Question

study how moose population dynamics change as the vegetation grows back (post volcano eruption).

1.Which is the best sampling method to use to calculate elk population density?

and

2. Which is the best sampling method to use to calculate the density of forage species (i.e. plants)?

a. Two-step Sampling

b. Mark-Recapture

c. Quadrats

d. Performance Curve

questions 1 and 2 choose from mc options?

what sampling method is used to count moose and plants?

two different sampling methods

Answer 1

1. For a population study of elk, the best method is the mark-recapture method. Here, some of the elks are captured at the beginning of the study and release them in their habitat and recapture some of elks after several days and count the number of marked elk out of total elks captured in the second time. This calculation will help to estimate the total population of elk easily.

2. The best method to calculate the density of plants is Quadrats. Quadrats are square, rectangular areas of defined size in a plant community. Quadrats maybe a list quadrat, list-count quadrat, chart quadrat, clip quadrat, and cover quadrat.

In list quadrat, the names of different plant species are enlisted where in list-count quadrat the number of different plant species is calculated. In clip quadrat, the records about the stretch of branches or roots are taken in graph paper and in cover quadrat, study about their ground cover is done from time to time. Whereas in the clip quadrat, the biomass of any plant species is calculated.