Measuring biodiversity

• How do you measure the biodiversity of plants?

  You use quadrats
• How do you use quadrats?

  Take a randome sample of an area to avoid collecting biased data. A larger sample will give a valid estimate of the number of plants in the area
• How do you measure the biodiversity of animals?

  Capture/recapture technique
• What is the method of the capture/ recapture method?

  1. Collect organisms found in 1 area without trampling habitat or leaving litter
  2. Mark the organisms and return them to the same area they were collected from
  3. Leave time for organisms to reintegrate into their community
  4. Return and again collect as many organisms as found, collect as thoes already marked and unmarked samples
  5. Use an equation to calculate the estimated population size
• What are some assumptions made whith using the capture / recapture method?

  1. No deaths
  2. Immigration or emigration
  3. Marking technique does not effect chances of survival