Field techniques for biologists Flashcards
What is the purpose of a risk assessment
identifies hazards and identifies control measures to minimise risk
Examples of hazards in fieldwork
adverse weather
difficult terrain
problems associated with isolation
contact with harmful organisms
Examples of control measures in fieldwork
equipment
footwear
clothing
means of communication
What considerations should be taken when sampling wild species
minimise impact on species and their habitats
consider rare and vulnerable species protected by legislation
Describe the sampling method “point count”
observer records individuals from a fixed point and collected data can be compared to other point count locations
Describe Transects and what they sample
path which runs through area to be sampled
plants and slow moving organisms
What are quadrats used to sample
plants and slow/non-moving organisms
What capture techniques are used for mobile species
traps
nets
cameras
How are elusive species sampled
through their poop
(haha, poop)
How can an organism be IDENTIFIED
Biological keys
classification guides
DNA or protein analysis
How can an organism be CLASSIFIED
taxonomy
phylogenetics
What is taxonomy
identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics
What is phylogenetics
study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
What does phylogenetics do
changing the traditional classification of many organisms
Why is familiarity with taxonomic groups good?
allows them to be compared with better known model organisms to make predictions and conclusions about them
What are model organisms
ones that are easily studied or well studied
What do indicator species do
monitor pollution of a habitat
Different methods or marking species for mark and recapture
tagging
surgical implantation (microchips)
painting
What is latency
time between stimulus occuring and response
frequency
number of times behaviour occurs within observation period
What is duration
length of time behaviour occurs
What do ethograms do
quantify animal behaviour using keys
Why should anthropormorphism bad
lead to invalid conclusions about behaviour
