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Field Techniques: Exam 1 (Survey/Monitoring and Sampling + Sampling Methods: Transects & Q, Exams of Survey Sampling Techniques

University of KentSurvey Sampling Techniques

Information on the primary methods to understand natural phenomena, including observational studies, manipulative experiments, natural experiments, and mathematical models. It also discusses the pros and cons of each method and provides information on surveying, monitoring, and sampling. The document covers topics such as compensatory mitigation, adaptive management, and design decision questions to think about when surveying/monitoring.

Typology: Exams

2023/2024

Available from 02/09/2024

EmmaMoss
EmmaMoss 🇬🇧

100 documents

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Field Techniques: Exam 1
(Survey/Monitoring and Sampling +
Sampling Methods: Transects &
Quadrats)
1. What are the 4 primary methods to understand natural phenomena?
1. Observational studies
2. Manipulative Experiments (lab or field)
3. Natural Experiments (natural trajectory or snapshot)
4. Mathematical Models
2. What are the pros of observational studies?
1. Allows us to make logical connections based on correlations
2. Can gather data on things that might be too difficult to manipulate
3. Can be done over large spatial and temporal scales
4. May be better when studying certain animals (ethical reasons and large home
range sizes)
3. What are the cons of observational studies?
1. Do not determine whether variables are causally linked
2. Correlations
4. What are some pros of manipulative experiments?
- Establishes cause and effect = can give explanations to natural events
- Useful to test mechanisms
- Can be replicated easily
- Control variables
5. What are cons of manipulative experiments?
- May not be applicable to the natural world
- Subjected to human error
6. What are pros of natural experiments?
- Closer to real world application
- Realistic observations of nature can be made
7. What are cons of natural experiments?
- Difficult to control variables
- Difficult to replicate
8. What is the goal of surveying?
- To investigate and document patterns in nature (replicate in space/time)
- Used to answer ecological question
9. What is the goal of monitoring? What is this used for?
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(Survey/Monitoring and Sampling +

Sampling Methods: Transects &

Quadrats)

  1. What are the 4 primary methods to understand natural phenomena?
  2. Observational studies
  3. Manipulative Experiments (lab or field)
  4. Natural Experiments (natural trajectory or snapshot)
  5. Mathematical Models
  6. What are the pros of observational studies?
  7. Allows us to make logical connections based on correlations
  8. Can gather data on things that might be too difficult to manipulate
  9. Can be done over large spatial and temporal scales
  10. May be better when studying certain animals (ethical reasons and large home range sizes)
  11. What are the cons of observational studies?
  12. Do not determine whether variables are causally linked
  13. Correlations
  14. What are some pros of manipulative experiments?
    • Establishes cause and effect = can give explanations to natural events
    • Useful to test mechanisms
    • Can be replicated easily
    • Control variables
  15. What are cons of manipulative experiments?
    • May not be applicable to the natural world
    • Subjected to human error
  16. What are pros of natural experiments?
    • Closer to real world application
    • Realistic observations of nature can be made
  17. What are cons of natural experiments?
    • Difficult to control variables
    • Difficult to replicate
  18. What is the goal of surveying?
    • To investigate and document patterns in nature (replicate in space/time)
    • Used to answer ecological question
  19. What is the goal of monitoring? What is this used for?

(Survey/Monitoring and Sampling +

Sampling Methods: Transects &

Quadrats)

  • To have a repeated series of survey over time.
  • Used for restoration/conservation/management of ecological resources
  1. Monitoring program requires _______ objective(s). 1 or more
  2. For conservation, monitoring could have multiple objective such as:
  3. Documenting and understanding changes in the abundance and distribution of species and what is correlated with these changes
  4. Providing early warming of new threats
  5. Evaluating whether the management is effective
  6. What term is used to describe a method in which a new site is created in compensation for a site that has been destroyed elsewhere for development? Compensatory mitigation
  7. Describe adaptive management: Management that allows us to monitor resources to make sure an objective can be achieved (improving resource management by learning from previous management outcomes)
  8. Why should we sample?
  • It is impractical to examine the entire population (extremely unlikely to have the time and resources to measure an entire population)
  • Instead, we draw a subset and draw conclusions about that population
  1. What is the assumption that results from sampling? How can we support this assumption?
  • The sample is representative of the whole population (provides an accurate picture of the population)
  • To support this, we must take enough samples to gave an accurate representation and avoid sampling bias (must be random)
  1. What are some design decision questions to think about when surveying/monitoring?
  • What is our question (and why/rationale)?
  • What data do we need to answer it? - How can we collect the data? - Which collection methods and why?
  • Duration and frequency (how long & often)?
  • How to control/minimize error?

(Survey/Monitoring and Sampling +

Sampling Methods: Transects &

Quadrats)

  1. In a line transect, if complete measurements of your sample are taken at a larger scale, you may want to: Sub-sample
  2. Describe the belt transect method:
    • Transect line is laid out (similar to line), but consider it a widening of the transect
    • Quadrats are placed at some intervals
    • Appears as a large, continuous belt or rectangle
  3. What kind of measurements would be gained from the belt transect method?
    • Abundance and percent coverage
  4. Describe how a visual encounter survey is performed:
    • Observer moves along a specific route (transect) and notes the location and # of times target species is encountered
    • Often a timed survey
  5. How is a visual encounter survey different from a transect survey? Linear or not (i.e., follow a road) • Doesn't require space/area defined
  6. What is a con for visual encounter surveys?
    • Requires good visibility
  7. What is a pro for visual encounter surveys?
    • Can observe mobile species (lizards, birds, fish etc.)
    • Best to survey rare species or those unlikely to be caught via traps
  8. What kind of assessments/measurements are obtained by visual encounter surveys?
    • Species composition and abundance
  9. A (visual encounter survey/swath survey) can be a stationary timed survey where you stand for 5 minutes and observe. Visual encounter survey
  10. A (visual encounter survey/swath survey) have dimensions and you would move and count what's observed. Swath survey

(Survey/Monitoring and Sampling +

Sampling Methods: Transects &

Quadrats)

  1. What is a plot and what can it be used for?
    • Permanent or single snapshot (usually for long-term sampling) that is determined by the scaling of dominate taxon or taxon of interest.
    • Used for finding the taxonomic composition of an area (also other biotic, abiotic factors)
  2. What are quadrats used to measure?
    • Used to measure coverage and abundance of plants or animals. They can also be used for biomass collection, density or presence/absence.
  3. How do we use quadrats?
    • A grid of known size is laid out and all the organisms within each square are counted.
    • Used to sub-sample an area
  4. What is the difference between open and point-intercept quadrats?
    • Open: To estimate density of mobile species • Stem density counts of plant spp.
    • Point-intercept: To estimate percent cover of nonmobile organisms
  5. How do you determine the 'appropriate' plot or sample size? (i.e., # of replicates) Look for the 'break' in the curve where new species or the number of species in each successively larger plot levels off (only works for homogenous communities)
  6. Important considerations when developing a sampling plan: Logistics, time, utility, impact