field techniques for biologists Flashcards
what do hazards in field work include
Hazards in fieldwork include adverse weather conditions, difficult terrain, problems
associated with isolation, and contact with harmful organisms.
define risk
Risk is the likelihood of harm arising from
exposure to a hazard.
what does a risk assessment involve
Risk assessment involves identifying control
measures to minimise risk.
what does control measures include
Control measures include appropriate
equipment, clothing, footwear, and means of
communication.
how should sampling be carried out
Sampling should be carried out in a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats
what species should consideration be given to
Consideration must be given to rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation
what should the chosen technique be
The chosen technique, point count, transect
or remote detection must be appropriate to
the species being sampled
what are quadrats used for
Quadrats, of suitable size and shape, or transects are used for plants and other sessile or slow-moving organisms
what are some capture techniques used for mobile species
Capture techniques, such as traps and nets, are used for mobile species
how can elusive species be sampled
Elusive species can be sampled directly using camera traps or an indirect method, such as scat sampling
what does a point count involves
A point count involves the observer recording all individuals seen from a fixed point count location. This can be compared to other point count locations or with data from the same
location gathered at other times.
how can Identification of an organism in a sample
be made
Identification of an organism in a sample can
be made using classification guides, biological keys, or analysis of DNA or protein
how can organisms be classified
Organisms can be classified by both taxonomy and phylogenetics
what does taxonomy involve
Taxonomy involves the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics
what is Classic taxonomy classification based on
Classic taxonomy classification is based on
morphology.
define phylogengenitics
Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
what is phylogengenitics
Phylogenetics is changing the traditional
classification of many organisms
what does phylogenetics use
Phylogenetics uses heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences, and protein structure to make inferences about an organism’s evolutionary history and create a phylogeny (or phylogenetic tree) — a diagrammatic hypothesis of its
relationships to other organisms. Genetic evidence can reveal relatedness obscured by divergent or
convergent evolution.
what are some examples of taxonomic groups
Nematodes, arthropods and chordates are examples of taxonomic groups.
what does familiarity with taxonomic groups allow
Familiarity with taxonomic groupings allows
predictions and inferences to be made about the biology of an organism from better-known (model) organisms
what are model organisms
Model organisms are those that are either easily studied or have been well studied
what can the information being obtained from the model species be applied to
Information obtained from them can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly
which model organisms have been very important in the advancement of modern biology
Model organisms, such as the bacterium E. coli; the flowering plant Arabidopsis
thaliana; the nematode C. elegans; the arthropod Drosophila melanogaster (a fruit fly); mice, rats, and zebrafish, which are all
chordates, have been very important in the advancement of modern biology.
define indicator species
Presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information of environmental qualities, such as presence of
a pollutant
what factors indicates that a species is susceptible to some factor in the environment
Absence or reduced population indicates a
species is susceptible to some factor in the
environment. Abundance or increased
population indicates it is favoured by the
conditions.
Procedure for the mark and recapture technique as a method for estimating
population size using the formula
A sample of the population is captured and marked (M) and released. After an interval of time, a second sample is captured (C). If
some of the individuals in this second sample are recaptured (R), then the total population
what does the mark and recapture method assume
This method assumes that all individuals have an equal chance of capture, that there is no immigration or emigration, and that individuals that are marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the total
population.
Methods of marking animals such as:
Methods of marking animals such as: banding, tagging, surgical implantation, painting and hair clipping
what must the method of marking and subsequent observation be
The method of marking and subsequent observation must minimise the impact on the study species
define latency
Latency is the time between the stimulus
occurring and the response behaviour
define frequency
Frequency is the number of times a
behaviour occurs within the observation
period.
define duration
Duration is the length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation period.
what are some of the measurements used to quantify
animal behaviour
Some of the measurements used to quantify
animal behaviour are latency, frequency and
duration
what is an ethogram
An ethogram lists species-specific
behaviours to be observed and recorded in
the study
what does an ethogram allow
Recording the duration of each of the behaviours in the ethogram, together with
the total time of observation, allows the
proportion of time spent on each behaviour to be calculated in the time budget.
what can anthropomorphism lead to
Anthropomorphism can lead to invalid
conclusions.
define anthropomorphism
applying human emotion to other non-human animals and so that behaviour is misinterpreted
