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For this assignment, I was required to use the systematic sampling method, the random sampling method and also the haphazard sampling method in the virtual forest tutorial. The sampling technique with the fastest estimate sampling time ended up being the systematic sampling method with a time of 12 hours and 34 minutes. The next fastest sampling time was the random sampling method at 12 hours and 41 minutes, and the slowest sampling technique ended up being the haphazard method with a time of 12 hours and 49 minutes.
The two most common species were: Red Maple and Witch Hazel
The percentage error of the two most common species:
Systematic:
Red Maple= 9.8% error
Witch Hazel= 12.2% error
Random:
Red Maple= 22.4% error
Witch Hazel= 48.2% error
Haphazard:
Red Maple= 13.1% error
Witch Hazel= 33.3% error
The two rarest species were: Sweet Birch and Hawthorn
The percentage error of the two rarest species:
Systematic:
Sweet Birch = 82.7% error
Hawthorn = 14.9% error
Random:
Sweet Birch = 24.4% error
Hawthorn = 62.4% error
Haphazard:
Sweet Birch = 55.7% error
Hawthorn = 71.1% error
From the results, on average the trend seems to be that the accuracy increases when there is a greater species abundance, in other words the greater the species abundance the less of a percentage error there was.
Systematic sampling method percentage error (more accurate on average): 29.9%
Random sampling method percentage error: 39.35%
Haphazard method percentage error: 43.3%
So, as you can see the systematic sampling method has the lowest percentage error and therefore, is on average the most accurate.
