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Lab 2 Sampling

The document discusses various sampling methods used to study plant and animal populations in habitats, including random, systematic, and stratified sampling. It emphasizes the importance of determining the appropriate size and number of quadrates for quantitative analysis of vegetation. Techniques for establishing minimum quadrate size and number are outlined, including the species area curve method and data tabulation for accuracy in community estimation.

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sararawf16
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6 views

Lab 2 Sampling

The document discusses various sampling methods used to study plant and animal populations in habitats, including random, systematic, and stratified sampling. It emphasizes the importance of determining the appropriate size and number of quadrates for quantitative analysis of vegetation. Techniques for establishing minimum quadrate size and number are outlined, including the species area curve method and data tabulation for accuracy in community estimation.

Uploaded by

sararawf16
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SAMPLING

If we want to know what kind of plants and


animals are in a particular habitat, and how
many there are of each species, it is usually
impossible to go and count each and every
one present.
Quadrates are most often used for
sampling, but are not the only type of
sampling units. It depends what you are
sampling. If you are sampling aquatic
microorganisms or studying water
chemistry, then you will most likely collect
water samples in standard sized bottles
or containers. If you are looking at
parasites on fish, then an individual fish
will most likely be your sampling unit.
Similarly, studies of leaf minerals
would probably involve collecting
individual leaves as sampling units.
In these last two cases, the sampling
units will not be of standard size.
This problem can be overcome by
using a weighted mean, which takes
into account different sizes of
sampling unit, to arrive at the mean
number of organisms per sampling
unit.
There are three main ways of taking samples:

1. Random Sampling
2. Systematic Sampling
3. Stratified Sampling
Random Sampling
Random sampling is usually
carried out when the area under study
is fairly uniform, very large, and or
there is limited time available. When
using random sampling techniques,
large numbers of samples/records are
taken from different positions within
the habitat.
Systematic sampling
Here the selection of elements is systematic
and not random except the first element.
Elements of a sample are chosen at regular
intervals of population. All the elements are put
together in a sequence first where each element
has the equal chance of being selected.
We select our first element randomly from the first
subgroup of k elements. To select other elements of sample,
perform following:
We know number of elements in each group is k which is
equal to N/n
So if our first element is n1 then
Second element is n1+k = n2
Third element n2+k = n3 and so on..
Stratified Sampling

This technique divides the elements of the


population into small subgroups (strata) based on the
similarity in such a way that the elements within the
group are homogeneous and heterogeneous among
the other subgroups formed. And then the elements
are randomly selected from each of these strata.
Terrestrial Ecology: Determination of
minimum size and number of Quadrate

The community is defined as the


number of organisms usually of
different species, which occupy the
same habitat. Thus forest with its
various trees, animals, insects,
birds & microorganisms as
recognized as a community.
For our purpose we will be interested in the
quantitive characters (Density, frequency, abundance
of different plant species) of the community.

There are a number of techniques available for


obtaining quantitative analysis of vegetation. The most
widely used is the quadrate techniques.

For different plant communities the size and number


of quadrate will be different, so before studying any
plant communities the minimum size and number of
quadrate needed must be determined first.
• 0.01-0.25sq. m, lichens and algae
• 0.25-16 sq. m - grassland, tall herb,
short shrub
• 25-100 sq. m - tall shrub community
• 400-2500 sq. m - trees
a. Determination of minimum size of quadrate
by species area curved method:-

1. Fix the iron hook in the field randomly.


2. Make a quadrate of 5cm2 size, record the number of
species in the area.
3. Increase the quadrate size to 10 cm 2 (the area of first)
quadrate must be included in the second quadrate,
record the number of species in the area.
4. Increase the quadrate size gradually until the number
of species counted becomes constant.
5. Plot the species area curve method on a graph paper.
The point at which curve flattened will be the minimum
suitable quadrate size for particular site.
6. Repeat the experiment 2-3 times and calculate the
mean which will be more accurate.
Area No. of species
20 cm2 2
No. of
40 cm2 4
species
60 cm 2
6
80 cm2 8
100 cm2 8
120 cm2 8 Area (cm2)
b. Determination of minimum number of
quadrate

1. Throw the quadrate randomly in the field and


record the number of species countered in the
field.

2. Repeat the experiment many times and record


newly encountered species.

3. Tabulate your data according to the following


tables
No. of Q. No. of sp.

1 2
2 3
3 4
4 5
5 7
6 8
7 8
4. Plot the number of species, number of
quadrates curve of a graph. The point at which
the curve flattens will be the minimum number
of quadrate to be used in the particular site to
get an accurate quantitative estimation of the
community.

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