4.4B: Practical: Investigate the Distribution of Organisms in their Habitats and Measure Biodiversity Using Quadrats

QUADRANTS: Square Made of Wires that is Divided into Smaller Areas in which Organisms underneath are Identified and Counted

QUADRATS: Rectangular frames of known dimensions that can be used to establish population densities by counting and identifying organisms within frame

MEASURING DISTRIBUTION AND BIODIVERSITY OF ORGANISM:

MEASURING DISTRIBUTION AND BIODIVERSITY OF ORGANISM

Diagram showing How Quadrats are Utilised in the Field

METHOD: Place quadrat randomly within sampling area Count the number of members of the same specieswithin the quadrat Repeat this numerous times within sampling area using the same size quadrat Repeat the process in another area to compare results Additionally, results can be shown on a map of sampled area, displaying which areas are densely populated by certain species and vice versa

INCREASING RELIABILITY OF RESULTS: Randomly place Quadrat Use Quadrat of same size with each repeat Take more samples to collect larger data size