Topic B7 - Ecology: Using Quadrats and Sampling Distribution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key ecological terms, quantitative sampling methods, and the use of quadrats based on the Topic B7 lecture notes.

Habitat

The place where an organism lives (for example, a playing field).

Distribution

Where an organism is found (for example, in a particular part of a playing field).

Quantitative data

Information consisting of numbers regarding the distribution of an organism, obtained through methods like quadrats and transects.

Quadrat

A square frame enclosing a known area (such as $1\,\text{m}^2$), used to study the distribution of small organisms.

Transect

A line along which quadrats are placed to study how the distribution of an organism changes across an area.

Mean number of organisms per quadrat

The calculated average found by dividing the total number of organisms counted by the number of quadrats used.

Abundance

Another term used to describe the population size of an organism in an area.

Random sampling

A sampling technique where an area is divided into a grid and a random number generator is used to pick coordinates for placing a quadrat.