Field Techniques for Biologists 2.1 Flashcards
what can aspects of fieldwork present?
a hazard
what do hazards in fieldwork include?
- adverse weather conditions
- difficult terrain
- problems associated with isolation
- contact with harmful organisms
how should sampling be carried out?
it should be carried out in a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats
what type of species must consideration be given to?
rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation
what must be appropriate to the species being sampled?
- chosen technique
- point count
- transect
- remote detection
what techniques are used for plants and other sessile or slow-moving organisms?
- quadrats (of suitable size and shape) - transects
what technique is used for mobile species?
Capture techniques such as traps and nets
how can elusive species be sampled?
they can be sampled directly using camera traps or an indirect method, such as scat sampling
how can the identification of an organism in a sample can be made?
- classification guides
- biological keys
- analysis of DNA or protein
how can organisms be classified?
by both taxonomy and phylogenetics
what does taxonomy involve?
the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics
what is phylogenetic the study of?
the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
what is phylogenetic changing?
the traditional classification of many organisms
what does familiarity with taxonomic groupings allow?
predictions and inferences to be made about the biology of an organism from better-known (model) organisms
what are model organisms?
those that are either easily studied or have been well studied
why are model organisms used?
to obtain information about other species, including humans, that have been important in the advancement of modern biology
what is the model organism of bacteria?
e. coli
what is the model organism of a flowering plant?
arabidopsis thaliana
what is the model organism of an arthropod?
drosophila (fruit fly)
what is the model organism of a nematode?
c. elegans (worm)
what is the model organism of a chordata?
mice, rats and zebra fish
what can the presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information of?
environmental qualities, such as presence of a pollutant
how can susceptible and favoured species can be used?
to monitor an ecosystem
what is the formula N=MC/R used for?
procedure for the mark and recapture technique as a method for estimating population size
what are some methods or marking animals?
- banding
- tagging
- surgical implantation
- painting
- hair clipping
what must the method of marking and subsequent observation minimise?
the impact on the study species
what measurements are used to quantify animal behaviour?
- latency
- frequency
- duration
what can an ethogram of the behaviours shown by a species in a wild context allow?
the construction of time budgets
what is an ethogram?
a detailed list of species specific behaviours seen in a wild context, with clear description of each behaviour
why is it important to avoid anthropomorphism?
it can lead to invalid conclusions
what is anthropomorphism?
when human characteristics are attributed to non-human species
what does N = MC/R stand for?
M = sample of population that is captured and marked (M) and released
C = a second sample is captured (C) after an interval of time
R = some individuals in the second sample of recaptured (R)
N = total population (N) can be estimated
what is latency?
time between a stimulus occurring and the response behaviour being observed
what is frequency?
number if times a behaviour occurs within the observation period
what is duration?
length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation
