06.10.24 - Field Work Flashcards
- process of observing and collecting data about people, cultures, and natural environments
- conducted in the wild of our everyday surroundings rather than in the semi-controlled environments of a lab or classroom
- enables studies and researchers to examine the way scientific theories interact with real life
field work
field work is the process of observing and collecting data about __, __, and __ __
- people
- culture
- natural environments
where is field work conducted
wild or everyday surroundings
what does field work enable students and researchers
examine the way scientific theories interact with real life
- emphasis will be on how to observe and document the animals and its environment
- solve novel problems in zoology in the context of field studies and on the wide range of techniques that may be applied to solve such problems
- with special focus on vetebrates
field zoology
where is the emphasis in field zoology
how to observe and document animals and its environment
Benefits of field work
- first hand experience
- encourage critical thinking
- long-term retention
- positive attitude towards science
- appreciation of nature
- increased scientific curiosity
Challenges of field work
- spatial and temporal challenges
- may be emotionally taxing
- documenting observations may be more challenging than with other methods
What makes a good field research?
- observation
- communication
- interviewing
- problem solving
- documentation
- ability to work individually and as a team
Components of the self-regulating characteristic of an ecosystem
- carrying capacity
- maximum sustainable yield
- waste assimilative capacity
- natural enemies
- self-perpetuating
maintaining ecological balance by harmonizing the “input-output” processes that occur within it
self-regulating
maximum number of individuals of a given species that a habitat can support without depleting its resources
carrying capacity
maximum limit of production of an ecosystem that would still allow the physical environment to recylce nutrients to support succeeding production cycles and sustain itself
maximum sustainable yield
ability of ecosystems to take in and recycle waste products
waste assimilative capacity
maintaining balance in the population of predator and preys
presence of natural enemies
- living components have reproductive capabilities that allow species to continue their existence
- ability of the population to reproduce
self-perpetuating
if not observed: carrying capacity
death of organisms
if not observed: maximum sustainable yield
exhaustion of nutrients leading to the decline in production
if not observed: waste assimilative capacity
pollution
if not observed: natural enemies
prevalence of pests
if not observed: self-perpetuating
extinction
ecosystem
reservoir <–> exchange pool <–> biotic community
biotic community
- producers
- consumers
- decomposers
physical and chemical elements
- reservoir
- exchange pool
biotic elements
biotic community
physical and chemical elemets + biotic = ?
dynamic system called ecosystem
Levels of ecological organization
- organismal ecology
- population ecology
- community ecology
- ecosystem ecology
- landscape ecology
- global ecology
organismal ecology
coping
coping
organismal ecology
population ecology
limiting factors
limiting factors
population ecology
community ecology
interspecific interactions and diversity
interspecific interactions and diversity
community ecology
ecosystem ecology
energy flow and chemical cycling - somewhat theoretical
energy flow and chemical cycling - somewhat theoretical
ecosystem ecology
landscape ecology
interactions of lower ecological levels in a region you observe
interactions of lower ecological levels in a region you observe
landscape ecology
global ecology
global effects
global effects
global ecology
- description of the quality of a habitat through a strategic combination of indicators that measure the overall viability of the site and its capacity to support a prescribed environmental matter
- process for assessing habitat quality is designed in a simple and repeatable way
habitat assessment
what is measured during habitat assessment
- overall viability of the site
- capacity to support a prescribed environmental matter
process for assessing habitat quality is designed in a __ and __ __
simple and repeatable way
Process of habitat quality assessment
- mapping
- field measurements
- simple calculation to score indicators
Three key indicators for determining habitat quality of a land based impact site or an offset site
- site condition
- site context
- species habitat index
general condition assessment of vegetations compared to a benchmark
site condition
an analysis of the site in relation to the surrounding environment
site context
ability of the site to support a species
species habitat index
are measured for all sites
- site condition
- site context
only included when impacted matters include protected wildlife habitat
species habitat index
formula for habitat quality score
site condition + site context + species habitat index
Two methods to assess habitat quality for the impact site
- rapid assessment process
- standard assessment process
requires both field-based and desktop type assessment
standard assessment process
requires only a desktop assessment
rapid assessment process
Method to assess habitat quality for the offset site
standard assessment process
- notes created by the researcher during the act of conducting a field study to remember and record the behaviors, activities, events, and other features of an observation
- intended to be read by the researcher as evidence to produce meaning and an understanding of the phenomenon being studies
- may constitute the whole data collected for a research study or contribute to it
field notes
Two parts of field notes
- descriptive information
- reflective information
you attempt to accurately document factual data along with the settings, actions, behaviors, and conversations that you observe
descriptive information
you record your thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns during the observation
reflective information
