Unit 2: Organisms and evolution KA1: Field Techniques for biologists

Question 1

what is a hazard

Answer 1

something that has the potential to cause harm

Question 2

what is a risk

Answer 2

the likelihood of a hazard causing harm

Question 3

list some examples of potential hazards that you could encounter during fieldwork

Answer 3

-terrain
-weather conditions
-isolation
-contact with harmful organisms

Question 4

list some possible control methods used to minimise the level of risk during fieldwork

Answer 4

-appropriate clothing and fieldwork
-appropriate & functional equipment
-means of communication with other field work colleagues and the outside world

Question 5

when deciding to sample a wild organism, what factors must be considered

Answer 5

-that the sampling technique is appropriate for the organism being sampled
-the sampling should be done in a way that minimises the impact on wild species & the habitat
-consideration must be given to rare or vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation
-the sampling should be representative of the whole population

Question 6

describe a line transect

Answer 6

-a piece of rope that is lain on the ground and a number of target organisms are recorded
-a line transect is often used to investigate changes in biodiversity and abiotic factors across a changing environment (often combined with a quadrat)

Question 7

describe a quadrat

Answer 7

-a square frame that is placed on the ground and either a direct count or percentage cover of an organism is noted
-the number of organisms in the area of the quadratic is scaled up to represent the whole area being studied

Question 8

characteristics of organisms sampled by a line transect or quadrat

Answer 8

sessile (slow moving or stationary)

Question 9

describe capture techniques

Answer 9

-a variety of methods are used to capture mobile species
-examples- pitfall traps and nets

Question 10

characteristics of organisms sampled by a capture technique

Answer 10

mobile species

Question 11

describe camera traps

Answer 11

-a form of remote detection where cameras set up in the habitat capture images of the organisms that set off the sensor
-this is direct sampling

Question 12

describe scat sampling

Answer 12

-a form of remote detection where samples of scat are located in the habitat and recorded
-some may be collected for further analysis to collect info about diet ect
-this is an indirect method of sampling

Question 13

characteristics of organisms sampled by a camera trap or scat sampling

Answer 13

rare or elusive species

Question 14

describe point count sampling

Answer 14

-a point count involves the observer recording all individuals seen from a fixed location
-this can be compared to other points count locations or with data from the same location gathered at other times

Question 15

characteristics of organisms sampled by a point count

Answer 15

birds

Question 16

describe the term indicator species

Answer 16

presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information on the environmental qualities such as the presence of pollution

Question 17

define the term susceptible indicator species

Answer 17

absence or reduced population indicates a species is susceptible to some factors in the environmental conditions

Question 18

define the term favourable indicator species

Answer 18

abundance or increased population indicates it is favoured by the environmental conditions

Question 19

what are the steps involved in a mark and recapture study

Answer 19

1) a large sample group of the animal is caught (without injury) and they are marked (usually underneath with paint so their survival is not affected)
2) the sample group is released back into the same area they were captured and are allowed to mix fully with the population
3) a second, unbiased, sample group is captured and recorded
4) the formula N=MC/R can be applied

Question 20

for a mark and recapture study what assumptions are made?

Answer 20

-all individuals have an equal chance of being captured
-there is no immigration and emmigration
-that individuals that are marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the whole population

Question 21

what does latency mean when discussing animal behaviours

Answer 21

the time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour

Question 22

what does frequency mean when discussing animal behaviours

Answer 22

the number of times a behaviour occurs in the observation period

Question 23

what does duration mean when discussing animal behaviours

Answer 23

the length of time a behaviour occurs during the observation period

Question 24

define the term anthropomorphism

Answer 24

the attribution of human characteristics, motivations or emotions such as smiling or feeling sad to animals/non humans

Question 25

why is it important to avoid anthropomorphism when analysing animal behaviour

Answer 25

leads to invalid conclusions about animal behaviour and its causes

Question 26

what is an ethogram

Answer 26

a catalogue of behaviours or actions shown or acted out by a particular species

Question 27

what is taxonomy

Answer 27

the identification and naming of organisms and their classifications into groups based on shared characteristic

Question 28

what is phylocogenics

Answer 28

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

Question 29

what is divergent evolution

Answer 29

process by which a single ancestor species diverges into two or more descendant species . this results in a once related species becoming increasingly dissimilar over time

Question 30

what is convergent evolution

Answer 30

the process by which organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits over time as a result of having to adopt similar niches

Question 31

define the term model organisms

Answer 31

organisms that are easily studies or have been well studied