Sampling methods Flashcards
What is a quadrat?
A square frame used to define the size of a sampling area
How is a frame holder used?
It is a frame that has a certain number of needles so that the plants touching it can be counted easily
What is a transect?
A line taken across the habitat using string or a tape measure and taking samples along the line
What is an interrupted belt transect?
Using a quadrat at set intervals on a line transact
What is an continous belt transect?
Using a quadrat on a line transact and move it along to look at each area
How can small animals be sampled using observation?
They can look at the things left behind by the animals such as markings or droppings
What is sweep netting?
When a net is used to capture small animals and insects. The content is then put onto a white sheet to count the species, which must be done quickly as the insects will escape
What is a pootor?
This is used to collect animals before they fly away
When is a pootor used?
It is used for low vegetation that isn’t too woody
What is a beating?
When a white sheet is placed underneath a tree with a branch being beaten or shaken so that the small animals and insects drop onto the sheet to be identified quickly before going away.
What is a pitfall trap?
This is when a small container is buried into the soil with its rim hidden and either paper or a small bit of water is at the bottom.
What is a Tullgren funnel?
A device for collecting small animals from leaf litter. The leaf litter is placed in a funnel and a light above the litter drives the animals down as the litter dries out and warms up. They fall through the mesh screen and collected in a jar below.
What is a light trap?
This collects insects at night by using UV light to attract the insects into a vessel containing alcohol
What is the mark and recapture technique?
This is when an animal is trapped and marked then released again and the number is C1, and this is repeated, the number of animals that were recaptured are marked C2 and it is repeated so that the number of animals found on the 3rd time is C3
What is the mark and recapture equation?
( C1 x C2 ) / C3
C1 means marked the first time only
C2 marked the second time only
C3 marked the second and first time
