Unit 2: Organisms and evolution KA1: Field Techniques for biologists Flashcards
(36 cards)
what is a hazard
something that has the potential to cause harm
what is a risk
the likelihood of a hazard causing harm
list some examples of potential hazards that you could encounter during fieldwork
-terrain
-weather conditions
-isolation
-contact with harmful organisms
list some possible control methods used to minimise the level of risk during fieldwork
-appropriate clothing and fieldwork
-appropriate & functional equipment
-means of communication with other field work colleagues and the outside world
when deciding to sample a wild organism, what factors must be considered
-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
describe a line transect
-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)
describe a quadrat
-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
characteristics of organisms sampled by a line transect or quadrat
sessile (slow moving or stationary)
describe capture techniques
-a variety of methods are used to capture mobile species
-examples- pitfall traps and nets
characteristics of organisms sampled by a capture technique
mobile species
describe camera traps
-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
describe scat sampling
-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
characteristics of organisms sampled by a camera trap or scat sampling
rare or elusive species
describe point count sampling
-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
characteristics of organisms sampled by a point count
birds
describe the term indicator species
presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information on the environmental qualities such as the presence of pollution
define the term susceptible indicator species
absence or reduced population indicates a species is susceptible to some factors in the environmental conditions
define the term favourable indicator species
abundance or increased population indicates it is favoured by the environmental conditions
what are the steps involved in a mark and recapture study
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
for a mark and recapture study what assumptions are made?
-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
what does latency mean when discussing animal behaviours
the time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour
what does frequency mean when discussing animal behaviours
the number of times a behaviour occurs in the observation period
what does duration mean when discussing animal behaviours
the length of time a behaviour occurs during the observation period
define the term anthropomorphism
the attribution of human characteristics, motivations or emotions such as smiling or feeling sad to animals/non humans
