11.3 Sampling Techniques

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What methods are used for sampling animals? (5)

1. Pooter

2. Sweep nets

3. Pitfall Traps

4. Tree Beating

5. Kick Sampling

What are 2 key things to remember about collecting living organisms

1. Living organisms must be handled carefully

2. Must be handled for as short time as possible

   • Must be released back into habitat quick

What is a pooter used for and how is it used?

Used to catch small insects

• Suck on mouthpiece, insects drawn into holding chamber via inlet tube

  • Other tube placed above insect

  • Filter before mouthpiece (don’t get in mouth)

What are sweep nets used for and how are they used?

Used to catch insects in areas of long grass

• Catches flying insects & insects that live on leaves

• Counted, identified, released into habitat

What are Pitfall traps used for and how are they used?

Used to catch small, crawling invertebrates (e.g. beetles, spiders, slugs)

1. Hole dug in ground (insects fall into)

   • Deep enough so can’t crawl out

2. Cover hole w. roof-structure propped above

   • Ensures trap doesn’t fill w. rainwater

3. Traps left overnight so nocturnal species can be sampled

What is tree beating used for and how is it used?

Used to take samples of invertebrates living in tree/bush

1. Large white cloth stretched out under tree

2. Tree shaken or beaten to dislodge invertebrates

3. Animals fall onto sheet

4. Animals collected & studied

What is kick sampling used for and how is it used?

Used to study organisms living in a river

• River bank & bed is kicked for a period of time to disturb it

• A net is held downstream for a set period of time to capture nay organisms released into the flowing water

What type of animals can quadrats be used for? How?

Slow-moving animals (limpets, barnacles, mussels, sea anemones

• Used following random sampling technique

• Quadrats can be places systematically along a line/belt transect

In what situations will a quadrat be placed along a line or belt transect?

To study how presence & distribution of organisms across an area of land varies

How are plants sampled?

Using a quadrat

What are the 2 types of quadrats?

1. Point quadrat

2. Frame quadrat

Point quadrat

• Consist of frame containing horizontal bar

• At set intervals along bar, long pins can be pushed thru to reach ground

• Each species of plant pin touches is recorded

Frame quadrat

• Has square frame divided into grid of equal sections

• Type & no. of species within each section of quadrat is recorded

How do you measure species richness?

Use combo of sampling methods to identify all species present

1. Calculate total no. of species

How do you measure species evenness?

1. Count no. of diff species present

2. Count no. of individuals in each species

Even community = individuals in diff species are close in number