Research Methods: Specialist Techniques Used In Ecological Research Flashcards
What is different about these specialist method/techniques of monitoring ?
Methods that have been developed relatively recently often using electronic equipment
How is imagery being used as a research method?
A rapidly expanding imagery system is available to collect environmental information
What are image databases?
This is when through a collection of images some species are able to be identified by their unique features
What are some ways databases can be used to identify animals?
Tiger facial stripes
Cheetah tail markings
Whale shark spot patterns
Dolphin fin marks and injuries
Zebra stripes
What can being able to identify individuals provide information on?
Territory size
Population movements (migrations)
Lifespans
Social groupings
What are he limitations of image databases?
Few species have unique features that can be used to identify individual animals
What are motion sensitive cameras?
These can be used for habitat monitoring to detect the presence or activity of animals using visible light photography during the day or infrared technology at night
What is closed circuit TV (CCTV)?
CCTV cameras can be used to observe animals behaviour with a lower risk of disturbance than if researchers visit the site
What is MARKING?
This is a range of methods that are used to identify individuals that have been previously caught
What are some examples of MARKING?
Rings placed on birds’ legs provides information on movements lifespan if they are caught later
What are DNA databases?
A DNA profile can be used to identify individuals, gene pools and other genetic relationships
How can some aquatic species be detected?
The DNA of the cells they shed into water this is called environmental DNA
What is another name for environmental DNA?
eDNA
What is an example of how eDNA is used in the UK?
eDNA evidence of the presence of the legally protected Great Crested Newt may prevent a development being permitted in the Uk that would damage that habitat
How can you identify regional populations? (DNA)
Each separate population within a species has its own unique gene pool, this means it may be possible to identify where a plant or animal came from compared with a DNA database.
What is an example of the identifying regional population technology? (Tracking)
Being developed to track sources of tropical timber, elephant ivory and some commercially fished species (Cod and Haddock).
When would you use Auditory monitoring?
When a species cannot be seen but can be detected by the sounds they produce
What are sonograms?
Records of the sounds made by taxa such as dolphins, bats and some insects
What are sonograms evidence of?
Presence, abundance and activity
What is positional monitoring?
The use of a range of technologies to monitor the location of individuals
What can be used to track animals in the air or freshwater?
Radio
GPS
Acoustic transmitters
What tracking method is used in seawater?
Acoustic transmitters
Why are acoustic transmitters used in seawater?
As they give real-time information of the current position of the animal carrying the transmitter
When would you use a Geolocator tag?
May be used when transmitters would be too heavy or when the battery life would be too short for a long-term study
What do Geolocators do?
They are small and only collect data on time and light
How is data collected from geolocators?
When the animal is re-caught the data can be downloaded and used to work out the latitude and longitude of the animal for each day during the study.
What sort of animals would carry geolocators?
Used to track the movements of birds that are too small to carry radio transmitters
What do data recorders do?
Collect data on a range of abiotic factors (light intensity, temperature and salinity etc…)
How is the data form Data recorders collected?
Downloaded when the recorder is recovered
Radio or auditory transmission
What do sensor carrier systems do?
They move a data collecting sensor to the study area
What are some examples of sensor carrying systems?
ROV (Remotely operated vehicles- Drones)
AUV (Autonomous unmanned vehicles)
Ballon
Aircraft
Satellites
Animals
How are satellites used for data collection?
Sensors are mounted to satellites which can be used to collect large amounts of data about earth using different types of electromagnetic radiation
How is reflected visible light used by sensors on satellites?
Provides images of large areas of the earths surface
Can be sued for creating maps, monitoring land use changes and monitoring environmental changes such as deforestation and flooding
What can infrared (IR) data collected by satellites sensors be used?
IR emitted by the earths surface can be used to monitor vegetation density and temperature
How do weather monitoring and forecasting use satellite systems?
Sensors that detect cloud cover, humidity, wind velocity, wind direction and temperature
HOW can radar microwaves emitted by the satellite be used?
They microwaves reflect off earths surface these waves can be sued to monitors a range of environmental factors
What environmental factors can radar microwaves monitor?
Wind velocity
Sea surface altitude
Wave height
Oil pollution
What is a positive of microwaves?
They can pass through clouds so the surveys are not interrupted by cloudy weather
How do GPS satellites use radio waves?
To track the positions of mobile animals, floats in the oceans, or the location of sampling sites
What is indirect evidence?
Many species leave evidence even if they are not actually seen
What are some examples indirect evidence? (Of species in an area)
Nests/burrows
Droppings
Feeding marks (chewed nuts)
Owl pellets
Tracks/footprints
Territorial marks (scratching posts)
What can animal droppings be used for?
Diet
Gender
Territory size
What can owl pellets be used for?
Give information on diet
