SBI 4UIQuadrat Sampling
The purpose of this activity is to determine if the use of the quadrat method is accurate by first head counting all the individuals of each species and then to use the quadrat method to estimate the size of the population. You will also determine the accuracy as you increase your number of trials.
For the background, the teacher will explain the calculations that will be performed and the quadrat method and head count method of population sampling. You make notes here.
The materials & apparatus are the population grid on the back of this sheet and a plastic quadrat provided by the teacher.
For procedure, the teacher will explain the details of how to perform the quadrat method. For each of species J, K and L, you will perform the following. You will take 5 quadrat samples and count the number of each species inside each quadrat and then calculate an average of the 5 samples for each of the 3 species. You will then take 5 additional quadrat samples (total of 10) and count the number of each species inside each quadrat and then calculate an average of the 10 samples for each of the 3 species.Finally, you will take 5 more quadrat samples (total of 15) and count the number of each species inside each quadrat and then calculate an average of the 15 samples for each of the 3 species. You will record these average values for 5, 10 and 15 sample sizes for each species, calculate the overall predicted population sizefor each species and then you will “head count” each species.
On the back of this sheet is a simulation of a habitat with species J, K and L. Each letter on the sheet indicates one member of the species and its location within the habitat. The scale of the habitat is shown.
You are to quadrat sample each of the populations as explained above using the plastic template provided.
Your observations will include the following:
- Calculations for the averages of 5 samples, 10 samples and 15 samples for each of the 3 species.
- Calculations, for each of the 3 species, of the predicted population size using the averages of 5 samples, 10 samples and 15 samples.
- Head count for each of the 3 species.
Your conclusion will include a summary of the observations to answer the purpose and an evaluation of the activity.
Habitat for Species J,K and L
JJKKLLKJKJKJKLLLJKJJKJKLL JKKL L JKL KJKLL
JJJL JLJL KJLK LKJ LKJLJ JL JJKLL JL KL K
JL LKJ K LJLKJLK JLKLJ KLK LL J LKL JKJ LK
JLL L L
LJJL LJ
LJJL LLLKJ KJ KLLKKJLKLJL LLJLK JL K JK JKL K L LLL LL JLJKKLKL KJ
JLLL JLLJLJLLLLL LJJL J J L JL J
LLL KLKKJKLLKJKL KJK LKJK K
KLJLKJLJLKJL K JKKJKJKJL L KLJKJLKL KJ LKLJL K L
JKJKLLKLJKLKJLLK J LK K L
LKJKJLKJLJLKLJLJLLLLJL L JL K LKJL K J LK K JL K LL KJ J KLK L L L K J L J LKLJL JK L
KJLKJK LJKJLKJ LJKJ LLJLKLJLKLKJL KL LK J L KLJ L
KJ KJKJLJKJLK LJKLJK J LK J L KJL K JL K JL J LK K J LKL JLKL J LL K K L KL K J LK LJ L JL KJ K J L KL J KJ J K L J LJKJ LK JK L K L J KJLKJK JKLL L KJK JL K K J K J KJ KJK KL LKK L J L L KJ J K L KJLKJLK KJL K L KLK JLKLL L KL
JKLLLKJKJJ KL JJJ JL JKLJ J KLJL KJ KJL KJ
KJKKLLJJKKLKJKKKJJKLLKJJJJJJLLKJ
KJKLLKJKKJKLKLLKK JKKLL KJLLL LLLK L LLK L JJLLJJJJLL