Measurements of Biodiversity, Field Methods

Procedure:

1.       Visit your natural area and choose a site in which you can situate a 4-meter by 4-meter quadrant.

2.       Form your quadrant by tying the ends of your string together and forming it into a 4-meter by  4-meter square over your area. Take a photo.

3.       Subdivide the quadrant in to 16 equally sized squares. To do so, line up stones, lay down more string, place flags of paper or cloth, or other markers to make these boundaries like these.

Take a photo of this arrangement.

4.       Use the random number generator to generate 16 numbers. 06 06 16 07 08 11 08 01

5.       Select the first eight numbers to designate the squares in your quadrat you will sample. 

6.       In each of these randomly selected squares, count and record the number of different kinds of species (species richness) the string intersects. Do not count the number of individuals of each species.

Square 1	2 Species
Square 6	3 Species
Square 7	4 Species
Square 8	3 Species
Square 11	2 Species
Square 16	1 Species

How can you determine the different species? Give them a common name you invent (or use one you know) and make sketches, so you can keep track of what you find.

I determined the different species by each unique color in the square.

7.       Note any dispersal patterns. RANDOM DISPERSAL PATTERNS

8.       Record these data in a table like this:   SEE CHART ABOVE

9.       Place a flag or other marker on the bottom left and the top right corners of the quadrant. Take a photo.

10.   Untie the knot in the string.

11.   Secure the string at the bottom left corner and extend the string through the top right corner and beyond (about 16 meters total). Take a photo. 

12.   At each point where a plant intersects (where it touches, for trees where its shadow falls) this line, record the species name (made up or otherwise).

13.   Count and record the number of different kinds of species (species richness) the string intersects. Do not count the number of individuals of each species.  

14.   Record these data as total number of species along transect. 5 different Species along the line from left to right

15.   Note any dispersal patterns. RANDOM DISPERSAL PATTERNS

16.   Analysis questions.

a.       This exercise did not require random sampling to choose your site. State how you chose your site, and explain any biases you discovered in yourself while doing so. I chose my site as a flower garden because I knew that counting the different colors as the species would make it the easiest to identify.

b.      Describe the differences in the number of species using each method. Which one seems to “capture” the scene the best? The Bright colors of the flowers capture the scene the best.

c.       If you discovered any dispersal patterns, describe them. The most common pattern I discovered was Random dispersal.

d.      Discuss what you would change for either method to determine a more accurate species count. I would make the area much smaller and focus more on one species at a time in a more accurate detailed scale.