ENVI5705 – Assessment 2: Field Report
Your task
The report consists of five questions about different issues in designing and executing sampling protocols to answer biological questions.
You are required to use data collected during the field trip to write the report and you can use data from any taxonomic group to answer any of the questions.
However, you need to use ALL the taxonomic groups somewhere in your report and the best answers will include data from more than one taxon.
The Questions
1) Discuss sampling solutions to tackle spatial variation.
2) Discuss possible biases associated with at least two of our sampling techniques.
3) Discuss the importance of incorporating temporal variation into sampling designs.
4) Contrast direct searching vs attractive trapping techniques.
5) Discuss the issues associated with obtaining samples from highly diverse communities.
Report Length
Body of the report 4000 words maximum including any figures or tables, but NOT including the references.
Referencing style
Use Harvard Style. which uses the Author-Date approach.
See here: https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/citation
Grading
This assessment is worth 45% of your final mark. A marking matrix is provided in Canvas under Assessments Tab.
Late Penalties
Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.
Points to note
• It is expected that you will carry out your own statistical analysis of the datasets to demonstrate your understanding of analysis and interpretation.
• All data sets must be used in your report.
• For the report, create your own graphs and figures to illustrate your answers.
• Do not present raw data.
• You should aim to write about 2 pages for each question and include no more than 2-3 figures for each question.
• The content of the report will be discussed during class.