Ecological Sampling
“Measuring biotic
components of a system”
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Objectives
Discuss some ecological
sampling methods
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Ecological Sampling
What is a sample?
“A portion, piece, or segment that is
representative of a whole”
Why do we sample?
it is usually impossible to measure
the whole
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One big assumption…
That the sample is representative of
the whole
It is necessary to take enough
samples so that an accurate
representation is obtained
It is important to avoid bias when
sampling
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In a 20-ha field, where do you think should sampling
sites be established to have an good representation.
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Think about replications
Sampling Methods
Transects and Quadrants
Plants, corals and Non-motile
animals
Lincoln Index
Capture –Mark- Recapture
Aerial observations
Large trees and animals
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Sampling along Transects
Samples taken at fixed intervals
Set up along an environmental gradient (e.g. high
to low on a mountain)
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Line transect method
A measured line laid across the area in the
direction of the environmental gradient
All species touching the line are be recorded
along the whole length of the line or at
specific points along the line (Point intercept
transect – use in coral survey)
Measures presence or absence of species
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Belt transect method
Transect line is laid out and a quadrant is placed at
each survey interval
Samples are identified and abundance is estimated
Animals may be counted and measured
For plants a percent coverage is estimated
Data collection should be completed by an individual
as estimates can vary from person to person
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Quadrants
Used to measure coverage and abundance of
plants or animals
A grid of known size is laid out and all the
organisms within each square are counted.
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Lincoln Index
Capture-Mark-Recapture
Animals are captured,counted, tagged and
released.
After a period of time another capture occurs.
Previously tagged animals are counted and
unmarked organisms are marked.
Abundance is calculated using the following
formula: n1 x n2
n1=total marked after catch 1
n3
n2=total marked after catch 2
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n3 =total caught in catch 2 but
After a random sampling, 250 Bobbies
were captured, marked and released. A
month later, 150 unmarked and 30
previously marked bobbies were
captured. Use the Lincoln Index to
estimate the population
250 x 150
-------------- = 1250 Bobbies
30
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Measurements
Sampling methods measure
Density
Coverage
Frequency
Biomass
Diversity
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Density (D)
The number of individuals per unit area
D=ni/A ni=number of individuals for
species i
Eg. 10 Enhalus/m2
A=the area sampled (could
be the volume V)
Relative density i (Rdi)
The Density of species i, Di, Divided by the sum (
of all the densities of the other species sampled
Rdi=Di/ D
Eg. 10/(5+8+16)
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Coverage (C)
The proportion of ground that is occupied or
area covered by the plant/species
Ci=ai/A ai=the area covered by
species i
A=the total area
Relative coverage
The Coverage of species 1, Ci, divided by the sum
total of the coverage of the other species sampled
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Frequency (f)
The number of times a given event occurs
Eg. the number of quadrants that contain
Rhizophora apiculata as a ratio of all the
quadrants ji=number of quadrants with
species i
fi=ji/k
k=total number of quadrants
Ra; Ra; Rm Ra; Rs Rm; Rs
Relative frequency
The frequency of species i relative to the sum
total of the frequencies of the other species found
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Biomass (B)
Can be calculated by measuring the mass of
the individuals per unit area
B= W/A
More appropriate measure than density or
frequency when
Number of individuals is hard to determine
Photosynthesis and carbon fixation, energy and nutrient
transfer are more dependent upon biomass than the
total number of individuals 17
Biomass Measurement
methods
Fresh or wet weight
Used when organisms are alive
Dry weight
Used when the water content varies greatly
Oven dry at 105oC to remove water
Ash-Free Weight
Used when inorganic content varies greatly
Oxidize at 500oC until only inorganic ash remains
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Diversity
The measure of variety of an
ecosystem
Consists of 2 components
The number of different species or
the richness of species in a specific
area
The relative abundance of the
individuals of each species in a 19
Simpson's Diversity (D)
Measures species richness
N(N-1) D=Diversity
D=
N=total number of organisms of
n(n-1) all species found
n=number of individuals of a
particular species
If D is high, the area may be a stable ancient
site.
Low D may suggest pollution, recent
colonization, or agricultural management
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