QUADRAT SAMPLING

INTRODUCTION

The biotic factors of an environment are all organisms found within that environment. Organisms
are divided into five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. A group of
organisms of the same species found within the same environment is called a population.
Populations of different species sharing the same area and interacting with each other make up a
community. One way of studying the interactions of organisms in a community is by taking an
inventory of all the species in the area and comparing the sizes of their populations.

In this investigation, you will observe the abiotic factors of a study site and classify the species
of plants and animals in that site. You will then measure randomly chosen quadrats within the
site and count the individuals of each poulation located within each quadrat. With this data, you
will estimate the sizes of plant and animal populations within the community.

Before scientists can design an experiment, they must first make observations on which to base
their hypotheses. Scientists have many different methods of collecting this data. The task of
taking an inventory of the different kinds of organisms and their population sizes in an
environmental site can be very difficult, especially if the area is teeming with life. Since it would
be impractical, if not impossible, to count each individual organism in a large area, ecologists
randomly choose small portions of the whole area and classify and count the organisms in each
small portion. They can then estimate the size of each population in the larger community. This
process is called the quadrat method.

The goal of the quadrat method is to estimate the population density of each species in a given
community. Population density is the number of individuals of each species per unit area. Small
square areas, called quadrats, are randomly selected to avoid choosing unrepresentative samples.
Once the population densities for all quadrats are determined, the population size within the
larger area can be estimated.

For example, if a 10 m x 10 m (100 m2) site is being surveyed, three quadrats of a smaller size,
perhaps 1 m x 1 m (1 m2), might be selected at random. If the population densities of a particular
species at the three quadrats are 10, 12, and 14 individuals per m2, an average is taken [(10 + 12
+ 14/3 = 12 individuals per m2]. That number is multiplied by the ratio of the larger area to the
area of each quadrat (100 m2/1 m2) to calculate the estimated population size within the site (12 x
100 = 1200 individuals). This process is repeated for all species in the community.

You all should already be familiar with how to keep records of an experiment in a databook. For
review, see the Lab Investigation Handout that I have given you. Of particular note - when
making entries in a databook, remember that this information is not just for you, but for anyone
else who may need to use it. All material should be presented in a clear and concise manner that
can be understood even by those who are not in the class.

PURPOSE: To estimate the population sizes of various species of organisms using the quadrat
method.

HYPOTHESIS: If the quadrat method is used, then the population sizes of various species of
organisms can be estimated.

MATERIALS: ruler, beans, straws, scissors, tape

1) Using the ruler, mark off a square 60 cm by 60 cm on each side and use tape to create
margins. Use the corner of your notebook as a right triangle to make the square as precise as
possible.

2) Take your cup of beans and randomly dump them onto sample area being careful to not spill
them onto floor.

3) Using straw create a 6 cm by 6 cm quadrat by cutting and taping.

3) Select at random an area within the site to be your first quadrat. To do this, close your eyes
and toss the straw quadrat into the square.

4) Record in your data table the number of organisms of each plant or animal species within the
quadrat.

5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 a total of 10 times.

6) For each species, add the number of organisms found in all 10 quadrats and average them to
calculate the average population density per 6 cm2.

7) For each species, multiply the population density by _____ to estimate the total number of
organisms in the larger site. Record the estimated population sizes in your data table.

DATA:

You should have all the observations and measurements requested in the procedure. A
convenient way to present some of your data would be as follows:

SPECIES NO. IN NO. IN NO. IN AVERAGE EST.

GRAPH:

Graph the estimated population for each “species” found in your site.
CONCLUSION:

Answer the following questions -

1) Why was it necessary to close your eyes before choosing the quadrat?

2) Which was the dominant “species” within the site?

3) How do your averages compare to the population densities of the individual quadrats? Were
the populations spread out evenly over the site?

4) Using the quadrat method, how could you better estimate the actual population sizes of
species within the site?

5) How is the sampling of animal populations more difficult than that of plant populations?

6) Predict how the removal of the dominant plant species from the site would affect the
population sizes of the other organisms. Explain.

*Adapted from Environmental Science Laboratory Manual, Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1995.