Field techniques for biologists

Question 1

Hazards in fieldworks include

Answer 1

adverse weather conditions, difficult terrain, problems associated with isolation and contact with harmful organisms

Question 2

What is a risk

Answer 2

Risk is the likelihood of harm arising from exposure to a hazard.

Question 3

What does risk assessment involve

Answer 3

Risk assessment involves identifying control measures to minimise risk

Question 4

Control measures include

Answer 4

appropriate equipment, clothing, footwear and means of communication.

Question 5

How should sampling be carried out

Answer 5

Sampling should be carried out in a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats.

Question 6

What type of species need consideration

Answer 6

Consideration must be given to rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation.

Question 7

Chosen techniques when sampling wild organisms

Answer 7

point count, transect or remote detection must be appropriate to the species being sampled

Question 8

Quadrats of a suitable size and shape or transects are used for

Answer 8

plants or other sessile or slow moving organisms.

Question 9

Capturing techniques for mobile species

Answer 9

traps or nets

Question 10

How can elusive species be sampled

Answer 10

Elusive species can be sampled directly using camera traps or an indirect method such as scat sampling.

Question 11

Point count involves

Answer 11

the observer recording all the individuals seen from the fixed point count location.

Question 12

How can point count be reliable

Answer 12

This point count location can be compared to other point count locations or with data from the same location gathered at other times.

Question 13

Identification of an organism in a sample can be made using

Answer 13

classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein.

Question 14

Organisms can be classified by both

Answer 14

taxonomy and phylogenetics

Question 15

Taxonomy involves

Answer 15

the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics.

Question 16

Phylogenetics is the study of

Answer 16

the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms

Question 17

Familiarity with taxonomic groups allows

Answer 17

predictions and inferences to be made about the biology of an organism from better known (model) organisms.

Question 18

Model organisms are those that either are

Answer 18

easily studied or have been well studied. Information obtained from them can be applied to other species that are more difficult to study directly.

Question 19

In the context of fieldwork

Answer 19

sample organisms from a variety of habitats and attempt to classify and catalogue them using keys, guides and other materials.

Question 20

Classic taxonomy classification is based on

Answer 20

morphology

Question 21

Phylogenetic use heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences, and protein structure to make inferences about

Answer 21

an organism’s evolutionary history and create a phylogeny (or phylogenetic tree) - a diagrammatic hypothesis of its relationships to other organisms.

Question 22

Genetic evidence can reveal relatedness obscured

Answer 22

by divergent or convergent evolution.

Question 23

Nematodes, arthropods and chordates are examples of

Answer 23

taxonomic groups

Question 24

Presence, absence or abundance of indicator species can give information

Answer 24

of environmental qualities, such as presence of pollutants.

Question 25

Susceptible or favourable species can be used to

Answer 25

monitor an ecosystem.

Question 26

Procedure for the mark and recapture technique as a method for estimating population size using the formula:

Answer 26

N = MC/R
A sample of the population is captured and marked (M) and released
After an interval of time, a second sample is captured(C).
If some of the individuals in this second sample are recaptured(R), then the total population N = MC/R

Question 27

Methods of marking animals such as:

Answer 27

banding, tagging, surgical implantation, painting and hair clipping.

Question 28

The method of marking and subsequent observation must

Answer 28

minimise the impact on the study species

Question 29

Absence or reduced population indicates

Answer 29

a species is susceptible to some factor in the environment.

Question 30

Abundance or increased population indicates

Answer 30

it is favoured by the conditions.

Question 31

N = MC/R this method assumes

Answer 31

that all individuals have an equal chance of capture, that there is no immigration or emigration, and that individuals that are marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the total population.

Question 32

Some of the measurements used to quantify animal behaviour are

Answer 32

latency, frequency and duration.

Question 33

An ethogram of the behaviours shown by a species in a wild context allows for construction of

Answer 33

time budgets.

Question 34

Latency is

Answer 34

the time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour.

Question 35

Frequency is

Answer 35

the number of times a behaviour occurs within the observation period.

Question 36

Duration is

Answer 36

the length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation period.

Question 37

An ethogram lists

Answer 37

species-specific behaviours to be observed and recorded in the study.

Question 38

Recording the duration of each of the behaviours in the ethogram, together with the total time of observation,

Answer 38

allows for the proportion of time spent on each behaviour to be calculated in the time budget.

Question 39

Anthropomorphism (the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a non human organism or object) can lead to

Answer 39

invalid conclusions.