measuring abiotic factors Flashcards
(27 cards)
air temp
thermometer/soil temp probe
rainfall
rain gauge: funnel that collects water in a measuring cylinder and the volume of water collected is recorded
humidity
whirling hygrometer , measureswater vapour content of air/ relative humidity in the air as a %
wind speed
anemometer, measures windspeed in m/s
dissolved oxygen
electronic oxygen sensor/ oxygen probe measures dissolved oxygen in water in % mg per litre or parts per million
water turbidity (cloudiness)
turbidimeter measures light scatter by particles in the water
secchi disc weighted disc lowered into water until it disappears from view, depth at which it disappears from view is recorded-visual estimate
light intensity
lux meter/electronic light meter
landscape relief (changing height of land)
map contour lines or GPS meter
site aspect (direction a site faces)
compass in degrees
slope incline
clinometer measures slope angle in degrees
soil/water pH
universal indicator
soil compaction
penetrometer in au ,psi (pounds per square inch), bars or pressure/unit area
soil water content
-measure mass of soil with water in it
-dry it? so all water evaporates
-measure mass again
-mass lost was the mass of water in the soil
why is it important to find the numbers of different species in habitats?
-to determine the stability of the ecosystem/habitat
-identify human impacts
-look at seasonal changes in species
-to identify warnings about species in decline
-to identify conditions needed for survival
-to inform conservation measures
-to look at seasonal changes in species
soil analysis
ascertaining soil moisture content
or
ascertaining soil organic content
soil moisture
fresh MASS-dry MASS/fresh MASS x 100
=soil moisture %
method: weigh fresh soil sample, dry at above 110 degrees until no further change in mass
soil organic content
start with dry soil!
dry soil-burnt soil/dry soil x 100 =soil organic content
method: heat DRY soil until no further change in mass
are microorganisms abiotic or biotic factors
biotic
what is the min number of quadrats that should be used in an area
10
what stats test is used to measure if there is a signifdif in mean % cover, % frequency or species richness between 2 areas after youve gathered data using random sampling with quadrats?
students t test
to compare means of 2 groups
is % frequency objective or subjective?
objective, number of squares in a quadrat in which a species is present
/total number of quadrats x 100
is % cover ob or subjective
subjective
estimate of total area of quadrat covered by one species
e.g. if species found in 12 squares out of 25 % cover = 48%
what is another solution to species partially inside quadrat other than only counting it if its over halfway inside?
only counting species thatre partially in on 2 sides only
how to calculate % frequency from point quadrats
number of times pin touches specific species/ total number of pins x 100
