UNIT 2 - KA1 Flashcards
What can present a hazard
Aspects of field work can present a hazard
What do hazards include
- Adverse weather conditions
- difficult terrain
- problems associated with isolation
- contact. With harmful organisms
What is a risk
Risk is the likelihood of harm arising from exposure to a hazard
What does risk assessment involve
Risk assessment involves identifying control measures to minimise risk
Control measures include -
- Appropriate equipment
- clothing
- footwear
- means of communication
Which manner should sampling be carried out in
Sampling should be carried out in a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats
What should consideration be given to
Consideration must be given to rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are highly 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 are quadrats and transects used for
Quadrats of suitable size and shape or transects are used for plants and other sessile or slow -moving organisms
Capture techniques
Capture techniques such as traps and nets are used for mobile species
How can elusive species be sampled
Elusive species can be samples directly using camera traps or an indirect method such as scat sampling
How can identification of an organism in a sample be made
Identification of an organism in a sample can be made using classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein
What two things can organisms be classified by
Organisms can be classified by both taxonomy and phylogenetics
Taxonomy
Taxonomy involves the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristic
What is classic taxonomy based on
Classic taxonomy is based on morphology
What is phylogenetics
Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
Which traits does phylogenetics use
Phylogenetics uses heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences and protein structure to make inferences about an organism’s evolutionary history and create a phylogeny (or phylogenetic tree)
What is a phylogeny (phylogenetic tree)
A diagrammatic hypothesis of its relationships to other organisms
What can genetic evidence reveal
Genetic evidence can reveal relatedness obscured by divergent or convergent evolution
What is phylogenetics doing
Phylogenetics is changing the traditional classification of many organisms
What does familiarity with taxonomic groupings allow
Familiarity with taxonomic groupings allows predictions and inferences to be made about the biology of an organisms from better-known (model) organisms
Examples of taxonomic groups
- nematodes
- arthropods
- chordates
What are model organisms
Model organisms are those that are either easily studied or have been well studied
What can information obtained from model organisms do
Information obtained from them can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly
Examples of model organisms that have been very important to the advancement of modern biology include
- The bacterium E. coli
- the flowering plant Arabidopsis thalania
- the nematode C.elegans
- the arthropod drosophila melanogaster
- and the chordates - mice, rats and zebra fish
What can give information of environmental qualities
Presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information of environmental qualities, such as presence of a pollutant
What can be used to monitor an ecosystem
Susceptible and favoured species can be used to monitor an ecosystem
What does absence or reduced population indicate
Absence or reduced population indicates a species is susceptible to some factor in the environment
What does abundance or increased population indicate
Abundance or increased population indicates it is favoured by the conditions
What is the mark and recapture technique a method for
A method for estimating population size
Formula for the mark and recapture technique
Procedure for the mark and recapture technique as a method for estimating population size using the formula
N = MC/R
What do the letters in the mark and recapture technique represent
(M) - a sample of the population is captured and marked and released
(C) - after an interval of time a second sample is captured
(R) - if some of the individuals in this second sample are recaptured
What does the mark and recapture method assume
- all individuals have an equal chance of capture
- there is no immigration or emigration
- individuals that are marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the total population
Methods of marking animals such as :
- Banding
- tagging
- surgical implantation
- painting
- hair clipping
What must the method of marking and subsequent observation do
The method of marking and subsequent observation must minimise the impact on the study species
What are some measurements used to quantify animal behaviour
Some of the measurements used to quantify animal behaviour are latency, frequency and duration
Latency
Latency is the time between the stimulus occuring and the response behaviour
Frequency
Frequency is the number of times a behaviour occurs within the observation period
Duration
Duration is the length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation period
What does an ethogram of the behaviours shown by a species in a wild context show
An ethogram of the behaviours shown by a species in the wild context allows the construction of time budgets
What does an ethogram list
An ethogram lists species - specific behaviours to be observed and recorded in the study
How can the proportion of time spent on each behaviour be calculated in the time budget
Recording the duration of each of the behaviours in the ethogram, together with the total time of observation allows the proportion of time spent on each behaviour to be calculated in the time budget
What can anthropomorphism lead to
Anthropomorphism can lead to invalid conclusions
