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Comparing the three sampling methods employed in the virtual forest tutorial, the haphazard method had the fastest estimated sampling time at 12 hours 26 minutes, then systematic at 12 hours 36 minutes, and finally random with the slowest estimated sampling time at 12 hours 43 minutes.
For the two most common species (Eastern Hemlock and Red Maple), the systematic method was the most accurate, with p = 1.30% and 12.53%. The least accurate was the haphazard method (18.81% and 19.43%), with random falling between the two (12.26% and 15.90%).
For the two least common species (White Pine and Striped Maple), the systematic method was still the most accurate (42.86% and 37.14%) the haphazard was still the least accurate (98.81% and 114.29%), and the random method still fell in the middle (50.00% and 100.00%).
The accuracy of all methods declined along with species abundance, and the systematic approach remained the most accurate regardless of abundance.
