SAMPLE PROPOSAL REPORT
[Remember to double space your proposal]

Plant density and richness on the north-facing
and south-facing side of a hill in Tucson, Arizona

Brad Fiero

RESEARCH QUESTION

How does plant density and richness differ between the north-facing and south-facing side of a hill in Tucson, AZ?

HYPOTHESES

H0: plant density will be similar on the north-facing and south-facing sides of a hill in Tucson, AZ
H1: plant density will be greater on the north-facing than the south-facing side of a hill in Tucson, AZ
H2: plant density will be greater on the south-facing than the north-facing side of a hill in Tucson, AZ

H0: plant richness will be similar on the north-facing and south-facing sides of a hill in Tucson, AZ
H1: plant richness will be greater on the north-facing than the south-facing side of a hill in Tucson, AZ
H2: plant richness will be greater on the south-facing than the north-facing side of a hill in Tucson, AZ

METHODS

Dates and Times: September 21 and 28, 2007, and will include ?? hours of data collection.

Locations: north and south sides of Tumamoc Hill located on the West side of Tucson, Arizona.

Sample: On the north and south sides of Tumamoc Hill (determined by compass), I will lay out three 50-meter transects (6 transects total), 20 meters apart, beginning 200 meters up from the bottom of the hill, and 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 1500 square meters.

Data Collection: I will record the number of individuals for each tree, shrub, and succulent plant species within 5 meters of each transect line. [Must show at least 8 hours of data collection]

Data Analysis: I will add together the data for the three transects on each side of the hill. I will calculate density for each species for each side of the hill and plant richness for each side of the hill. I will analyze values for all plants combined and grouped by life form (trees, shrubs, succulents). Finally, I will compare numbers using chi square analysis to determine if there are significant differences in plant density or richness between the two sides of the hill.

RESULTS

     See Table 1.

Table 1. Tree, shrub, and succulent density (per 1500 m2) and richness on the north- versus south-facing slope of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ as observed September 21 and 28, 2007. Significance (p<0.05) determined by chi square analysis.

Back to Proposal Format