Field Techniques for Biologists Flashcards
Name 4 hazards associated with field work
Adverse weather conditions
Difficult terrain
Isolation
Contact with harmful organisms
What is risk
The likelihood of harm arising from a hazard
Name 4 control measures associated with field work
Appt equipment, clothing, footwear and means of communication
How should sampling be carried out
In a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats
When sampling what must be given extra consideration
Rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation
Explain the process of a point count
The observer records all individuals seen from a fixed point count location. This is then compared with other point count locations or with data from the same location at other times
What type of traps would be used for slow moving/sessile organisms
Transects or quadrats
What types of traps should be used for mobile species
Traps/nets
What types of traps should be used for elusive species
Remote detection such as camera traps or scat sampling
How can organisms be identified
Using classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein
How can organisms be classified
Through taxonomy or phylogenetics
What is phylogenetics
The study of evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
How is an organism’s evolutionary history and phylogenetic tree created
Phylogenetics uses heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences, and protein structure
What are model organisms
Those that are either easily studied or have been well studied
Name 7 model organisms
Bacterium E coli Arabidopsis thaliana Nematode C elgans Fruit fly Mice Rats Zebrafish
What can be done with the information obtained from model organisms
The information can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly
What can the presence/ absence or abundance of an indicator species suggest
Environmental qualities e.g presence of a pollutant
What would suggest a species is susceptible to a factor in an environment
The absence/reduced population of that species in an environment
What would suggest a species is favoured by an environment
The abundance of an species in an environment
What is the formula for estimating population size and what does each letter stand for?
N=MC/R
M=number of individuals captured and marked
C=number of individuals captured the second time
R=number of individuals recaptured the second time
What are the assumptions when estimating the population size using N=MC/R
All individuals have an equal chance of capture
No immigration or emigration
Individuals marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the total population
Name 5 methods of marking
Surgical implantation Banding Tagging Hair clipping Painting
What must be taken into consideration when marking animals
That marking and subsequent observation must minimise the impact on the study species
When measuring and recording animal behaviour, what 3 measurements are used to quantify animal behaviour
Latency
Frequency
Duration
What is the name of the table that lists the behaviours shown by a species in a wild context that allows the construction of time budgets
An ethogram
What can anthropomorphism lead to
Invalid conclusions
