UNIT 2 - Field techniques

Question 1

what is a hazard?

Answer 1

a hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects of an individual

Question 2

what are some examples of hazards (field techniques)?

Answer 2

terrain
weather
organisms
isolation

Question 3

what is a risk?

Answer 3

a risk is the likelihood of harm arising from exposure to a hazard

Question 4

what is a risk assessment?

Answer 4

a risk assessment involves identifying risks and taking control measures to minimise them

Question 5

example of control measures?

Answer 5

appropriate equipment
clothing and footwear
means of communication

Question 6

how should sampling be done?

Answer 6

in a way that minimises impact on wild species and their habitats

Question 7

what is a point count?

Answer 7

this is a sampling technique where an observer stands still in one place and records all the individual organisms observed

Question 8

what is point count useful for?

Answer 8

determining species abundance ( a camera may be used)

Question 9

what is remote detection?

Answer 9

a sampling technique carried out from a distance using sensors (satellites may be used)

Question 10

what is remote detection useful for?

Answer 10

used for global vegetation surverys or areas that are hard to access

Question 11

what are quadrats?

Answer 11

this is a sampling method that requires a square frame of various sizes used for estimating the percentage of ground cover of species.

Question 12

what are quadrats useful for?

Answer 12

slow moving species

Question 13

what are long worm traps used for?

Answer 13

small mammals can be caught using long worm traps

Question 14

what should capture techniques allow?

Answer 14

for organisms to be released unharmed

Question 15

what is a mist net?

Answer 15

a capture technique used to capture birds/ bats (can only be used with lisence)

Question 16

what are elusive species?

Answer 16

elusive species are those who are very difficult to sample through normal observation

Question 17

how can you sample elusive species?

Answer 17

direct evidence can be obtained by camera trapping and indirect evidence can be obtained through scat sampling

Question 18

how can organisms be identified?

Answer 18

classification guides
biological keys
analysis of DNA

Question 19

how can organisms be classified?

Answer 19

by taxonomy and phylogenetics

Question 20

what is taxonomy?

Answer 20

taxonomy is the identification and naming of organisms and their classifications into groups based on shared characteristics

Question 21

what is classification?

Answer 21

classification is the process by which scientists group living organisms

Question 22

what is phylogenetics?

Answer 22

is the study of the evolutionary history of relationships among individuals or groups of organisms

Question 23

what does phylogenetics require?

Answer 23

uses heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences and protein structure

Question 24

divergent evolution

Answer 24

the process by which groups from the same common ancestor evolve and accumulate differences resulting in a formation of a new species - based on same structures adapted for different functions

Question 25

covergent evolution

Answer 25

the independent evolution of similar features in different species - based on different structures adapted for similar function

Question 26

examples of taxonomic groups?

Answer 26

nematodes chordates arthropods

Question 27

what is a model organism?

Answer 27

model organisms are organisms that are either studied easily or have been well studied

Question 28

what are some examples of model organisms?

Answer 28

``` fruit fly bacterium - ecoli zeberafish mice rats ```

Question 29

why are model organisms useful?

Answer 29

information obtained from model organisms can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly

Question 30

what does the presence/absence of indicator species tell us?

Answer 30

the presence, absence or abundance of indicator species tells us about the environmental qualities such as the presence of a pollutant

Question 31

what assumptions does the mark and recapture technique require?

Answer 31

- that all individuals have an equal chance of recapture - that there is no immigration or emigration - the marked organisms will be able to mix back in with the total population

Question 32

what are phylogenetic trees used for?

Answer 32

they show evolutionary history and relatedness

Question 33

what is the hierarchy of biological classification?

Answer 33

``` life domain kingdom phylum class order family genus species ```

Question 34

what are two qualities of a model organism?

Answer 34

- easily kept and well/easily studied studied | - most useful/most harmful examples

Question 35

what is an ethogram?

Answer 35

list of behaviours

Question 36

what is the name of a table that depicts time an organism spends on various actions throughout a specific time period?

Answer 36

time-activity budget

Question 37

what is a time-activity budget?

Answer 37

the name of a table that depicts time an organism spends on various actions throughout a specific time period

Question 38

what are three measurements that can be used to quantify animal behaviour?

Answer 38

duration - how long a behaviour lasts frequency - how often behaviour occurs latency - the time between stimulus and response

Question 39

what is the study of animal behaviour called?

Answer 39

ethology

Question 40

what is anthropomorphism?

Answer 40

attributing human behaviour to other organisms

Question 41

what is the mark and recapture technique used for?

Answer 41

estimating population size/abundance

Question 42

what are some methods for marking organisms?

Answer 42

``` banding tagging painting hair clipping surgical implantation ```

Question 43

what are biological keys?

Answer 43

they are branched or paired statement keys with each paired option focusing on characteristics. This allows different species to be separated

Question 44

what kind of information do biological keys usually contain and why?

Answer 44

biological keys usually contain specialist identification information as this can be as specific as details seen only under the microscope

Question 45

why is analysing DNA/proteins an important technique for separating species?

Answer 45

some species look extremely similar to each other other species may have been discovered as a fragment rather than a whole specimen DNA/protein analysis allows for these species to be categorised based on how similar their DNA sequence or protein sequence is to another species

Question 46

what is classic taxonomy classification based on?

Answer 46

morphology

Question 47

what is the formula for estimating population size?

Answer 47

N = mc/r ``` N = population size M = number marked (1st time) C = total number captured (2nd time) R = recaptured organisms (2nd time) ```

Question 48

why is sampling useful?

Answer 48

it eliminates the need to record and measure every member as long as the sample is representative

Question 49

simple random sample

Answer 49

individuals have an equal chance of being selected - this is useful for large population of uniform

Question 50

systematic sample

Answer 50

individuals selected at regular intervals - often used when sampling transit cues

Question 51

stratified sampling

Answer 51

population is divided into categories and sampled proportionately - useful if the population has known subsets

Question 52

what is protective legislation?

Answer 52

legislation put in place to protect organisms/species and their habitats

Question 53

difference between line and belt transect?

Answer 53

a line transect is a single line with species touching the line at stations counted in a belt transect is a wider zone with quadrats used at stations

Question 54

what is a nemotode?

Answer 54

nematodes - also called round worms unsegmented thread like body. many of them are parasitic and live inside a host

Question 55

what is an arthropod?

Answer 55

arthropods - joint legged invertebrates that are identified by their joint legged body typically with paired appendages

Question 56

what is a chordate?

Answer 56

chordates- sea squirts and vertebrates e.g birds, mammals and reptiles and others with a dorsal or spinal notochord.

Question 57

what is a transect?

Answer 57

a line or belt across a habitat or part of a habitat along which the number of organisms of each species can be observed and recorded at regularly placed stations

Question 58

give examples if health and safety precautions that should be taken on a field study?

Answer 58

- means of communication - appropriate clothing and footwear - appropriate equipment - compass/map

Question 59

describe two precautions that can minimise the impact on species being sampled on the field

Answer 59

- observe rather than catch - minimise numbers sampled - spend minimum time in habitats - return captured organisms to habitats ASAP

Question 60

give an account of the different methods that can be used to sample wild species?

Answer 60

- point counts an observer stands in one fixed spot and observes and record each individual organism - transects - line across habitat