Syllabus
1) Absolute and relative density and methods of their estimation examples. Absolute methods overview: total inventory, quadrate sampling, linear transect, capture re-capture, catch effort method, change in ratio method, methods based on distance, selection of method according to type of organisms and aim of study.
2) Repetition of statistical terms, distribution of the data, relationships between types of the data, selected statistical test type of method and sampling design used for density estimation. Data variability and errors, types of errors, analysis of errors in individual step of data collection and its minimalization cost benefit ratio.
3) Total inventory - use and limitation. Methods based on area sampling (samples, quadrate counts, line transect). Principe of methods size and shape of sampling area, spatial distribution of organisms, regular, random, or clustered distribution and its implication for statistical distribution of data.
4) Sampling design of are sampling methods, random sampling (what is and what not random sampling is), regular, or stratified sampling, the effect of spatiotemporal scale, geostatistics.
5) Methods based on distance of objects, principle, distance to closest organisms, distance between organisms, modification for large areas ?sparse sampling"
6) Capture re-captures and catch per effort methods change in ratio methods. Principe and limitation.
7) Examples - invertebrates in side various substrates namely in soil and sediments absolute density methods - number and size of sampling areas, composite samples, case studies, methods of sampling, extraction techniques, (heat extraction, flotation etc.). Sampling design, logistic limitation examples.
8) Examples - invertebrates emerging from soil or sediments flying or moving on soil surface, absolute and relative density, pitfall traps, emergence traps, the effect of object size and activity, limitations of relative abundance data. Sampling design, logistic limitations examples.
9) Examples - fish. Overview of methods (total catch inventory; mark recapture methods catch per unit effort; (CPUE).
10) Examples fish Overview of techniques used for fish tramping (nets electric current, etc.) efficiency limitations selectivity Sampling design, logistic limitations examples.
11) Observation methods and its use in density estimation, acoustic methods (passive and active ones) - possibilities and limitation, example of post processing of acoustic data, other observation methods, telemetry.
Annotation
The aim of the course is to offer introduction to principle of population density estimation in relation to other related parameters (biomass, species richness and production) in both sessile and mobile organisms. The goal is to fill the gap between classical statistical methods and data collection, by other words to help students to select proper techniques and sampling design to make sure that data fit to selected statistical test and give answer on asked question and on the same collection of the data will be practically feasible. The course will be divide in two parts in the first part Offer overview of various techniques used for population density estimation (principle of methods their possibilities and limitation), attention will be paid on sampling design and proper strategy of data collection. In the second part these theoretical background described above will be applied in to two model groups of organisms, invertebrates living inside various substrata (edaphon and benthos) and fish, on these examples will be illustrated also logistic and other practical constrains in data collection and possible way of their solution.
During the course the students will have to prepare project of sampling for density estimation on their favorable group of organisms.