Field Techniques for Biologists Flashcards
How should sampling be carried out and what should be considered?
In a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats. Consideration must be given to rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation.
What is a point count?
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.
What is used for measuring plants or slow-moving organisms?
Quadrats or transects
What techniques can be used for mobile species?
Capture techniques, such as traps and nets
How can elusive species be sampled?
using camera traps or an indirect method, such as scat sampling
How can you identify an organism in a sample?
Using classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein
How can organisms be classfied?
Taxonomy or phylogenetics
What is taxonomy?
the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics
What is phylogenetics?
the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
What does familiarity with taxonomic groups allow?
predictions and inferences to be made about the biology of an organism from better-known (model) organisms
What is a model organism and why are they used?
those that are either easily studied or have been well studied. Information obtained from them can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly
What is an indicator species?
Presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information of environmental qualities, such as presence of a pollutant
How can an ecosystem be monitored?
Susceptible and favoured species can be used. 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.
What is used to estimate population size?
The mark and recapture technique - N=MC/R. Marked first (M), captured secondly (C). If some of the individuals in this second sample are recaptured (R).
What are methods of marking animals and what must the method do?
Banding, tagging, surgical implantation, painting and hair clipping. The method of marking and subsequent observation must minimise the impact on the study species.
Latency, frequency and duration are some of the measurements used to quantify animal behaviour, what are they?
Latency is the time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour. Frequency is the number of times a behaviour occurs within the observation period. Duration is the length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation period.
What is an ethogram?
the behaviours shown by a species in a wild context allows the construction of time budgets
What is anthropomorphism and what is the importance of avoiding it when analysing behaviour?
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object and can lead to invalid conclusions.
