Title: Sampling

Aim: To determine the density and frequency of knot grass in Skinner’s Park B

Apparatus:

1. Quadrat

2. Notebook for recording observations

3. Pen

Method:

The following steps were carried out in the field at Skinner’s Park B:

1. The quadrat was randomly thrown within the testing area.

2. The species of knot grass within the quadrat were recorded.

3. This process was repeated until 20 recordings were obtained.

Results:

ACCUMULATED DATA ON QUADRAT THROWS AND CORRESPONDING KNOT GRASS

OBSERVATIONS IN SKINNER’S PARK B

Throw Knot Grass Recorded

1 5

2 7
Throw Knot Grass Recorded

3 6

4 6

5 6

6 6

7 10

8 12

9 2

10 2

11 16

12 3

13 8
 Throw Knot Grass Recorded

14 12

15 3

16 0

17 2

18 7

19 3

20 5

Density: 6.05 knot grass/cm²

Frequency: 95%

Discussion:

Sampling refers to the process of selecting a subset of individuals from a statistical

population to estimate characteristics of the whole population, allowing for a more
manageable and practical approach to data collection and analysis.
The estimated population of a species in a specific area is determined by extrapolating the
data obtained from the sample to the entire population. This is particularly useful when
dealing with large populations where it is impractical to count every individual.

In this experiment, we used quadrat sampling, which is most suitable for stationary
organisms like the knot grass in Skinner’s Park B. Quadrat sampling involves throwing a
square (the quadrat) of a known size randomly within the study area and then identifying
and counting the species within the quadrat.

The accuracy of the outcome in quadrat sampling is affected by the number of throws. The
more throws, the more accurate the estimate of the population will be. In this experiment,
we performed 20 throws to ensure a reasonable level of accuracy.

The density of the species in quadrat sampling is calculated by dividing the total number of
individuals counted by the total area sampled. Similarly, the frequency of the species is
calculated by dividing the number of quadrats in which the species was present by the total
number of quadrats sampled.

Precautions:

1. Care was taken to ensure that the quadrat was thrown randomly to avoid bias.

2. Care was taken not to trample or otherwise disturb the knot grass while conducting
the experiment.

Sources of Error:

1. There could have been misidentification of the knot grass species.

2. There could have been inaccurate counting of the knot grass within the quadrat.

Limitations:

1. Quadrat sampling assumes that the distribution of the species within the sample is
representative of the entire population, which may not always have been the case.
 2. The method is less accurate for mobile or rare species.

Reflection:

Understanding the density and frequency of knot grass in Skinner’s Park B informed my
conservation efforts and help maintain the health of the ecosystem. For one, knowing the
density and frequency of knot grass can help park managers make informed decisions
about managing the grass to maintain a balanced ecosystem. It can also contribute to
broader biodiversity studies by providing data on the distribution of this species.

Conclusion:

The aim of this experiment was to determine the density and frequency of knot grass in
Skinner’s Park B, having 6.05 knot grass/cm² and 95% respectively.