the north-facing versus south-facing side of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, Arizona

Brad Fiero

RESEARCH QUESTION

How does plant density differ between the north-facing and south-facing side of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ?

HYPOTHESES AND DEDUCTIONS

H0: plant density will be similar on the north-facing and south-facing sides of of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ.
D0: The p value for the chi square test will be 0.05 or greater.

H1: plant density will be greater on the north-facing than the south-facing side of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ.
D1: the p value for the chi square test will be less than 0.05 and the density will be greater on north-facing slope.

H2: plant density will be greater on the south-facing than the north-facing side of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ.
D2: The p value for the chi square test will be less than 0.05 and the density will be greater on south-facing slope.

VARIABLES

Independent Variable: Direction slope faces (north vs. south) which affects amount of solar radiation, temperature, rates of evaporation (all higher on the south-facing slope), and soil moisture (lower on south-facing slope).

Dependent Variables: Plant density.

Controlled Variables: Time of year, steepness, and more (I want you to think about them).

Assumptions: Similar soil, and more (I want you to think about them).

METHODS

Dates and Times: On February 21, 2009 from 9 am until 1 pm I will sample the north-facing slope, and on February 28, 2009 from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm I will sample the south-facing slope.

Locations: North and south sides of Tumamoc Hill located on the West side of Tucson, Arizona. Tumamoc Hill is a protected site reaching 947 m (3107 feet) elevation (~200 m above surrounding), and contains natural sonoran desert vegetation.

Sample: On the north and south sides of Tumamoc Hill (determined by compass), I will start at an arbitrary point 100 meters up from the bottom of the hill, and I will lay out five (more if time allows) 50-meter transects (10 transects total), 20 meters apart, running along the contour of the slope (not up and down the slope). The area sampled will be everything within 5 meters of each transect line (500 square meters per transect line). Total area sampled on each side of the hill will be 2500 square meters (or more if time allows).

Data Collection: I will record the number of individuals for each tree, shrub, and succulent plant species that are at least 10 cm (4") tall within 5 meters of each transect line.

Data Analysis: I will sum the data from the five transects on each side of the hill to calculate density per 2500 square meters. I will analyze values for all plants combined and grouped by life form (trees, shrubs, succulents). Finally, I will compare numbers using the chi square test to determine if there are significant differences in plant density between the two sides of the hill.

RESULTS

     See Table 1.

Table 1. Tree, shrub, and succulent density (per 2500 m2) on the north- versus south-facing slope of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ as observed February 21 and 28, 2009. Significance (p<0.05) determined by chi square analysis.