Kite Diagrams

These are most useful when you have made observations of plants at regular points along a transect line. They are useful to show zonation: changes in a biotic community over a distance due to a changing environmental gradient. Example: Kite diagram showing vegetation cover from the edge of a public footpath in a National Path

How to draw a kite diagram

Make a scale line for the distance covered in the survey (this is 10m in the example above) You need one row for each type of plant/vegetation cover (there are 5 of these in the example above) Each row needs to have the same scale and be wide enough to allow 100 per cent for each plant/vegetation cover Draw a line through the middle of each row At each survey point (every metre in the example above) the value is plotted on both sides of the line down the middle of the row The points are joined up for each row (which gives the diagram its "kite" appearance Shade in between the "kite" lines

Lab Experiment: Using enough belt transects to gather data to use for the Kite Diagrams: Method: 1. Draw a grid and label the x-axis and y-axis 2. Use a random number table to select three random belt transects along the x-axis. On the calculator choose: MATH, PRB, randint(1,13) 3. Draw the belt transect so that it is 3 cm wide. 4. Count and record the number of kind of trees found at every 2 cm mark starting from 0 cm to the top of the page. 5. Repeat two more times. 6. Draw the kite diagrams for each species of tree. 7. Make a comment regarding the arrangement of different species of trees with increasing distance from the stream. Data: Trees found at each distance along the belt transects. +-1 tree Distance/ +0.1 cm 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 etc.. Grading: Rough notes one for EACH member of the group Data collection = data table with units and labels Hand written (2 points) Data Processing = add up the totals for each species of tree at each distance. (2 points) Data processing = Make kite diagrams for each species of trees (2 points) pine espino Etc

Data Collection and Processing

Aspect 1 Recording Raw Data

Aspect 2 Processing Raw Data

Aspect 3 Presenting Raw Data

Records appropriate quantitative and associated qualitative raw data, including units, correct significant figures, and range of uncertainty. The data is organized in a table Processes data correctly: includes grouping, mean values percentages, indices, and/or statistical tests. A clear sample calculation is shown. Significant digits are correct Presents processed data appropriately and effectively to assist analysis including charts, graphs, maps, flow diagrams, kite diagrams, and annotated drawings

Records appropriate quantitative and associated qualitative raw data, but with some mistakes or omissions.

Does not record any appropriate quantitative raw data or raw data is incomprehensible.

Complete 2 Partial 1 Not at all 0 NE

Processes data but with some mistakes and/or omissions.

No processing of data is carried out or major mistakes are made in processing.

Complete 2 Partial 1 Not at all 0 NE

Presents processed data appropriately but lacks clarity or with some mistakes and/or omissions..

Presents processed data inappropriately or incomprehensibly.

Complete 2 Partial 1 Not at all 0 NE