Unit 2 - Field Techniques for Biologists

Question 1

What are 4 examples of hazards in fieldwork?

Answer 1

Adverse weather conditions
Difficult terrain
Problems associated with isolation
Contact with harmful organisms

Question 2

What is risk?

Answer 2

The likelihood of harm arising from exposure to a hazard.

Question 3

What does a risk assessment involve?

Answer 3

Identifying control measures to minimise risk.

Question 4

What are 4 examples of control measures?

Answer 4

Appropriate equipment, clothing, footwear and means of communication.

Question 5

In what manner should sampling be carried out?

Answer 5

In a manner that minimises impact on wild species and habitats.

Question 6

What must consideration be given to when sampling?

Answer 6

Rare and vulnerable species and habitats that are protected by legislation.

Question 7

What sampling techniques are used for plants and other sessile or slow-moving organisms?

Answer 7

Quadrats of suitable size and shape or transects.

Question 8

What sampling techniques are used for mobile species?

Answer 8

Capture techniques such as traps and nets.

Question 9

What sampling techniques are used for elusive species?

Answer 9

Can be sampled directly using camera traps or an indirect method such as scat sampling.

Question 10

What does a point count involve?

Answer 10

Observer records all individuals seen from a fixed point count location. This can then be compared to other point count locations or with data from the same location gathered at other times.

Question 11

How can identification of an organism in a sample be made?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What are the two ways in which organisms can be classified?

Answer 12

Taxonomy and phylogenetics.

Question 13

What does taxonomy involve?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is classic taxonomy classification based on?

Answer 14

Morphology.

Question 15

What is phylogenetics?

Answer 15

The study of evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups or organisms.

Question 16

What is morphology?

Answer 16

The form and structure of organisms.

Question 17

What is a phylogeny (or phylogenetic tree)?

Answer 17

A diagrammatical hypothesis of an organism’s relationship to other organisms.

Question 18

What is divergent evolution?

Answer 18

The accumulation of differences as species from a common ancestor undergo changes over time.

Question 19

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 19

Where similar structures have evolved from different ancestries.

Question 20

What are the three domains of life?

Answer 20

Archaea, eukaryota and bacteria.

Question 21

What are 3 examples of the divisions (phyla) that the animal kingdom is divided into?

Answer 21

Chordates, nematodes and anthropodes.

Question 22

What does familiarity with taxonomic groupings allow?

Answer 22

Predictions can be made about the biology of an organism from better known model organisms.

Question 23

What are model organisms?

Answer 23

Organisms that are either easily studied or have been well studied.

Question 24

What are model organisms from all taxonomic groups used for?

Answer 24

To obtain information that can be applied to species that are more difficult to study directly.

Question 25

What can the presence, absence or abundance of an indicator species give information about?

Answer 25

Environmental qualities, such as the presence of a pollutant.

Question 26

What term is used to describe a species whose presence, absence or abundance provides information about the quality of the environment?

Answer 26

Indicator species.

Question 27

What indicates a species is susceptible to some factor in an environment?

Answer 27

When a species is absent from an area or it has a reduced population.

Question 28

What indicates a species is favoured by the environmental conditions?

Answer 28

When a species is abundant or has an increased population.

Question 29

What is the formula for the estimated total population in mark and recapture?

Answer 29

N=MC/R

N = estimate of total population
M = number captured, marked and released in first sample
C = number captured in second sample
R = number of marked recaptures in second sample

Question 30

What 3 assumptions are made when using the formula for estimated population size in mark and recapture?

Answer 30

All individuals have an equal chance of capture.
There is no immigration or emigration during the sample time.
Individuals that are marked and released can mix fully and randomly with the total population.

Question 31

What are the 5 methods of marking animals?

Answer 31

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

Question 32

What are the 3 measurements used to quantify animal behaviour?

Answer 32

Latency, frequency and duration.

Question 33

What is latency?

Answer 33

The time between the stimulus and the response behaviour.

Question 34

What is frequency?

Answer 34

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

Question 35

What is duration?

Answer 35

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

Question 36

What is an ethogram?

Answer 36

An ethogram lists species-specific behaviours to be observed and recorded in any animal behaviour study.

Question 37

What does an ethogram of the behaviours shown by animals in a wild context allow the construction of?

Answer 37

Time budgets.

Question 38

What is a time budget?

Answer 38

The proportion of time spent on each behaviour by an animal.

Question 39

What is anthropomorphism?

Answer 39

Attributing human characteristics to non-human species.

Question 40

Why must anthropomorphism be avoided when analysing animal behaviour?

Answer 40

Can lead to invalid conclusions.