Field Techniques for Biologists

Question 1

Name 4 hazards associated with field work

Answer 1

Adverse weather conditions
Difficult terrain
Isolation
Contact with harmful organisms

Question 2

What is risk

Answer 2

The likelihood of harm arising from a hazard

Question 3

Name 4 control measures associated with field work

Answer 3

Appt equipment, clothing, footwear and means of communication

Question 4

How should sampling be carried out

Answer 4

In a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats

Question 5

When sampling what must be given extra consideration

Answer 5

Rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation

Question 6

Explain the process of a point count

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What type of traps would be used for slow moving/sessile organisms

Answer 7

Transects or quadrats

Question 8

What types of traps should be used for mobile species

Answer 8

Traps/nets

Question 9

What types of traps should be used for elusive species

Answer 9

Remote detection such as camera traps or scat sampling

Question 10

How can organisms be identified

Answer 10

Using classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein

Question 11

How can organisms be classified

Answer 11

Through taxonomy or phylogenetics

Question 12

What is phylogenetics

Answer 12

The study of evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms

Question 13

How is an organism’s evolutionary history and phylogenetic tree created

Answer 13

Phylogenetics uses heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences, and protein structure

Question 14

What are model organisms

Answer 14

Those that are either easily studied or have been well studied

Question 15

Name 7 model organisms

Answer 15

Bacterium E coli
Arabidopsis thaliana
Nematode C elgans
Fruit fly
Mice
Rats
Zebrafish

Question 16

What can be done with the information obtained from model organisms

Answer 16

The information can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly

Question 17

What can the presence/ absence or abundance of an indicator species suggest

Answer 17

Environmental qualities e.g presence of a pollutant

Question 18

What would suggest a species is susceptible to a factor in an environment

Answer 18

The absence/reduced population of that species in an environment

Question 19

What would suggest a species is favoured by an environment

Answer 19

The abundance of an species in an environment

Question 20

What is the formula for estimating population size and what does each letter stand for?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

What are the assumptions when estimating the population size using N=MC/R

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Name 5 methods of marking

Answer 22

Surgical implantation
Banding
Tagging
Hair clipping
Painting

Question 23

What must be taken into consideration when marking animals

Answer 23

That marking and subsequent observation must minimise the impact on the study species

Question 24

When measuring and recording animal behaviour, what 3 measurements are used to quantify animal behaviour

Answer 24

Latency
Frequency
Duration

Question 25

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

Answer 25

An ethogram

Question 26

What can anthropomorphism lead to

Answer 26

Invalid conclusions