BIOLOGY

ECOLOGY: SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students should be able to:

 Explain why we carry out ecological studies

 Outline different types of sampling technique used in
ecological studies
 Choose appropriate sampling techniques for different
habitats
 Use a quadrat to sample a habitat
 Carry out a simple numerical analysis of results from
sampling
Ecological Study

The aim of studying any ecosystem is to:

 identify the different species of plants and
animals present,
 to find out where they live,
 determine their numbers and
 find out about the relationships they have with
each others and with abiotic factors.
Sampling
 Scientists spend a large amount of time studying the environment.
To do this they need to have a good understanding of the
techniques needed to sample and analyse the environment.
Sampling
 Ecologists study an environment in terms of its biodiversity – the
variety of different species in an area. They will want to know certain
information about the species present:
 Where an organism is found (distribution)
 The number of that organism present (population)
 Whenever a scientist studies an area it is usually not possible to look
at the entire environment in detail. Therefore, the scientist samples
a section or small portion. Sampling several small sections is
representative of the whole area. The sampling technique used
depends on the habitat and type of organisms present.
Sampling Techniques
It is not practical to find and count all members of
all species present, so sampling techniques are used
to sample small areas from which conclusions can
be drawn about the ecosystem as a whole.
Observation
Quadrats
Line transect
Belt transects
Observation

The ecosystem should first be observed

and the common species plants animals
recorded. Any adaptations that enable
the organisms to survive in the
ecosystem should be noted, together
with and interrelationships between the
organisms.
Quadrats
A quadrat is a plot used in ecology and geography to isolate a
standard unit of area for study of the distribution of an item
over a large area. While originally rectangular, modern quadrats
can be rectangular, circular, irregular, etc. he quadrat is
suitable for sampling plants, slow-moving animals (such as 
millipedes and insects), and some aquatic organisms.
Quadrats are used to study the distribution and abundance of
plants and stationary or slow-moving animals in uniforms
ecosystem.
A quadrat is frame made of metal, PVC or wood with wire or
string grids that encloses a known area, such as 0.25 m2 or 1
m2.
 How to use a quadrat
 quadrats should be placed randomly,
several times within the ecosystem so
that a representative sample is taken
 Count the number of individuals of
each species of plant and stationary or
slowing moving animals in the quadrat
area
 If is not possible to distinguish
individual plants of a species use the
grid to estimate the percentage
coverage
 you should look at the results from
several quadrats in an area to reduce
the effect of an unusual distribution
 the results are more reliable when you
look at the results from many quadrats
 Species density- this is the average number of individuals of a given species per metre square. If
the quadrat is 1 m2, it is obtained by dividing the total number of individuals of the species by
the number of quadrats used.
 Total population- the is the total number of individuals of a given species in the area under
study. It is obtained by multiplying the species density by the area of the ecosystem studied.
 Species/Percentage cover- this is the percentage of the ground covered by a given species. It is
used if the percentage of the quadrat area covered was estimated. If the quadrat is 1 m2, it is
obtained by dividing the total percentage of ground that the species covered by the number of
quadrats used.
 Species frequency- this is percentage of quadrats in which the given species was found.
 Species Number in each 1 m2 Mean
quadrat (Q) density/n
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 umber in
1m2

Mexican 11 8 6 8 2 35/5= 7
poppy
Wild 11 9 10 13 7 50/5= 10
cress
Wild 4 3 6 5 2 20/5= 4
dolly
Grass 15 25 17 18 10 85/5= 17
Heart 5 6 4 3 7 25/5 = 5
seed
Line transect
A tape or string laid along the ground in a
straight line between two poles as a guide to a sampling
method used to measure the distribution of organisms.
Sampling is rigorously confined to organisms that are actually
touching the line.
A line transect is usually a measuring tape or string that has
marks at regular intervals, eg 10 cm or 25 cm. it is placed in
a straight line across the ecosystem and the species of plants
and stationary of slow-moving animals touching the line, or
touching the line at each mark, are recorded.
Line transects are useful where there is a transition of
organisms across the ecosystem, eg down a rocky seashore.
They give a quick idea of the species present and how they
change across an ecosystem.
Belt Intersect
 Belt transects are used in biology to estimate the
distribution of organisms in relation to a certain area,
such as the seashore or a meadow. It records all the
species found between two lines and how far they are for
a certain place or area and how many of them there are.
 A belt transect is a strip of fixed width, eg 0.5 m or 1 m,
made by placing two parallel line transects across an
ecosystem. The species found between the lines are
recorded. Alternatively, a quadrat can be placed along
side one line transect and the number of individual of
each species found within its boundaries is counted. The
quadrat is the moved along the line and counting is
repeated at regular intervals.
Methods of Collecting Organisms

Sometimes it is impossible to use quadrats to gain result

about animals so we used other techniques. They include:
 Pooter
 Beating tray
 Sweep nets
 Pitfall traps
Pooter
 Is a method of collecting small organisms (small insects)
by sucking on a tube small animals are drawn into a glass
tube or test tube.
 Best method for collecting and identifying organism in
small places.
Beating Tray
 This can be a large white sheet placed on the ground or
supported by struts and held below a tree. The tree is
then shaken to dislodge the animals. Very small animals
can be collected from a beating tray with a paintbrush.
Nets
 These include:
 Sweep nets which are large nets used to capture flying
insects.
 Pond nets which are usually very strong net that can lift
large volume of water from rivers and lakes; the water
drains through the net to leave vegetation and animals
behind.
 Plankton nets are used for capturing planktons.
Nb Sieve the content of the nets emptied in into a white tray
for sorting; sieves are useful for removing the animals and
putting then into smaller containers of water for
identification and study.
Pitfall Traps
 Are cans or jars 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.
Tullgren Funnel

 A device used to remove and collect small animals as

insects, from a sample of soil or leaf litter. The sample is
placed on a coarse sieve fixed across the wide end of
funnel and a100-watt light bulb, in a metal reflector, is
placed about 25 cm above the funnel. The heat from the
bulb dries and warms the sample, causing the animals to
move downwards and fall through the sieve into the
funnel, which directs them into a collecting dish or tube
below. This dish can contain water or alcohol to present
the animals from escaping.
 Mark-release-recapture
To improve our estimates of the population sizes of animals species we can
use the method known a mark-release-recapture. Some animals are
collected from 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 times later, the animals are collected again and then
numbers of the marked and unmarked individuals are counted. This formula
is used to calculate an estimate of the total population in the habitat.
Total numbers in the population= number captured and marked × number captured
number recaptured that were marked

When you study the organisms in the habitat, makes you record features of
the habitat and ways in which plants and animals are adapted to survive
there.
Summary Questions
1. Explain how would you sample the following habitats:
a. A small pond
b. An area of grassland
c. The branches of trees
2. Some students caught 36 crabs, marked them and released
them. Two days later they caught 45 crabs of which 6 were
marked. Calculate the numbers of crabs in the area sampled by
the students.
3. List the assumptions that must be made a. when a sampling
with a quadrat, and b. when using the mark-release-recapture
techniques.