Studying
Ecosystems
Sampling Techniques
• In order to determine whether a population is increasing or
decreasing, we have to be able to count the number of organisms in
the population.
• However, it is not usually possible to count all organisms.
• Therefore a sample must be taken and an estimate of the population
size made.
• The method used to study/estimate the population is dependent on
the type of organism and the habitat.
• The same method used to estimate the number of grass in a field
cannot be used to estimate the number of fish in a pond.
Estimating Populations on Land
• Different methods are needed for organisms which are static and for
organisms which are mobile.
• For non-motile organisms we use the quadrat.
• For motile organisms we use the mark-release-recapture technique.
Quadrat
• A quadrat is a square frame which can be made of wood, plastic or metal.
• The size varies.
• The most commonly used sizes are 0.5m2 and 1.0m2
• The quadrat is placed randomly several times in the area to be
investigated.
• The number of organisms to be investigated are counted and recorded.
• The average number of times each organism appears is calculated.
• From that value the density and frequency of the organism can be
calculated.
Species Frequency
• Frequency is the number of times a specie occurs in a given number of
quadrats.
• Percentage Frequency - this is the percentage of the sample that the species is
present in.
Formula =Number of times an organism occurs/number of quadrat throws X 100
Example, an organism was present in 4 out of 5 quadrat throws. Calculate the
percentage frequency
=4/5 X 100
=80%
Species Density
• This is the average number of the species in a given area.
Formula:
=mean number of individuals of the species/area of the quadrat
Example, a specie has a total number of 133 individual organisms from
10 quadrat throws.
Average number of species = 133/10=13.3
Area of quadrat = 1m2
Therefore, species density = 13.3/1m2 = 13.3 m2
Sample Results for Species Density
Transects
• In some habitats species are not distributed randomly.
• For example, at a beach, the species change as you move away from
the sea onto land.
• Estimation of the population can be done by putting down a tape and
recording the vegetation at intervals. This is a line transect.
• The results can be plotted as graphs to show how species are
distributed along the transect and how abundant they are.
Beating Trays
• This can be a large white
sheet placed on the ground
or supported by struts and
held below a tree.
• The tree is shaken to
dislodge the animals. Very
small animals can be
collected from the beating
tray with a small paintbrush.
Pooter
• By sucking on the tube small animals are drawn into the glass or
plastic tube.
Sweep nets
• large nets are used to catch flying insects.
Pond nets
• These are stronger nets that
can lift volumes of water
from ponds or rivers.
• The water drains through the
net leaving vegetation and
animals behind.
Pitfall traps
• Cans or jars are buried in the
ground, filled with paper or
cardboard to provide shelter
and covered with a lid or
stone to keep out the rain.
• These are useful for
collecting ground dwelling
insects that are often
nocturnal.
Mark-release-recapture
• Some animals are collected from a habitat, marked carefully with a
non-toxic substance in such a way that they are not obvious to their
predators and then released back to their habitat.
• Some time later, the animals are collected again and the numbers of
marked and unmarked individuals are counted.
