AQA A2 Biol4 January 2012 pre- exam discussion

Using quadrats as a method of random sampling involves 3 main stages:

1) Using two tape measures as axis, lay them out along the two sides of the area you wish to study

2) Obtain a series of numbers to use as co-ordinates from a random source for example, computer generated

3) Place the quadrat at the intersection of each pair of co-ordinates and record the species within it i.e count the number of organisms if this is what you are recording

Systematic sampling along transects is a way to measure the abundance and distribution of species in a systematic way as opposed to a random manner. This is useful when the there is a transition amongst the communities of plants and/or animals you are studying. In this method using either a line transect or belt transect you can record the species that come into contact with the line above it, made from a string or tape. Transects are described as systematic because as like the quadrat sampling you're not generating any random number to be used as co-ordinates or anything, you are simply using a line/tape which is simply stretched across the ground and so are recording systematically if that makes sense?

This is my understanding of it anyway, I hope it's cleared things up for you

Using quadrats as a method of random sampling involves 3 main stages:

1) Using two tape measures as axis, lay them out along the two sides of the area you wish to study

2) Obtain a series of numbers to use as co-ordinates from a random source for example, computer generated

3) Place the quadrat at the intersection of each pair of co-ordinates and record the species within it i.e count the number of organisms if this is what you are recording

Systematic sampling along transects is a way to measure the abundance and distribution of species in a systematic way as opposed to a random manner. This is useful when the there is a transition amongst the communities of plants and/or animals you are studying. In this method using either a line transect or belt transect you can record the species that come into contact with the line above it, made from a string or tape. Transects are described as systematic because as like the quadrat sampling you're not generating any random number to be used as co-ordinates or anything, you are simply using a line/tape which is simply stretched across the ground and so are recording systematically if that makes sense?

This is my understanding of it anyway, I hope it's cleared things up for you

Like this explanation, but I thought that you can't do transects for plants... there's no transition?

yeh cheers man, that really helps, i didnt know systematic was because it wasnt a random numnber generator used. thanks again.

Do we need to know the statistical tests or not?

Do we need to know the statistical tests or not?

need to go over content one more time quickly then do papers, I hope the paper isn't wierd....

You better pray hard boii!
Not tryna scare you but I'm a resit student and biol4 is known to be the most ****ed pape of them all. Just learn the mark schemes....that's my best advice.

loooool its just AQA....any other board and Biology would be getting smmmmmashed! =) the other boards play with my skills whereas AQA is dumb common sense stuff -_-

you a medicine applicant?

Was a med applicant, now I'm an optom applicant!

So hard to find anything decent to use for revision!

Systematic sampling itself is the use of belt or line transects. It is used when there is a transition/change of some sort in an environment. For example, if you want to measure the abundance of species from a high tide mark to a low tide mark.

So why use systematic sampling?

To establish zonation patterns.

Lol?