Using Quadrats

• Why don't we just count all the organisms in the field?

  it would take too long
• Quadrats


  Usually square and often made of metal wire. Most common size is to have sides of 0.5m
• Why don't you throw the quadrat to place it randomly?

  Could be dangerous, limited to how far you can throw it, could chose to throw it somewhere because of how it looks (bias)
• How to generate random location

  Lay out two tape measures at right angles and create a grid. Use random coordinates generated from a calculator
• How do you make random coordinates from calculators?

  Shift, ran#
• How to count organisms in an area

  either count all of the organisms your looking for in the area, or find the percentage cover
• Biomass

  The mass of living material of an organism
• What does a pyramid of biomass show?


  The total mass of living material at each tropic level