Lecture 1 - Investigating Populations

Question 1

What is a habitat?

Answer 1

the place where an organism lives

Question 2

What is a community

Answer 2

1. All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time
2. Can interact with each other

Question 3

What is abundance?

Answer 3

the number of individuals of a given species in a given space

Question 4

What is distribution?

Answer 4

the presence or absence of a particular species

Question 5

What factors are required to consider with Quadrats

Answer 5

1. Where to place Quadrats
2. How many samples to take
3. Size of quadrat

Question 6

How to avoid bias in Sampling?

Answer 6

1. Using Random Sampling by throwing quadrat
2. Laying out two tape measure along two sides of study area and obtain a series of coordinates by using random numbers.
3. Place a quadrat at intersections of each pair of coordinates and record the species within it.

Question 7

What is transect?

Answer 7

1. Systematic approach
2. Line taken across a habitat
3. Samples taken at regular intervals along line
4. Allows changes in vegetation to be recorded

Question 8

What is line transect?

Answer 8

1. Line marked by tape measure at equal intervals, species must touch the tape.

Question 9

What is a belt transect?

Answer 9

1. Quadrat is placed next to the line at regular intervals (interrupted) or moved along the line so the whole length is sampled (continuous)

Question 10

What is frequency?

Answer 10

likelihood of species occurring in Quadrat.

Question 11

What is percentage cover?

Answer 11

estimate of the area within a quadrat that a particular plant species cover.