This Biology quiz is called 'Quadrat Sampling' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at middle school. Playing educational quizzes is a fabulous way to learn if you are in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade - aged 11 to 14.
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Ecology is the study of organisms in their habitats. The distribution of the organisms in a particular habitat can be affected by such physical factors as light, shelter from the wind and temperature. In order to try to make a scientific analysis of the organisms and their distribution in a habitat, quadrat sampling and line transects are useful tools. This middle school Biology quiz is all about quadrat sampling.
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Quadrats provide quantitative data either as numbers of individuals or as percentages. They are generally square, wire frames that are 50 cm by 50 cm and they can be used to estimate or count plants and slow moving animals. Their main limitation is that, due to their size, quadrats can only really be used to study the ecology of habitats where trees and bushes are widely spread or completely absent.
Quadrat sampling consists of randomly placing a quadrat on the ground in the area to be sampled. The position of the quadrat must not be chosen by the experimenter. Numbers and types of plants and animals can then be estimated for the whole habitat by counting them in the individual quadrats. The method is very useful as it is quick and easy to do but needs to be used with care to give valid results. When using quadrat sampling, either actual numbers can be counted or the percentage area covered by each species of plant is estimated. The results can then be scaled up to the area of the area being studied. If the total area of habitat is 200 square meters and the total area sampled using quadrats was 10 square meters, the quadrat count just needs multiplying by 20 to give a result for the full habitat.
Where the environment is not uniform, analysis along a line transect can also be carried out to establish gradual changes (across a field that is boggy at one side but dry at the other for example). A relationship between the number of organisms and the environmental conditions can be worked out using this method.
Try this quiz to see how much you know about using quadrat sampling when studying the ecology of habitats.
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1.
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What do we call the square frame, usually 0.5m by 0.5m, used in sampling organisms? |
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| [ ] |
A quadrant |
| [ ] |
A quadrangle |
| [ ] |
A quadrat |
| [ ] |
A quadratic |
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2.
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What do we call the place where an organism lives? |
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| [ ] |
Its habit |
| [ ] |
Its habitat |
| [ ] |
Its ecosystem |
| [ ] |
Its environment |
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3.
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What are abiotic factors? |
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| [ ] |
Non-living conditions |
| [ ] |
Living conditions |
| [ ] |
Dead conditions |
| [ ] |
Absent conditions |
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4.
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What are biotic factors? |
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| [ ] |
Non-living conditions |
| [ ] |
Living conditions |
| [ ] |
Dead conditions |
| [ ] |
Absent conditions |
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5.
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Which of these is an abiotic factor? |
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| [ ] |
Light intensity |
| [ ] |
Time |
| [ ] |
Competition |
| [ ] |
Parasitism |
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6.
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What is the name for sampling along a line across the area of interest in the field? |
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| [ ] |
Transmitter |
| [ ] |
Transition |
| [ ] |
Transect |
| [ ] |
Transformer |
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7.
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How would you estimate the population of daisies in a field? |
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| [ ] |
Random quadrat sampling, counting daisies in the frame then multiplying up to the whole field area |
| [ ] |
Counting every daisy in the field |
| [ ] |
Throwing the quadrat and counting how many daisies there are inside the frame |
| [ ] |
Counting all the daisies that touch the line |
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8.
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In a field, why would there be very few daisies under a tree? |
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| [ ] |
Not enough light |
| [ ] |
Temperature too low |
| [ ] |
pH too acidic |
| [ ] |
Trampling |
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9.
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Which of the following factors could limit the distribution of moss? |
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| [ ] |
pH |
| [ ] |
Wind |
| [ ] |
Grazing animals |
| [ ] |
Water |
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10.
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Lichens can be found growing on quite exposed walls and on rocks. This is because they are adapted to withstand... |
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| [ ] |
high temperatures |
| [ ] |
wind |
| [ ] |
drying out (dessication) |
| [ ] |
the sun |
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|
1.
|
What do we call the square frame, usually 0.5m by 0.5m, used in sampling organisms? |
|
| [ ] |
A quadrant |
| [ ] |
A quadrangle |
| [x] |
A quadrat |
| [ ] |
A quadratic |
|
|
|
2.
|
What do we call the place where an organism lives? |
|
| [ ] |
Its habit |
| [x] |
Its habitat |
| [ ] |
Its ecosystem |
| [ ] |
Its environment |
|
|
|
3.
|
What are abiotic factors? |
|
| [x] |
Non-living conditions |
| [ ] |
Living conditions |
| [ ] |
Dead conditions |
| [ ] |
Absent conditions |
|
|
|
4.
|
What are biotic factors? |
|
| [ ] |
Non-living conditions |
| [x] |
Living conditions |
| [ ] |
Dead conditions |
| [ ] |
Absent conditions |
|
|
|
5.
|
Which of these is an abiotic factor? |
|
| [x] |
Light intensity |
| [ ] |
Time |
| [ ] |
Competition |
| [ ] |
Parasitism |
|
|
|
6.
|
What is the name for sampling along a line across the area of interest in the field? |
|
| [ ] |
Transmitter |
| [ ] |
Transition |
| [x] |
Transect |
| [ ] |
Transformer |
|
|
|
7.
|
How would you estimate the population of daisies in a field? |
|
| [x] |
Random quadrat sampling, counting daisies in the frame then multiplying up to the whole field area |
| [ ] |
Counting every daisy in the field |
| [ ] |
Throwing the quadrat and counting how many daisies there are inside the frame |
| [ ] |
Counting all the daisies that touch the line |
|
|
|
8.
|
In a field, why would there be very few daisies under a tree? |
|
| [x] |
Not enough light |
| [ ] |
Temperature too low |
| [ ] |
pH too acidic |
| [ ] |
Trampling |
|
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following factors could limit the distribution of moss? |
|
| [ ] |
pH |
| [ ] |
Wind |
| [ ] |
Grazing animals |
| [x] |
Water |
|
|
|
10.
|
Lichens can be found growing on quite exposed walls and on rocks. This is because they are adapted to withstand... |
|
| [ ] |
high temperatures |
| [ ] |
wind |
| [x] |
drying out (dessication) |
| [ ] |
the sun |
|
|
